Faults:

There have been numerous changes of tires. One does not own them rather you rent them!

There was a problem with the power steering at about 60,000 requiring the garage for two days.

Stone chips from pleasure induced speeding.

General Comments:

I have been fortunate to drive a number of exciting cars ranging from an Imprezza to TVRs. No car so encapsulates the term drivers car than the Porsche 993. After 40,000 miles it still brings a smile to my face!

It is a crime to drive this car on motorways, even if it is capable of comfortable speeding in excess of 100mph, this car is most at home on smaller roads where its excellent road holding makes it feel as though you are driving with your fingers on the the road. Every action of the car being communicated to the driver effectively.

More than just a straight line speed machine it's a joy to push around corners and twisting roads.

Inside you have a car designed four people. Two very small children in the rear, one passenger in the front and one very happy driver.

In terms of the range of the 911s, this 993 is more comfortable and safer than older models without disappearing down the route of the hairdressers car that the 996 sadly became.

Faults:

No faults.

General Comments:

An absolutely astonishing car. It's spectacularly fast thanks to 408 bhp, immensely useable thanks to permanent four wheel drive, and totally reliable thanks to a level of build quality which has to be seen to be believed.

The sheer grip and unflappability of the chassis makes my old R33 Skyline look stupid, which is the highest possible compliment that you could pay to a car. Yet it has none of the electronic trickery to help it. You simply turn the wheel and it goes where you point it. Come streaming rain, high winds or sleet, this car is impeccably behaved, yet can be provoked into lairy oversteer if you feel like destroying a £450 pair of rear tyres. It's tricky on the road though because of the silly speeds you need to be doing in order to break grip.

Performance is astonishing. It's hard to describe the sensation as the twin turbo flat six snarls and whistles its way through the gears. It feels as if a giant, unseen hand has scooped you up and propelled you toward the horizon with brutal yet strangely civilised force. It's amazing, and even two years on, it still gives the same stab of adrenaline fuelled excitement that it gave when I first dropped it a cog and floored it on the test drive. Only a well ridden superbike or a handful of specialist British manufacturers cars would be significantly quicker in the dry, and in the wet, it will simply squat and leave them for dead!

Running costs are actually surprisingly reasonable. Fuel consumption averages between 18 and 30 mpg depending on use, and reliability is flawless. Servicing is not horrendous either considering the superb ability and attention to detail of the dealers.

A stunning and pretty all-rounder which is outrageously fast, yet civilised enough for daily use. A triumph!