Porsche 911November 2009

The Porsche 911 remains one of the great automotive anachronisms: a sportscar with its engine in the wrong place. Yet over the decades, and throughout successive generations, engineers have managed to tame the inherent instability brought on by the rear-mounted engine, creating one of the greatest driver's cars on the market.

The current generation keeps up the evolutionary styling theme of its predecessors, with spectators being left in no doubt about the car's lineage. Details like the circular headlamps and particularly finely hewn rear flanks work well, and give even the standard 911 a real air of class. For 2009, the model has been updated with relatively extravagant features including LED daytime running lights, making a 911 immediately obvious on the road

One of the most impressive technical changes is Porsche's double-clutch PDK automatic gearbox, but it's a shame that the unconventional paddle-shifters (push down for up and up for down) makes controlling gearshifts a pain.

But the cabin is well finished and features far higher quality materials than the slightly plasticky interior of the previous generation. Accommodation is still tight, although the 911 can take two large adults in comfort. The rear seats are barely worthy of the description, though - and getting luggage in and out of the front boot remains a slightly awkward process.

Any niggles about practicality soon fade once on the move: this 911 drives better than any of its predecessors. The perfectly weighted steering gives brilliant feel, grip levels are towering and, as the limits approach, the 911 remains predictable. You really couldn't buy a better handling car for even twice the Porsche's (admittedly hefty) pricetag.

As always with the 911, there is a bewildering number of variants for buyers to choose between. Even the two-wheel drive entry-level 3.6 Carrera enjoys very strong performance, while at the other end of the range the stripped-out GT3 and rocketship Turbo variants are genuine supercars.

The latest Turbo gets a larger than ever flat-six engine, with a 3.8-litre capacity (up from 3.6) - an overhaul significant enough for Porsche to describe it as an all-new engine. It's fair comment since it's based on a different block from the last engine and has an integrated oil sump.

This engine is more powerful too, with a whopping 493bhp delivered at 6,000rpm (compared to 474bhp before), and drinks less fuel so pumps out fewer CO2 emissions.

Zero to 62mph takes 3.4sec, 0-to-100mph is dismissed in 7 seconds and there's a 193mph top speed. That's something special. With launch control engaged on the start-finish straight of the Estoril circuit, we blitzed from standstill to over 120mph in 11 seconds dead. Stand and watch a 911 Turbo accelerate that ferociously and you can almost see the hole in the air it punches. It seems to bend physics.

In all, any 911 would be a consumate performance car that blends driving pleasure with reliability and practicality.