Philippine Porsche distributor lines up a pair of Cayennes, newest 911 for a drive. It’s going to be a good year
PRESS a button. Pop the gear in drive. Stand on the brake pedal with your left foot then floor the throttle with your right until electronic governors cut in to prevent the engine from blowing itself into a bazillion pieces.

Now let go of the brakes and partake of about four seconds’ worth—during which time the car is hurtling past 100kph of one of the best automotive experiences known to car guys.

That’s Porsche’s launch control, and the carmaker thoughtfully fitted it to its latest rendition of the legendary 911.

Over the recent holidays it’s this four seconds’ worth of auto joy, among others, that the Philippine distributor of Porsche teased to a few car writers as the company lined up for a drive an awesome anthracite-colored 911 Carrera S and a pair of Cayenne V6 sport-utes, one petrol-powered and the other a diesel-sipper. Now while the drive wasn’t exactly lengthy, the fun involved was immense. Well, we’re talking a trio of Porsches, after all.

Parked in front of the swanky Audi and Lamborghini showrooms (the Porsche brand in the Philippines belongs to PGA Cars, also the distributor of Audi, Lamborghini and, soon, Bentley) at Bonifacio Global City one bright morning last month were two Cayennes and the 911 Carrera S, which were arrayed so that the driving gig would start with the gasoline SUV and climax with the uber sports car—a clever move because that meant building up the excitement.
 
Sporty utes
Interestingly, the two Cayennes’ power plants are both quad-cam, 24-valve, direct fuel-injected V6s, although the gasoline one displaces 3.6 liters while the diesel is a 3.0-liter mill. As expected, the former trumps the latter in horsepower—300 to 240—but the reverse is the rule when it comes to earth-moving grunt; the gas variant spins out 400 Newton-meter of torque while the diesel an astounding 550 Newton-meter. In stop-and-go urban traffic and short blasts, it’s the diesel that proved to be more of a, well, blast.

Porsche offers a six-speed manual ’box for the Cayenne, but the units lined up for the drive course their engines’ output through the carmaker’s eight-speed Tiptronic transmission, an automatic whose manual-shift mode responds about as quickly, if not quicker, than if the driver does the gear-shifting himself. A Sport mode makes the shift points higher in the engine rev range and sticks to a lower gear longer—perfect for the crisper throttle response and firmer suspension damping of such setting.

By the way, the Cayenne can be ordered with an air suspension system that lowers or raises the car according to conditions, with the ride-height choices selected by tugging a switch. Standard are the usual array of stability and traction controls, plus the braking assists. Both Cayenne variants we drove were outfitted with the comfier-riding 18-inch wheels, Porsche’s Servotronic variable-boost steering assist and most of the automotive cabin niceties known to man. Not surprisingly, the Cayennes’ ride quality and level of refinement are excellent—luxurious in feel but remaining athletic when called for. Also, their substantial dimensions seem to get smaller the more you drive the car.

The Cayenne is a sports car on stilts, and every bit a Porsche. No wonder it’s the brand’s best-selling model.

Definitively Porsche
As it has been tirelessly pointed out, the 911 is the definitive Porsche, the template on which all the brand’s vehicles are modeled after. In its latest-gen form that debuted in 2011—designated 991 in Porsche’s nomenclature, which appears illogical at best—the car sits on a wheelbase that’s almost four inches longer, with most of the increase coming as a result of the rear wheels having moved farther back. The carmaker said this has led to better weight distribution, which translates to better handling.

Styling-wise, only Porschephiles are likely to point out the nuances that define the current car from the previous 997 model (side mirrors that are now mounted on stems, for instance), although the car’s new fascia and other touches do make the 991 look tauter and sexier. That’s no easy task, considering the present car is almost three inches longer.

The 911 Carrera S offered up for the drive fuses most of the traits that have made the nameplate legendary; potent performance pieces mixed with premium creature comforts.

Under the signature 911 sheet metal are numerous coveted engineering wonders like the car’s flat-six, water-cooled, direct fuel-injected 3.8-liter engine that spews out 400 horsepower and 440 Newton-meter of oomph—definitely ample for the 1,420 kilograms’ worth of car that these ratings have to propel (the 991 is around 45 kilograms lighter than the 997). In the unit we drove, sending the power to the rear wheels—a setup favored by many Porsche purists—is the carmaker’s “doppelkupplung” dual-clutch, seven-speed transmission. Eight-pot calipers grab huge discs, and Porsche’s Stability Management and Active Suspension Management ensure the car sits on its 20-inch wheels for, hopefully, its entire lifetime.

In the car’s cabin are Bose multimedia, special trim and steering wheel, parking assist, electrically adjusted seats and swaths of leather, the signature dashboard-mounted stopwatch even—all to match the exterior’s bi-Xenon lamps, aero kit and LED jewelry.

On the move, the 911 Carrera S felt as refined and luxurious as the Cayennes were, only throttle, steering and braking responses are raised a few notches higher. Everything is simply more immediate and decisive, with the car delivering driving pleasure no matter the speed at which you choose to cover tarmac. And from a standstill, launch control will see to it that it’s going to be one of the most pleasurable few seconds of your driving life.