Not long after you’ve mentioned that you like cars to someone in casual conversation they normally ask ‘What’s your favourite car?’. Soon after that, they transition to ‘What’s your dream car?’.
The answer to the first one is irritating, rational, but often not satisfactory; ‘It depends’, but the answer to the second is possible, a Porsche 911 997.
The reason for this involves travelling back to early-2000s Top Gear and a three-car test involving an early 997, an Aston Martin V8 Vantage and a BMW M6. The 911 won that test, with votes from Hammond and May, but didn’t set my pulse racing.
That was until a few years ago when, apropos of nothing and before I started reviewing cars, I saw a dark blue 997 outside a popular café and thought ‘Yes, that’ll do nicely’.
One of the reasons for this change of heart was time. Since the 991 and 992 versions of the 911 have come along, the 997 has shone more brightly, more so than before it was replaced.
Not only was it the last 911 to have hydraulically assisted steering, but it looks tighter and lither than its successors. This is reflected by the fact it is smaller. On the road this means it doesn’t have much of a footprint and narrow country lanes are greeted with anticipation rather than anxiety.
The smaller size means it’s easier to thread and place, you have more to manoeuvre on sweeping beds as you turn in and slip over the apex of a corner. This is helped by its hydraulic steering which gives you more feel through the wheel.
That isn’t to say newer 911s, such as the 992-based Dakar are lesser, it’s simply a different sensation through the steering wheel. What’s more, the position of the engine over the rear wheels means that even in slippery conditions there’s no risk of the rear breaking free.
Speaking of that engine. The 997.2 I drove had a 3.6-litre flat six with 340bhp channelling its way through a six-speed gearbox into the rear wheels.
The car in question was supplied by M R Sportscars. Based in Hertfordshire, they sell Porsches between 2009 and 2015. The company is run by Raj Hunjan who also kindly acted as cameraman during the video above.
The question is though, was it worth the wait or was it a case of meeting someone you admire only to find they’re not the person you hoped they would be? The truth is that the 997 Carrera is as likeable in the flesh as I hoped it would be.
340bhp sounds like a lot and it is, but the power is manageable, and the power delivery isn’t spiky. What’s more, through flooded roads covered in all manner of grime and muck, the ride didn’t suffer either.
Inside, there is enough sound deadening to still hear that glorious flat-six purring away in the background, a constant reminder that you are in something special, and a reminder of what awaits you a few revs away.
What’s more, this is a dream car you could live with day to day. Open the frunk (front trunk or front boot) and you find a very deep load bay. In fact, this was so deep you could put your weekly shop or a couple of weekend bags.
Since my test drive, the car has now been sold. I don’t know who to, but I hope they enjoy the car as much as I was able to.
