Simply Abu Dhabi XXXV

2 5 5 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I I n the fast changing world of motoring that’s racing towards electrification and hybridisation, thankfully we still have the Porsche 911. It’s been the staple high performance sports car that visually at least, has barely altered in more than half a century, but all that could change with this just released, eighth generation model. This new 911, codenamed 992, carries a bit more beef which we discovered during our drive from the factory in Zuffenhausen, a small industrial and mostly Porsche-owned suburb of Stuttgart, Germany, along the speed limitless Autobahns 500km north to Porsche’s Leipzig test facility. If you’ve never driven a 911, then it is gobsmackingly good with precise steering, agility you find from a car half its size and poise that allowed us to cruise north of 280km/h in the Cabriolet with the roof down while still holding a conversation. The Cabriolet’s roof features magnesium-layered fabric and can be opened and closed at up to 50km/h and with the powered wind blocker behind your head, conversation was easy at high speed. If you are familiar with driving the 911, then you will notice the changes that have smoothed over some of the rawness of previous generations to make it more compliant for the average driver instead of just the enthusiast. From behind the wheel, it’s dulled its earlier charms just slightly in order to make it more useable as an everyday car, but you are also aware that it’s carrying an extra 50kg in its hips which we’ll come to later. That aside though, the 992 is still every inch a genuine 911 and one of the best sports cars AED474,600 can buy, not to mention one of the most practical. At the car’s initial reveal at the LA Motorshow last December, Porsche’s then Vice President in charge of sports cars, Mr August Achleitner, said the 911 will never move to a mid-engined layout despite building a small run of race cars due to its impractical configuration for road use.