Marvelous Porsche\ 911

At present, there are 16 distinct models in the Porsche\ 911 range — that's 16 different cars all wearing '911' on the rear end, ranging from the standard Carrera to the track-ready GT3 RS. Which one is best? Well, conventional wisdom might suggest that power and price would be good indicators, bigger being better. But that may not be the case. "Historically, the entry-level 911 tends to be the sweetest car in the range," writes TopGear.com's Ollie Marriage. And after an enthusiastic stint in a base-spec Carrera with a traditional manual gearbox, Ollie is ready to proclaim an unlikely winner. "It's superb. Honestly, you just don’t need more."
On the switch to a turbocharged engine for the Carrera:
"It’s mostly the noise rather than the power delivery that has suffered. It’s softer in tone now, more muffled, has lost the tingle, zap and yowl. It’s interesting though. Around town it still has the low-rev chunter that gives you hope of more to come, but as you go faster you leave the noise behind."
On the seven-speed manual transmission:
"It’s fantastic, so nice to use with a lovely short shift, lovely clutch weighting, lovely action. It’s just lovely. I know almost everyone opts for PDK [automatic] these days, but honestly this new seven-speed manual is so good-natured and easygoing that it’s no hassle at all, no matter how sticky the traffic. It also gives you a closer personal relationship with the engine. Sounds daft, but it’s something which I’m sure makes me feel better disposed to this car."
On the ride and handling:
"This car just feels so fabulously useable, so effortlessly rapid. The ride on the now-standard adaptive dampers is utterly superb, it’s very fast across country on difficult roads, you don’t need 4WD when this car feels so clean and tidy, and carves such smooth lines around corners. The steering may be a little numb, but it’s beautifully weighted, accurate and gives you plenty of confidence."
On its place in the 911 range:
"What struck me about this 911 is the oiled, supple athleticism with which every component from the gearbox to the touchscreen infotainment works. It’s an honest car, fast, smooth and extremely capable. As a daily driver, the basic 911 — with a manual gearbox for the extra interactivity — takes a hell of a lot of beating."

Marvelous Porsche\ 911

At present, there are 16 distinct models in the Porsche\ 911 range thats 16 different cars all wearing 911 on the rear end, ranging from the standard Carrera to the track-ready GT3 RS. Which one is best? Well, conventional wisdom might suggest that power and price would be good indicators, bigger being better. But that may not be the case. Historically, the entry-level 911 tends to be the sweetest car in the range, writes TopGear.coms Ollie Marriage. And after an enthusiastic stint in a base-spec Carrera with a traditional manual gearbox, Ollie is ready to proclaim an unlikely winner. Its superb. Honestly, you just dont need more. On the switch to a turbocharged engine for the Carrera: Its mostly the noise rather than the power delivery that has suffered. Its softer in tone now, more muffled, has lost the tingle, zap and yowl. Its interesting though. Around town it still has the low-rev chunter that gives you hope of more to come, but as you go faster you leave the noise behind. On the seven-speed manual transmission: Its fantastic, so nice to use with a lovely short shift, lovely clutch weighting, lovely action. Its just lovely. I know almost everyone opts for PDK [automatic] these days, but honestly this new seven-speed manual is so good-natured and easygoing that its no hassle at all, no matter how sticky the traffic. It also gives you a closer personal relationship with the engine. Sounds daft, but its something which Im sure makes me feel better disposed to this car. On the ride and handling: This car just feels so fabulously useable, so effortlessly rapid. The ride on the now-standard adaptive dampers is utterly superb, its very fast across country on difficult roads, you dont need 4WD when this car feels so clean and tidy, and carves such smooth lines around corners. The steering may be a little numb, but its beautifully weighted, accurate and gives you plenty of confidence. On its place in the 911 range: What struck me about this 911 is the oiled, supple athleticism with which every component from the gearbox to the touchscreen infotainment works. Its an honest car, fast, smooth and extremely capable. As a daily driver, the basic 911 with a manual gearbox for the extra interactivity takes a hell of a lot of beating.