Porsche 996 still delights

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – the Porsche 996 is a great 911 and a great car.

I have a lovely 1999 996 Carrera that has just been sold, so I’ve been busy driving it up and down to the workshop and back, to get it prepared for its new owner. And it’s a delight to be with. It’s reasonably quick, the handling is sharp and predictable, the ride is refreshingly compliant and, if you give it some, the engine sounds like a 911’s should (albeit muted by the standard exhaust).

The interior’s smart and businesslike, and it’s a car I could happily be in all day. In fact, I once did a 15 hour blast to a ski resort in a 996 and I couldn’t have asked for a better car.

The 996 is surely the best-kept secret in the Porsche world.