911...The Good One

The 1972 Porsche 911 (F-Series), one of my favourite cars...ever. The 2341cc engine, grinding out 165bph, is an absolute delight to drive, and it is fast, given that the car only weighs about 2300 lbs. (Ed. Note: The picture above is a 1973 911T, but it is quite similar to the 1972).

I had the pleasure of driving one of these cars in the hills of North Carolina, along some fine winding roads, heeling-and-toeing the clutch as I blew the car through the turns, using only the powerplant (and gears) for slowing the car. The whine of the rear engine, the wind in my hair, the gasps of the car's owner as I gave his baby the workout of her life.

I could almost hear the engine saying "Danke" as years of carbon deposits were cleaned out of the engine. As the tachometer needle approached 6000 revs, I felt the hand of the concerned owner on mine, his exhortations that I "please slow down."

My response, and the car's, was to blaze into a straightaway, in third, with the speedo passing the legal limit.

At the end of the ride, the owner was sweating, and furious, that I would have done that to his baby. I always felt that if I had taken his wife (or daughter) right in front of him, he would have been less flustered. (As an aside, if his love-making were anything like his driving style, it is impossible that his daughter shares his DNA.)