Our Cars: Porsche 911 Carrera

Why oh why do car people like us go on and on about the Porsche 911? It occurred to me some time ago that the mythology of the 911 must be a complete mystery to friends and family who don’t particularly care for cars the way we do. The 911 has rarely, if ever, been the fastest, most beautiful, best sounding or rarest vehicle of its type, yet it’s heralded as the king of sports cars.

So what’s it all about? Last week we filmed a video that I hope goes some way to explaining the 911 thing to a wider audience. In the film, which we’ll publish early in the new year, I discuss the car’s history, its racing success, its weird mechanical layout and what the advantages (and drawbacks) of that are, its day-to-day usability and what a basic modern Carrera is like to drive, plus the 911’s sheer elasticity, from everyday sports car to track day weapon via sledgehammer all-season supercar, cosplay rally special and all the rest of it.

The hero of the film is Andrew’s 911 Carrera long-term test car – as bog standard a 911 as you are ever likely to see. After more than eight hours behind its wheel on that filming day, during which we covered 354 miles, I knew it as well as you can come to know any car in a single day, for better or worse, warts and all.