2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S

Porsche’s 911 scoffs at the whiners

Let’s get this out of the way: Yes, Porsche replaced its traditional hydraulic steering system in the company’s vaunted 911 Carrera with an electromechanical setup, and yes, said electromechanical setup mutes much of the road feel to which experienced Porsche drivers have long been accustomed.

Putting it politely, the new steering erases bump steer, allowing only the smaller, higher-frequency stuff to get through. A blunter person would call it crappy.

We found the car handled as well, if not better, than any 911 in memory

It’s not, of course. What it is, is isolated, and the net effect is more than a little disconcerting – it’s downright weird. Yet, here’s the weirder thing: It’s also hugely effective; it just takes several tries to get a “feel” for it.

We found out as much in our Autofile testing, during which time it took a few passes through our tight slalom course with a 911 Carrera S to get our rhythm dialed in, but once we did, we testify there’s little complaint about the steering’s immediacy or accuracy. We found the car handled as well, if not better, than any 911 in memory. The car blasted its way through the eight cones, the wheels going precisely where we wanted the moment we asked them, the body staying almost perfectly flat thanks in large part to its optional Porsche Dynamic chassis Control system.

The fact that the rear axle moves rearward closer to the engine helps with the car’s balance

The fact that the rear axle moves rearward closer to the engine helps with the car’s balance. Gone is the pitching motion from the cantilevered engine mass, as well as the familiar rear-end waddle – especially on the skidpad, where the car just lifts into a floaty sort of drift at both ends, easily controlled at the throttle. The result? A full 1.0 g of lateral acceleration, the best we’ve ever recorded from a production car (the next closest was a 911 GT 3 we tested in 2004). The brakes, too, are world-class, pulling the 911 to a stop in under 105 feet, only topped by three other Porsches and the 2003 Mitsubishi Evo (which managed it in 100 feet flat) in the history of Autofile testing.

In the straights, however, the lack of steering feel doesn’t come into play. With launch control, the car does most of the work for you. You simply select sport-plus, cancel the standard Porsche Stability Management, then stand on the brake and the gas simultaneously. The revs climb to somewhere in the 5,000-rpm range, you step off the brake and the car bangs off the line like it was hit by a train. Even with our low-friction drag strip surface and an 80-degree day, the 911 rockets down the strip with truly spectacular sound effects.

The car is more refined and better isolated than 911s of yore

Critics will complain about the loss of “their” 911 and call the 911 emasculated. That simply doesn’t wash in the full fury of sport-plus testing at wide-open throttle. Yes, the car is more refined and better isolated than 911s of yore, the ride is better, there’s more power, the brakes are phenomenal and the responses all around are more predictable. All of that is what’s called for circa 2013.

“I took delivery in May,” wrote one owner, “and this is hands down the best sports car I’ve had. It’s very comfortable and easy to drive, unlike my 997 C2S.” said another: “This Carrera will be my sixth since 1991. I’ve lived the evolution of the model, and this latest one is the best, most fun, comfortable and livable one Zuffenhausen had created!”

We say simply: The 911 switches smoothly from a suave Dr. Jekyll into a serious Mr. Hyde, making it the best 911 yet.