Porsche Doppel Kupplungsgetriebe
Having said that, the key to the 911's newfound sportiness is an all-new PDK twin-clutch transmission. In reality, this unit is derived from a venerable autobox Porsche had incorporated in some of its racing models in the early 1980s. A quarter of a century was needed to develop a production variant, but the wait was well worth it.

Doppel Kupplungsgetriebe: Porsche's all-new twin-clutch transmission.

Similar to Volkswagen's DSG, the PDK uses a twin clutch mechanism that sort of prepares the transmission for the next gear shift. Once you tap the gear selector (or one of the two ill-designed paddle shifters on the steering wheel), the PDK shifts in less than 0.4 seconds, which is about twice as fast as the Tiptronic transmission.

Three shift modes are available: Auto (for seamless gearshifts in normal conditions), Sport (for an equally smooth but manual operation) and Sport Plus (for more spirited maneuvers). The latter makes no compromises, shifting gears on the spot with sharp alacrity. The ride settings also change in the process.

Purists will be happy to know that a highly-precise 6-speed manual gearbox is still available with the Porsche 911 Carrera S.

On the track
I never pretended to be a Formula One driver, but thanks to the support of fellow Canadian Kees Nierop, I was able to put the new model to the test with surprising command and intensity. There might not have been a better place for that than the Miller Motorsport Park in Utah, the longest racetrack in North America at 7.4 kilometers (including 23 highly-technical corners).

On the 1-km long straightaway right after the starting line, the engine called on all its horses to send me from 0 to 240 km/h in a ridiculously short amount of time. The car remained totally unruffled while I slammed the brakes and negotiated the ensuing double-S turn at 80 km/h. It stayed that way through the entire course. In fact, the only times where the 911 slightly veered off its path were when I personally made a mistake.

At the end of the day, which also included tens of kilometers of road testing, I realized that it was impossible to catch the Porsche off-guard. Not only that, it's incredibly forgiving and it obeys like a charm. Believe me, any driver can feel like a world champion at the helm of the 911 Carrera S.

At the end of the day, I realized that it was impossible to catch the Porsche off-guard.