MotorMouths

The seventh-generation 911 has greater mass appeal than before, yet without losing any of its thoroughbred character. We’d hesitate to use the word “flawless” in any review, so suffice it to say we’re massively impressed.

The new 911 ranks among the best cars we’ve ever driven. It’s confident yet benign, seriously quick but utterly manageable and radically capable, yet easy to drive.

The 911 Carrera S delivers supercar performance in a package that you’ll actually want to drive regularly. It’s good looking, comfortable, quiet, and yet it’s also capable of world-class speed and performance. Sounds like the best of both worlds.

The new 911 Carrera S looks more dynamic. Redesigning an icon is tough work, and Porsche’s team has done a top job. The interior needed considerable freshening, and it got the works. It is also genuinely entertaining to drive and remains all but peerless in terms of its performance versus fuel economy balance.

When the time comes to drop some hard-earned bills on a fresh new whip, the Porsche 911 is at the front of the pack, while its engine is still in the back. And that’s a tradition Porsche is keen on keeping.

We’ve never felt Porsche has gone too far with the 911 concept. We still don’t, really. But we do think the 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS is very near the limit, because we don’t see what more can be achieved by loading up the 911’s rear-engine design with even more power.

Reinventing the 911 for a new generation is a difficult and often thankless task. But the engineers from Weissach have improvied on the seemingly unimprovable.

Demolishing its predecessor in both outright performance and its ability to let even novice drivers push it with ease, this is not just another 911 in a long line of the very best daily driven sports cars, it’s the very first in a line of daily driven exotics.

The 911 GT2 RS is for the hardcore enthusiast who seeks the ultimate Porsche driving experience; casual fans need not apply. There will only be 500 GT2 RSs produced worldwide, each with a starting price of $245,000.

The 2012 911 Carrera S is brazen, an athletic machine on 20-inch alloys. It’s Brooklyn Decker in a Hervé Léger bandage dress and Louboutin heels.

The 911 GT2 RS is the most powerful and fastest production Porsche of all time (including the Carrera GT). But, for everyday riding and eve on twisty backroads, the Turbo S is easier, more fun and, in most people’s hands, probably also quicker. It also costs about $100K less.

The 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S combines technology and traditional sports car principles to deliver an excellent driving experience.