This week I have driven two very different but both still perfect Porsches. How can two Porsches very different but yet still perfect you ask. Well they are two sides of the same perfect coin I suppose. One is raw, primal and menacing. The other is refined and suave, the pinnacle of automotive technology.
The first 911 is a 2009 997 Carrera S PDK modified by Shark Werks out of Freemont California. The second is a 934 replica based on a 1978 930 turbo built by Autokennel in Costa Mesa California. They are both rear engine, rear drive with the classic 911 shape. They both have flared fenders and are powered by flat sixes. This however is where the similarities end.
The Carrera S is probably one of the best cars built today. It’s comfortable, fast, easy to drive and sexy as hell. The new PDK gearbox is a pleasure to use. It rips off shifts faster than you can possibly imagine. At the same time, it can be as smooth and refined as any automatic out there. Seven speeds means the car is never out of its powerband, and the big seventh returns exceptional highway mileage. The car has launch control, active suspension, stability management, climate control and beautiful iPod integration. This particular car wasn’t equipped with them, but air conditioned seats are even an option. Modifications include a retuned ECU, center exhaust section, Techart Aerokit, HRE Wheels and H&R Springs. Its flat-six is putting out an estimated 410hp at the crank out of its 3.8-liters. Not too shabby for a naturally aspirated engine.
The 934 replica is an incredible example of a project car turned up to 11. The engine was built by the legendary ANDIAL Motorsports. The suspension is all 935 components with monoballs and heim-joints at every pivot point. It only has four forward gears, but the clutch and shifter actuation is amazingly smooth. All the controls are heavy. A small person would have difficulty driving this car because they would be physically exhausted after twenty minutes in the car. The clutch feels like a piece of workout equipment with every actuation. The brake pedal feels like the ball of your foot is right on the back of a brake pad pressing against the rotor, again heavy, but wonderfully tactile. There is no power steering in this car so turning those big front tires is like hauling an anchor up out of the water. If you have never driven a well setup air-cooled 911 you have no business ever commenting on steering feel in a car, you simply have no basis.
Experiencing cars like this back-to-back makes you realize how far we have come technologically. It also makes you realize that when it comes to the actual driving experience, nothing has changed. What makes a great driver’s car is still the same. Tactile feedback between road, car and driver is key. Responsiveness to every command the driver gives and the ever-elusive soul is also a must. Both of these cars fit that bill, just in very different ways.
