April 11, 2005 - The middle of February would not be my first choice on the calendar to have an auto show in Canada, but the organizers of the Toronto show insist on this date to get car shoppers excited for the spring car shopping season. Unfortunately, the potential for unpredictable weather means a risky winter’s drive from Ottawa. Normally a 500 kilometre trip via four-lane snoozefests called highways 416 and 401. However, a last minute change in schedules means I have a new Porsche at my disposal—time to break out the maps.

The day before was a typical Eastern Canadian February day: Blowing snow mixed with a touch of freezing rain. But it’s sunny now, the plows have been out, so why not see if one can get from Ottawa to Toronto via, say, Ompah?

Both the Porsche rep and my Porsche Club friend warned me, “Wait until you fill it up for the first time.” And sure enough, at my first morning stop to top up for the long drive ahead the guy taking my money behind the Auto Traders queried, “Who the hell drives a 911 in the winter?”

It isn’t just any Porsche I am allegedly about to abuse. My test car is a loaded-to-the-gunwales new and improved 2005 911 Carrera S. Its 3.8-litre version of Porsche’s aluminum flat-six makes 355 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque due to a bigger 99-millimeter bore, a revised exhaust, intake manifold, and combustion chambers. For 2005, the so-called base 911 Carrera (sans “S”) gets an upgraded version of last year’s 3.6-litre flat-six that ends up being 25 horsepower and 22 pound-feet of torque short of its bigger brother. According to Porsche, the S leaps to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, bettering the base car by 0.2 second and topping out at 338 km/h. Figures which will be pure mythology on my planned route today.



Externally, the S is further differentiated by quad exhaust pipes and would normally have larger nineteen-inch wheels and tires, but Porsche, being Porsche, was smart enough to dress my S in 18-inch, Dunlop winter radials. I am truly thankful.

The screaming “All New 911!” headlines in other car pubs are a bit of a nose-stretcher as the 997 is more of a refinement of the 996 launched in 1997. Head Porsche penman Harm Lagaay’s last attempt to modernize the classic 911 shape had Porschephiles storming the castle with burning torches. On the outside, with the 2005 model, the only body panel retained from the 996 is the roof. Porsche has gone back to the wasp-like hips and the more upright round headlamps from the much-loved 1993-1998 car. In the process, the new look helps distance the premium-priced 911 from the more affordable Boxster.

Despite the welcoming sun popping out from the morning clouds, the external temperature is still well below zero degrees Celsius. Warming up the car’s fluids gives me a chance to familiarize myself with the 911’s new interior. Right off the bat, you sit lower, and for the first time a 911 steering wheel tilts AND telescopes. Its just the right thickness too, not too fat like recent BMW’s M car tillers. With more room down where the pedals exist, Porsche has managed to eke out a bit more head and leg space for the driver in what was already a comfortable cockpit. And unlike most of its competitors, the 911 offers good visibility to all quarters of the car.

My car has the six-speed manual transmission, so the multifunctional steering wheel gets redundant audio and nav controls (little rubber dials found on the wheel; tactility is excellent) instead of toggles a Tiptronic-equipped 911 would have. New driver instrumentation with both analog and digital displays, revised HVAC controls, and a huge Cayenne-like in-dash color screen dominate the centre stack.



If you’ve forgotten that the 911 is a rear-engine car, also remember that it is a 2 + 2. As in every 911 that came before, the top half of the rear seats fold to allow for a flat storage. Leaving my family behind for this trip, it makes a great spot for my overnighter and camera bag.

Escaping urban then subsequently suburban traffic, I start in on my very non-direct route to The Big Smoke. The cottage country roads have been plowed, but the trucks have left a concoction of sand and gravel to spice things up a bit. The area’s roads high crown design has allowed the curbsides to be left with a mix of packed snow and ice. Add corners developing transverse-running streams from melting runoff and I’m starting to think the smart-ass gas attendant may have been on to something.

