2005 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe Test Drive

Responding to criticism from its hardcore buyer base, Porsche has re-worked the interior of the Carrera. Not only has Porsche given the interior a much more upscale look and feel, it now accommodates bigger and taller North American drivers. The new, much more edgy dash and seat coverings are finished in leather now with exposed stitches. Against the traditional but still attention-grabbing Guards Red paint job on my test car, the new Cocoa leather interior looked fabulous. Even the cupholders have been redesigned. When not in use they're completely hidden behind a metal-color strip above the glove box. You wouldn't even know they're there unless you looked it up in the owner's manual. A new DVD-based navigation system is available as a high priced option. A sophisticated custom-designed Bose sound package is also available as a high priced option. But, honestly, who cares? No real Porsche guy would ever buy them. They're unnecessary distractions to the business at hand, which is working the controls of this muscular beauty and letting the exhaust sound produced wash over you. Regrettably, bi-xenon headlights – essential on any automobile capable of 100mph plus - are optional. Be sure to order them on your new 911. And, uh, obey your local speed limits.