Porsche 911 Carrera S

Porsche has got it right again! The 997 is the best 911 since the car first appeared in 1963 - it has tremendous handling, startling power delivery and a wonderful engine note. It's also a fine looker, with some of the original's magic restored. For UK buyers already on the waiting list, September will seem a long way away.

It's very difficult to improve on perfection. Ask any designer, and they'll tell you that it's the purest and simplest works of art that stay fresh in the face of advancing time.

That's why the Coca-Cola bottle, Levi jeans, Dualit toaster and Wurlitzer jukebox are still achingly cool, despite being positively ancient. It's a lesson Porsche has learned the hard way. For the first 30 years of its life, the legendary 911 went virtually untouched. A nip here, a tuck there and a huge tea tray on the back in the Eighties were all that changed.

Then came the 993. It took the original 911 body, rounded off the corners and made it a bit fatter, but still kept the purity of the original lines. It stayed that way until 1997 when, for the first time, the 911's profile was altered.

Codenamed 996, the new machine had one-piece headlights and indicators similar to those of the Boxster, while the nose was longer and the tail wider. It was still a fine-looking car, but to many Porsche die-hards, it couldn't capture the image of a 'true' 911. Now, the firm hopes to change all that. This is the first time we've driven the new 911, imaginatively known as the 997, and it once again revives the original look.

At the front, the headlamps return to individual oval-shaped units, while the sidelights and indicators are incorporated into the front bumper. The profile is unmistakably 911, while at the rear there's a hint of Carrera GT, with a distinctive slash line above the rear lights.

We drove the Carrera S, which differs from the standard model by virtue of its quad tailpipes and larger wheels. It develops 355bhp instead of the Carrera's 325bhp, and puts out 400Nm of torque compared to 370Nm.

Inside, the new car has been extensively revised. The dash is more neatly laid out and far better put together than that of its predecessor, while a new three-spoke steering wheel and smartly trimmed leather sports seats also feature. The quality is impressive, marking the interior out as the single biggest improvement over the previous 911.

As you would expect, the Porsche is a fabulous machine to drive. The distinctive flat-six drones and growls just as its air-cooled predecessors did, while the acceleration is effortless.

Initially, customers will have to make do with a six-speed manual transmission only. A Tiptronic gearbox will follow in around 18 months' time, together with a system designed along similar lines to the excellent DSG unit fitted in Volkswagen and Audi models. The manual gearbox is a joy to use, though, with a smoother shift than the 996. The engine and transmission feed power through a chassis that is really a reworked version of the previous-generation car's. The suspension is stiffer and the ride harder, largely to give additional strength to the 911's body, improving its rigidity in accidents in readiness for strict new US crash legislation. What's more, the Carrera S is equipped with Porsche's Active Suspension Management (PASM), which gives drivers a choice of 'normal' and 'sport' modes. In 'normal', the car is agile and focused; but switch to 'sport' and the Porsche becomes an animal, providing lichen-like grip and a jaw-shattering ride. All of which proves that the new 911 is one of the finest driver's machines ever made. Just like it always has been, in fact...