Even on these frost-heaved backroads, the suspension is fairly limber with little or no float. Its stiff enough to keep the chassis moving as little as possible, but there’s plenty of information still being transferred through the steering wheel. The 997’s wheelbase and front-strut and rear-multilink suspension caries over with minor tweaks from the 996. Porsche claims drag coefficient is down from 0.30 to 0.28 (Carrera) and 0.29 (Carrera S), front and rear lift have also been reduced, and there is now a flush-fitting undertray. In lieu of more standard features, a broader body, and better crash protection, curb weight has only increased by 25 kilograms to 1,420.

The two biggest reasons I manage to keep this big-powered, rear-engine sports car out of the snow-covered evergreens is down to the winter Continental tires and Porsche’s Active Suspension Management. Standard on the Carrera S, PASM mates a lower ride height and tighter springs with four electronically controlled shocks. You can select between two different settings: Normal is fundamentally for cruising until faster driving automatically triggers a tauter mode; Sport buttons down the shocks immediately.



Compared to the last 996 model I drove, the brand-new six-speed stick is much faster and smoother with the clutch being less of a Nautilus workout. Like the electronic systems found in newer BMW’s, the Porsche 911’s new variable rate steering feels less secure around the straight-ahead position. When you are in the twisties, it does turn in more quickly and is not as affected by any road irregularities. In theory, the ratio quickens the farther you turn the wheel, but I don't notice it after an hour of backroad boogying.

Centered atop the dash, in what appears to be an Infiniti-mimicking stab at faux luxury is actually a chronograph stopwatch. It’s the most obvious feature of the $1,290 Sport Chrono Pack Plus option. Activated by the left steering-column stalk, you can time yourself from point-to-point on your next track day, returning late DVDs to Blockbuster, or even on the Snow Road on a February day. More than just an expensive stop watch, when activated, it actually heightens the PASM, accelerates response, permits higher revs, and loosens the reins on the stability control for those who know how to drive.

Even more important is the new 911’s brakes. Appropriated from the 996 911 Turbo, the brakes have four-piston monoblock calipers and are an improvement on the already stellar system thanks to a larger booster. Ceramic composite discs are available as an option.

Ultimately, you can turn the new 911’s stability control off. But with no Scandinavian rally drivers in my family tree, I let Porsche’s electronic elves allow me to get to Toronto without incident to the car, my wallet, or myself. The winter Continentals allow a wiggle in the rear that from behind may win a JLo look-alike contest, but despite conditions that some driver’s wouldn’t attempt without all-wheel drive underfoot, I never had a moment that caused me to take the Lord’s name in vain.

Eventually, the “good” roads run out, and to make my dinner engagement, I need to get on the 401 westbound near Belleville. The trip computer says I have only averaged 105 km/h, but considering the road and conditions, I’ll take it.

With an engine that sounds as good as it performs, unflappable chassis, transcendent steering and brake feel, the new 911 is hugely involving from a driver’s perspective. It easily was our pick as the best Sports Car >$70k in our 2005 Straight-Goods.

It’s still a 911, just faster, better balanced, and easier to drive. Even in the winter.

- John LeBlanc, publisher of straight-six.com




2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S

Type: Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, two-door sports car

Seats: 2 + 2

Base price: $115,650

Price as tested: $133,495

Warranty: 4 years/80,000 kms.

Engine: 3.8-litre, DOHC flat-six, 325-hp @ 6,800 rpm, 295 lb-ft @ 1,800–4,600 rpm

Transmission: 6-speed manual, 5-speed manumatic optional.

Brakes: Front and rear discs.

Wheels: 18-in. alloy

Tires: Front: 235/40ZR 18, Rear: 265/40ZR18 Continental winter

Wheelbase: 2,350 mm (92.5 in)

Overall length: 4,461 mm (175.6 in)

Overall height: 1,310 mm (51.6 in)

Overall width: 1,808 mm (71.2 in)

Curb weight: 1,420 kg (3,131 lb.)

Optional features: Metallic paint ($1,150); Interior leather upgrade ($5,230); Heated front seats ($680); Power front seats ($2,170); Multifunctional steering wheel ($1,040); Gold wheel centres ($275); Navigation package ($2,890); Sport Chrono Pack Plus ($1,290); Bose sound system ($1,950).

Fuel consumption: City: 13.2/100kms, Highway: 8.4 l/100kms

Fuel type: Premium gasoline recommended