Why you should not let life pass you by without driving a Porsche 911

Below is the latest Motoring Column from Ronnie Fox (courtesy of City Solicitor where it first appeared)

There are two books on my bedside table. One is called Intelligent Marketing for Employment Lawyers by Daniel Barnett and Eugenie Verney. More fun to read is the other book, TopGear’s Midlife Crisis Cars.

I have always wanted to drive a Porsche. Just as there are certain places everyone ought to visit, so you should not let life pass you by without driving a Porsche 911. The kindness of Arthur Marriott recently enabled me to achieve that particular goal.

Business life deals strange hands. In 2001 Enron, the seventh largest corporation in America, went bankrupt; it dragged down Arthur Andersen, the United States’ oldest accounting firm. In 2006 a friend of mine left a small firm for greater job security and joined Lehman Brothers. Imperial Chemical Industries PLC became a subsidiary of Dutch conglomerate AkzoNobel in 2008. The first Porsches were sporty versions of the Volkswagen Beetle, the best selling car ever (over 21.5 million were made). And last year Porsche AG came close to taking over the much larger Volkswagen AG!

The focus of my test drive of a Porsche 911 Carrera S was to discover what makes the 911 the iconic sports car. What is the nature of its appeal?

Looks are the starting point. No other car has the design purity of a 911. The design links between the first 911 introduced in 1963 and the very latest stripped-out GT3 RS are plain to see. The most recent BMW 6 series, Aston Martin DB 9 and Jaguar XF all exhibit design elements inspired by the 911.

Naturally Porsche have developed the 911 over the decades. The vicious oversteer of early models has long since been designed out. Water-cooled engines replaced the original aircooled powerplants more than ten years ago. There have been massive safety improvements in terms of airbags and braking. But throughout the years the reputation for outstanding build quality (coupled with high maintenance bills) has not wavered. The car feels as solid as if had been carved out of a single steel block. Coachwork is to the highest standards. But there has never been much space in the front luggage department and the rear seats are suitable only for carrying small children for very short periods.

The interior of the Carrera S which I drove was superbly trimmed in the highest quality soft leather with contrasting stitching. Perhaps the black suede roof lining made the interior a little dark; I would always specify a sunroof. The electrically operated seats were wonderfully comfortable, though there was little space between the side of the seats and the door trim in which to access the seat controls. Brushed aluminium switchgear looked and worked as befits a supercar. To allow a door to close without slamming, the windows drop an inch to release air pressure as the door is being shut. The cupholder mechanism was a work of art. I have never heard the Archers more clearly than on the sound system’s Bose speakers. As is almost always the case with German cars, the list of luxury options seems endless.

Most purchasers buy a Porsche for its dynamic qualities. The Carrera S is amazingly fast. The top speed is close to 190 m.p.h. (not tested in Cornhill because of roadworks). Slingshot acceleration from rest is accompanied by glorious sound effects. On the motorway there is a steady thrum from the 6 cylinder 3.8 litre boxer engine; the ride is firm but not
unpleasantly so. In town the car has a prodigious thirst for high octane fuel, but does that matter with a car costing between £80,000 and £90,000?

Despite the efforts of the present Government many senior executives and investment bankers still receive performance related bonuses. They should show the world that
notwithstanding the recession they have succeeded in earning a bonus by spending some of it on buying a new Porsche. Image concerns? On the front cover of the TopGear book is a picture of a Porsche. The accompanying article says, “The default supercar for the post-war European male is, was, and probably always will be the Porsche 911″.

How Much IQ Does Fox Need?

Ronnie Fox is a good friend who for some time has had the distinction of being Motoring Correspondent of City Solicitor. I have always thought his columns deserved a wider audience.

There are some cars which have an out-of the-ordinary appearance guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of the beholder. The Toyota iQ is in the tradition of the Frog-eye Sprite, the Renault Twingo, the Fiat Multipla and the Nissan Micra. The upswept edges of the headlamp housings and narrow front air intake give the car a faintly surprised look.

An overall length of less than 3 metres and wheelbase of 2 metres adds up to virtually no overhang at either end. Only slightly too big for the lift at 78 Cornhill! Like the G-Wiz, the iQ is a 2 plus 2. The Japanese car is a little longer and a little wider than a G-Wiz but there is a world of difference in terms of interior space. The front seats of the iQ are large and comfortable with ample space for two broad-shouldered men to sit side-by-side. The iQ feels far more spacious than the narrower Smart for the passengers in the front; it’s a bit of a squeeze for those in the back of the Toyota. With the ultra-thin rear seats folded down, there is plenty of room for luggage; with the rear seats in use there is none.

Despite its short wheelbase, the car rides amazingly well. The one litre engine insists on a degree of patience when accelerating hard from rest (0 – 62 m.p.h. takes 15.2 seconds in the automatic version) but cruising on the motorway is comfortable and quiet (the top speed is over 90 m.p.h.) Claimed petrol consumption for the automatic is better than 60 m.p.g.

Equipment levels are high in the standard version and astonishing in the luxury model (intriguingly named iQ_).

Electrically heated and folding door mirrors, rain sensing wipers, dusk sensing headlamps, climate control airconditioning, powered locks and windows, and keyless entry and starting are all included in the iQ_. Prices range from £9,300 for the iQ manual to £11,250 for the iQ_ Automatic – quite expensive but broadly in line with prices for the Fiat 500, the natural competitor of the iQ.

I had three particular dislikes. The rear windows are quite small and all the windows in the iQ_ are glazed with darkened privacy glass. The result is a rather gloomy interior. The interior light is dim, which doesn’t help. A glass sunroof would make the interior a much more cheerful place but unfortunately (as with most Toyota saloons) this is not available, even as an optional extra. Secondly, my view is that all cars with an automatic gear box should have a centre armrest, ideally with some storage spaces for odds and ends. I certainly missed a centre armrest in the iQ; there was plenty of space for one. Finally the colour choice is very limited: only black, white and amethyst are offered. The omission of silver – currently by far the most popular colour – is something of a surprise.

Despite these niggles, I loved the car for its looks and personality. Small car, big heart. With a turning circle of only 3.9 metres (half that of a London taxi) and optional rear parking sensors the iQ is incredibly easy to park. In many ways, the Toyota iQ is the ideal City car.

This article is reproduced courtesy of City Solicitor where it first appeared.