Rejoice! Motoring aficionados, there’s a reason to be happy - Porsche is in India! The renowned marquee making world-class sports cars has established its dealerships in the capital and Mumbai. And to top it all, it has promised that it will be bringing the entire range here - Boxster, Cayenne, and the blistering 911. The only exclusion is the monster Carrera GT which is manufactured only as a left-hand drive model.
The 911
For long it has been the Porsche flagship. The 911 (997 - as it is known by Porsche lovers) will be made available in two versions - the base 911 Carrera and the sportier 911 Carrera S. All over the world, the 911 has acquired cult-status. It is pretty unlikely that you have not heard about the beauty so I’ll get down to business.
Looks
The highly flared wheel arches, upright screen and the raked roof provide the car a very muscular and rather squat stance. The design hasn’t changed over the years as Porsche has repeatedly expressed its desire to keep the classical feel in its models. The original 911 was designed in 1963 by Butzi Porsche. Oval chrome tipped headlamps is the only thing that I think could have been better looking - I personally prefer the Turbo’s lamp assembly. The S carries additional two exhausts. Overall, the styling is gentle yet muscular and along with the 18’’ alloys (19’’ for the S), the car looks utterly gorgeous. Quite simply - the sexiest car on planet Earth.
Interiors
911 has classic Porsche interiors. The dials are crystal clear, the leather hand-stiched and the console practical yet good-looking. The GPS is unlikely to make it to the Indian version. There is a ’sport’ button on the console that tightens the chassis and alters the performance settings. The tachometer is located smack in the middle of all dials and gives you a ’this-thing-is-bloody-fast’ feeling. The three spoke steering wheel carries the Porsche logo. Everything - from the power-assisted seats and steering wheel to the pedals - is adjustable in several directions so its unlikely that anyone would not find a comfortable seating position. The boot isn’t that generous and therefore the luggage might have to find space on the rear seat.
Engine and performance
Unlike the Ferraris, 911 is a rear-engined car. Power is delivered by a 3596cc, 325 bhp flat-six for the base version and a 3824cc, 350bhp mill for the S. To put things in perspective for the uninitiated, the ’fast’ old City VTEC was powered by a 100bhp engine. The torque curve is pretty flat and that means the pull in any gear is relentless. Bury the throttle into the floor and the 911 will lunge for the horizon like there is no tomorrow. The top speed is 285kph for the base and 293kph for the S. 911 Carrera has a rev-happy mill and the music it churns out is awesome. And before you start to think so - No 911 is not the fastest car on Indian roads - the title goes to the Bentley Continental GT. Transmission is Porsche’s latest generation ’Tiptronic’.
The 911’s steering is about as precise as it gets and makes tackling corners a piece of cake. Porsche claims that the base model can do 0-100 in 5 seconds flat and the S even quicker in 4.8 seconds. Maximum torque of 370 Nm is available from 4, 250 rpm. These are serious performance stats and combined with the flat torque delivery, make for mind blowing motoring experience.
Ride and handling
The 911 has been known to possess great road-holding capacity and that increases the limits that you can push the car to. 911 also has been know to have a tail-heavy nature but that has been corrected by a variable-ratio steering rack and PSAM (Porsche Active Suspension System) which changes settings according to the road type and the driving style. The clutch is sharp, the gear-change precise and the steering very accurate. Braking via 4 monobloc piston callipers at the front (2 at the rear) is great and confidence inspiring. The pedal travel is very less so the precision is greater.
Prices and other issues
Due to heavy import duty, 911 will be much more expensive here than overseas. The standard version is expected to cost around Rs. 62 lakh and the Sport version is to cost Rs. 68lakh approximately. It ain’t cheap but then its worth it if you can afford it. There is an optional chronograph (a gizmo for measuring lap times) on the base model and standard on the Sport.
The 64 litre tank is small - too small for a car that drinks heavily which means frequent fill-ups. 911 is made to run on 98 Octane fuel but will just about do on 93 octane and hence fuel quality is a problem in India as only a few stations in the metros provide this quality of petrol. It is yet to be seen that the lucky souls who get to own one of these exotic machines will be able to use the power they offer on our Martian roads and not end up avoiding cyclists and dodging motorists who believe that driving right in the middle of the road is their birth right.