Mercury Rising

Annoyingly for its rivals, Porsche has somehow made the 911 even hotter. Enter 992.

IN MANY ways it’s almost irrelevant how good the new 992 generation 911 is. The seven forebears have built up such an enviable reputation that many will part with their cash irrespective of informed opinion. The venerable 911 has always embraced tradition and change in equal measure; one to the frustration of critics and to the delight of enthusiasts. However, for those who like cutting to the chase, the 992 lives up to the hype. It’s good – bloody good in fact. But really, we shouldn’t be surprised. We’ve come to expect nothing less from Porsche.

This is now, finally, the real deal. After a prototype drive months ago, I’m finally nestled inside the redesigned cabin of the 992 and ready to turn the starter key. What’s more, not only is the new 331kW Carrera S my steed, I’m also on a track – Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia to be exact. Matthias Hoffsuemmer works as a driving instructor for Porsche, coaching, among others, the German Supercup team. Today he is giving me tuition from behind the wheel of a 991.2 GT3 RS.

So, not only is the teacher and his pupil separated by a wealth of talent and experience, there’s also 52kW and a generation between us. Of course, it’s no contest. But seen from the driver’s seat of the pursuit car, the two 911s are closer than you’d think – much closer. When the tyres and the steel brakes start to feel the heat after 10 laps, the racecar-esque warrior has to invest more than seven tenths to keep pulling away from the four-pointed headlights in its rear-view mirror. A sign of things to come.