A 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet to the left of a 1966 Porsche 912. Even after 66 years, the design is still distinctly a Porsche.Lou Trottier/The Globe and Mail
Feeble, faint and frail are listed as synonyms for weak in the thesaurus. Why was I searching for synonyms for weak? I was trying to find a humorous way to describe what it is like driving a car with 89 horsepower. To compare, a new baselevel Honda Civic has 158 horsepower and a base Corolla boasts 169.
But this feeble car isn’t some econobox; it’s a Porsche – just one from 1966. There’s no risk of getting a speeding ticket with this car and I always get a lot of thumbs ups and waves. How can one look so cool, even without the ability to go fast? The answer is simple. This 56-year-old Porsche 912 is instantly recognizable as a Porsche. While my old 912 may lack the vigour of the new models, the German car maker has never strayed from its iconic teardrop profile.
Recently, I borrowed a 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet. And what a week it was. Keeping a vehicle that accelerates to 100 kilometres an hour in 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 307 kilometres an hour within the speed limit was a relentless task. Its 478 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque is derived from its twin turbocharged six-cylinder, three-litre engine and delivered to the ground through an all-wheel-drive eight-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) dual-clutch transmission.
Revving the 912′s engine and dropping the clutch in its four-speed manual transmission results in the car stalling, because 89 horsepower isn’t enough to spin the wheels or even coax the car to move without feathering the clutch. Dropping the clutch figuratively in the new 911 Carrera is done by holding the brake pedal and pushing the accelerator to the floor, waiting for the words “launch control” to appear on the gauge cluster and then releasing the brake pedal. The first time I gave it a try, it snapped me back so hard that my head hit the headrest and my jaw came up and slammed my mouth shut.
I have previously driven differing 911s with both the seven-speed manual transmission and the eight-speed PDK. Normally I’m a manual transmission snob, and I was sure I was going to be bored in this automatic. I couldn’t have been more surprised. The PDK is so much faster at shifting gears. A manual-equipped 911 takes considerably longer – 0.2 to 0.8 seconds – to reach 100 kilometres an hour, which is huge. Many 911 owners participate in some form of motorsports where these times are critical. Spending this kind of money on a slower 911 with a manual transmission when a faster transmission car is available without a price penalty, is now hard to justify, even for me. I hate to admit it, but I would favour the PDK if I were in the financial snack bracket one must occupy to be able to afford this car.
Many may scoff at the $204,000 price tag, but Porsche knows its customers well. Demand for older used units never seems to dip dramatically and resale prices remain extraordinarily high, especially in the Turbo models.
The 912 was Porsche’s idea to boost sagging sales during the mid-1960s. The company took its new flagship 911 and temporarily substituted the older discontinued four-cylinder motor from the 356 to offer a lower-priced car. At that time, a 911 cost about US$6,500, a 912 cost about US$4,700 and a 356 about US$3,750. Once the body style caught on, Porsche quickly discontinued the 912 as it was outselling the 911 by a two-to-one margin. When comparing the current eighth-generation 911 body style to my first generation car side by side, it’s easy to see how Porsche has held fast to the original lines. They are obviously the same model, just many years apart. The new 911 carries itself like it has spent a lot of time in the gym; it’s buff and muscular, yet with confident and elegant lines.
Lou Trottier stands next to a 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet.The Globe and Mail
Just as the 912 bridged the gap from different models, so does the 911 GTS. It closes the gap between the base and S models and the full-blown Turbo models. Its engine, exhaust and suspension offer both performance and everyday driving options. When the vehicle is in its Normal mode, it is completely civil, almost polite. Step hard on the throttle and its 478 horsepower does what 478 horsepower is supposed to do; it gets you where you are going in a hurry. Move the mode selector to its Sport position and the transmissions shift points and throttle response is sharpened, sport exhaust is engaged and motor mounts are stiffened. This mode is ideal for spirited back-road drives. Move the selector one more notch to Sport Plus and enter the racetrack mode, because that’s what it is for. All driving features are razor sharp and stiffened to the maximum that Porsche engineers can give you without stepping up to the Turbo model. It is an incredible piece of machinery by today’s standards, revered by many, just as the original must have been when it was new in 1964.
In a few years, when I am an empty-nester, I’m fairly confident that a 911 Carrera 4S will occupy the daily driver role in my life, albeit an older one that I can repair myself, because as you know, they are expensive to buy new. I may have to sell my old Porsche 912 to offset the purchase price though. That will be a tough decision.
Lou Trottier is owner-operator of All About Imports in Mississauga. Have a question about maintenance and repair? E-mail globedrive@globeandmail.com, placing “Lou’s Garage” in the subject line.
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