WHEN PORSCHE LAUNCHED its new 911, codenamed '997', last year, I couldn't wait to get my hands on one. You see, I've driven every generation of the 911, and have itched to test the 997's 3.6-litre, 325-brake-horespowered Carrera and the 3.8-litre, 355bhp Carrera S variations ever since I attended their Hong Kong launch in September. So, the offer of a test drive was music to my ears.
A handsome slate grey metallic Carrera S Cabriolet was waiting at the Porsche Centre Hong Kong showroom in Causeway Bay. In a retro step, the designers have ditched the predecessor's 'fried eggs, sunny-side-up' headlights.
The roof panel and front bonnet catch are the only common parts with the previous generation. Everything else is new - although the frog-eyes, purposeful nose and sweeping, classic roofline that have graced Stuttgart's finest for more than 40 years are still instantly recognisable. Hunched on wide arches for 19' wheels and an accentuated waistline, the Carrera S Cabriolet sports a coiled, ready-to-strike stance, reminding you that its rear-mounted, 3.8-litre engine packs a punch.
The driving position is superb. The steering and figure-hugging seats are electrically adjustable to hold you tight for take-off. The rear seats would secure their occupants just as snugly - but only if they were under 1.5 metres tall and had a disproportionately good sense of humour. Every surface in the cabin feels expensive yet indestructible - as you might expect from the marque - but this takes second place to the technological wizardry that stares you in the face.
The climate controls have improved, with sliding controls doing away with tapping at little '+' and '-' buttons. So-called Porsche communication management (PCM) combines the radio, CD player, phone and satellite navigation functions. Not unlike a co-driver in the middle console, it'll tell you where you are (thanks to Porsche's new DVD-Rom made for Hong Kong), what music you're listening to (through a nine-speaker sound system), how loud you should have the music (it compensates as road noise varies), and who's on the phone for you (it'll even take a message).
If this all seems too maternal, there's always the 'off' button. A large LCD display for the PCM is flanked by a smattering of little buttons - they may be a technophile's dream, but they aren't that easy to use at first. By the end of my drive, I still hadn't got the hang of PCM. I was enjoying driving the car too much.