In the automotive world, a car that offers high precision handling and performance usually comes with some sort of compromise. The most common compromise is comfort, and a close second, practicality. It is for this reason that “the weekend toy” exists, a car which allows the driver to momentarily forget about boot space and enjoy the art of driving. The sports car has long been the weekend toy of choice or, taken up a notch, the supercar. However, with time being a limited commodity in the modern world, very rarely are these weekend toys used to their full potential. Often, those who own such vehicles end up using them to drive to their favourite Sunday morning breakfast spot and then back home, which is a shame really. What is the point of owning a track focused vehicle if all it’s ever going to do is park outside your favourite cafe?
Unlike most well-known sports car manufacturers, Porsche don’t position their most coveted vehicle as a fast way to get to your next egg’s benedict fix. Yes, the 911 has long been known by enthusiasts as the perfect daily sports car , and for good reason, but my most recent interactions with the latest base 911 Carrera reminded me there’s so much more. My move to The Mother City came with its adjustments, one of them being the smaller roads. Cape Town’s roads must have the most amount of vehicle wheel DNA on them, than any other city in South Africa. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve scuffed the wheels on my family’s SUV, simply because I’m used to the wide highways of Johannesburg. So naturally when I’m reviewing a sports car, I take extra care to choose my line wisely as I turn into these narrow Capetonian corners. In the Porsche 911, I was surprised by the visibility I had when driving, my worries of scuffed wheels were quickly abated.
This leads me to the most important attribute in the car, the comfort. When gauging the comfort levels of any car, I make use of “The Wife Test”. This scientifically proven method works all the time as my wife will be the first to inform me if she feels any jostling in a vehicle, she loathes a firm suspension. Nervously on my maiden voyage with her in the passenger seat of the Porsche 911 Carrera (992.2), I waited to hear her speak up but surprisingly nothing was said. I eventually asked her what she thought about the ride quality, to which she replied; “not bad”, which basically translates as “very good” compared to her opinions of other vehicles. If you can please the passenger from a comfort perspective in a sports car, you’re doing something right.
To test the 911’s drivability evermore so, I toyed with and eventually relented to the idea of a longish drive to the scenic town of Franschhoek, a trip my wife agreed to, provided I drop her off at a local bookstore. She knows me all too well because the reason why any petrolhead residing in the Western Cape would suggest a visit to Franschhoek is that a few kilometres outside of the world-famous town, lies a road called Franschhoek Pass, one that would be perfect to exercise the true abilities of the 911.
This vehicle had already proven itself as a car that can be used daily, but what I hadn’t experienced yet was its ability to excite me in ways only a sports car can. The drive to Franschhoek again reminded me that long distances are a thing the Porsche 911 Carrera loves. The vehicle sits beautifully on the road soaking up the tarmac gently, ready to pounce on overtake with each press of the Sport Response button, a feature which gives you peak power for 20 seconds. After arriving in Franschhoek, I waved my wife off at her chosen destination and went apex chasing up the pass.
Engaging Sport Plus mode, the 3.0 twin-turbo engine immediately barks from the Sport Exhaust, while holding the gears for maximum attack. As expected, the way this vehicle handled gave me the exact sensation I was after, both the thrill and excitement of yielding 290kW/450Nm confidently around corners. You can be surgically precise as you pick your line, whilst not being intimidated that the vehicle you’re piloting has the engine on the “wrong” side of the car. It’s truly astonishing how Porsche has managed to setup a rear engine and rear wheel driven sportscar to handle the way it does around corners both on and off the limit. The ultra-wide tyres at the rear have a lot to do with the handling characteristics of the car but it’s the engineers who developed this chassis who need a raise.
After a few runs up and down Franschhoek Pass, the low fuel warning notified me that I had to visit the nearest fuel station, I decided to call it a day and toggled the vehicle back into Comfort Mode enroute to collect my other half. The temperature dropped as evening approached, something a quick press of the seat heating button quickly fixed. On our drive home we chatted without straining our voices, something not usually possible in a sports car , but with the Sport Exhaust turned off and the chassis in comfort mode, an hour long drive was a breeze in the 911. The Porsche 911 Carrera remains one of the few sports cars that don’t have to be confined to the “weekend toy” designation.
The Porsche 911 Carrera is available for purchase at R2 760 000 in South Africa and is available at various authorised dealers and distributors across Africa. Contact your local Porsche dealer to enquire.
Francisco Nwamba has spent over a decade at the intersection of torque and storytelling. With a sharp pen and an even sharper eye for detail, he’s written for top-tier titles including Top Gear South Africa, traversing the globe to test the world’s most coveted machines on-road, off-road, and occasionally off-script. As the former host of Ignition GT on DStv, he brought horsepower to the small screen, reviewing vehicles and interviewing guests with the charm of a car whisperer in cufflinks. Francisco brings luxury motoring to life with nuance, humour, and a little tyre smoke when necessary.
