Appearance: Even though the 911's silhouette hasn't changed much in decades, the turbo version has a more squat and muscular profile, thanks to the large air intakes behind each door, the adjustable rear spoiler and the ground effects.
Performance: Lyra didn't like the 480-horsepower convertible at first. She fought the springy clutch and dreaded every red light. But after some time, she and the car hit it off. Peter also found that time behind the wheel made one's ease with the six-speed gear box grow. The acceleration (0 to 60 in 3.6 seconds) is enough to panic your passengers, but the delivery is smooth and stable, thanks to the 911's wide tires, all-wheel drive and its adjustable suspension settings (normal and sport). All that also makes for superb cornering. The ride is surprisingly quiet and comfortable, with only a muffled engine noise to remind you of the 6-cylinder's twin turbochargers.
Interior: The white gauge clusters and leather-stitched interior make for an appealing and comfortable cockpit. There is a memory function for the seats, which are firm and need to be. The tipoff that this isn't your average car: There is a stopwatch on the dash and the speedometer goes up to 225. There are two cup holders that ingeniously fold into the dash. Not so smart: They block the vents when extended. If you have the AC on, your Starbucks is going to cool down faster. The rear seats fold down for limited storage area. But make sure items are secure so they don't fly away. There is good headroom with the fabric convertible top, which quickly retracts into the trunk. Lyra found the steering wheel a bit wimpy for a high-performance sports car. As for the back "seats," this is considered a 2+2, but there's not enough room for average-sized passengers. Even Peter's 11-year-old was cramped. (Don't even think about trying to fit a booster seat in the back.)
