Why I picked the 911 Cabrio over the Ferrari or Lambo

We drove eleven convertibles to bring together the February issue of evo India. Not five or six and not hatchbacks or sedans. Eleven cars that are all about desirability (the Mahindra Thar is part of this list too, and I’ll punch you in the face if you don’t think it is desirable in its own unique way). Everything from a Huracan and a California T to a Thar and a Wrangler made it to the evo India office but there was one car I wasn’t letting anyone else drive, the 911.

Porsche just gets it right. Obviously this is my personal opinion and obviously I don’t have the cash but if I had to pick one car among all the beauties on the cover, it would be the 911. I loved the Huracan – it is evocative, loud and ridiculously desirable. Who wouldn’t want a Ferrari? The Dawn brings to my dreams a level of decadence, of opulence, that has to be experienced to be believed. The Z4 has been retired so I can’t have one. The SLC 43 AMG is a notch below on the performance front, the Mini Cooper S is a hoot but it is front wheel driven and the A3 isn’t much of an enthusiast’s car compared to the rest of the spread. I don’t crawl over rocks often and the Wrangler is so wildly overpriced I’d have to be dreaming in my dreams. This Porsche 911 Carrera S convertible is just perfect. It’s everything I would ever want in a convertible (I’d like a louder exhaust but that’s easily fixed). And that’s why Porsche made it.

Why do I think it’s perfect? You will have to pick up the February issue of evo India for that. But I’ll tell you one simple line – it is fast, comfortable, handles like a dream and rides with the poise of an established orator. There is so much more to it though –the rear wheels steer, the launch control works like a charm, everything is built so well that you begin to appreciate good engineering just by looking at it, the PDK gearbox is as good as it gets in any car and the tacho takes centre stage on the instrument cluster. I like the way the design works for wind deflection so that you can go fast with the roof tucked in and not bother about a hurricane in the cabin, the strong brakes that don’t fade even after plenty of heavy braking, the seats aren’t hard and painful, there’s good cushioning and they hold you well too. The 911 Carrera S strikes such a fine balance between performance and usability, it moves beyond being just an exotic. It is a proper driver’s car for an enthusiast who actually likes going places. The list goes on, and that’s why I think it’s my perfect convertible.