2006 Porsche 911 Carrera Road Test

Twists and turns
While the first 911s had a reputation of being difficult to drive, today's Carreras are compliant and safe with traction control. I preferred the 4S

Carrera S (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

for its all-wheel drive system that glues the car to the road and safely gets it out of sharp turns. If I had driven both cars on a track, I would have been able to fully test their limits. However, in real-world driving, I could go 10-15 kph faster with the 4S in highway on-ramps. Both cars offer a sport mode with stiffer shocks. This mode is intended for the track; on our bumpy roads, the car would never stop shaking. Fortunately, you can deactivate the sport mode for the suspension while keeping it on for the engine, which maintains higher revs and a more effective throttle action. It's the best combination for our damaged roads. In city traffic, the Carreras are very flexible and

Carrera 4S (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

compliant. In addition, they can be easily parked and, obviously, they turn heads wherever they go.

Superlatives
All in all, the 4S is my favourite Carrera. Despite its heavy steering, this car makes me feel safer and more confident, summer or winter, rain or snow.

Driving a Carrera is an experience that made me realize just how extraordinary the Porsches are. They clearly are in the same league as the Ferraris and Lamborghinis in terms of driving pleasure but they are more affordable. Here's hoping to see one in our driveway someday...