Dial 911 for drama and driving magic

The Porsche 911 is still a force to be reckoned with after mid-life changes and modern concessions

- Christopher Tan

With electric cars being so blindingly quick and effortless, will the sun be setting on combustion beefcakes like the Porsche 911? Never say never, but not just yet.

Porsche sold a record 50,941 units of the 911 in 2024. This was up 2 per cent from the previous record year in 2023. Most of its other combustion models did well too.

The only two models which suffered falls were the Panamera and the electric Taycan, which shrank by 13 and 49 per cent to 29,587 and 20,836 units respectively.

So, why is the bigger, roomier and just-as-quick Taycan managing less than half the sales of the smaller and pricier 911? You could come up with a number of reasons, but methinks few, if any, will be rational.

Its iconic status aside, the 911 has a raw appeal to anyone who has the slightest affinity to driving. It is not overly flashy like other supercars or hand-built like the more exotic multi-million-dollar products. Yet, it is steeped in heritage, going back six decades and still sticking to its inimitable traits—rear-mounted flat-six engine, fastback silhouette, froggy eyes.

It is the antithesis of an electric car: loud, brash, short on frills and not particularly efficient—the test car averages 15 litres/100km. It brims with emotion, driving precision and analogue beauty.