Coming to terms with a 997 Carrera S

Having finally bought myself a 997 Carrera S, it took me a while to really come to terms with this car. I have owned all types of front engine turbo cars with front drive and rear drive and even four wheel drive. I test drove a lot of 911s in my life together with the Caymans and Boxsters but never owned one long term until recently.
I did spend 2 full days in a 997 turbo prior to my purchase and I found the car too light at the front for my liking but then again that car had a tonne of torque which meant that under heavy acceleration the front will naturally lift and make the front end feel very light.
The 997 Carrera S was actually very easy to live with and having a naturally aspirated 3.8 litre engine mated to the PDK gearbox the car was very tractable at low speeds. The newer 3.8 litre engine in this car had direct injection which helped the car's engine response even with the slightest touch of the throttle.
Most people who say that having driven a 997 Turbo you would love to have that extra 80hp but in reality the Carrera S is fast enough and gives you a greater sensation of control and feel of the car rather than just the massive shove in the back when the turbo kicks in. The front end of the car did feel light like a typical 911 but it was not as pronounced as the turbo model. The car's turn in was good and the wide rear tyres was confidence inspiring. Where I live requires me to drive through a winding street that snakes around a hill giving me plenty of chance to put the car through its pace. If a car does not have good handling the effect is very clearly demonstrated on this piece or tarmac. The 3.8 litre engine is very linear in power delivery which means that it is very predictable to drive.

the only 1 gripe with the car is the brakes. It takes a bit of getting used to. The driver has to press quite hard on the brake pedal to initiate any kind of speed retardation but once you get used to this the brakes are actually very good.

The best part about the car was the Sport Chrono function which came with the Sport Plus button. This little button really changes the behavior of the car from sporty to very angry. The engine would very willing spin to the redline and the suspension will stiffen up to reduce body roll. The animal really comes out and feels like the car will squeeze out the extra 5 to 10hp. It is definitely more applicable on the race track but nevertheless it is still fun on a empty piece of road.

Many motoring journalists have given good reviews about the 911 as the sports car of the century. I have to agree. The engineers have poured in enough hours to improve the car to such a point that it is a real driver's car. they also managed to overcome the rear pendulum effect and made the car drive very well.