2005 Porsche 911 Turbo S Monster Coupe

Those back seats are only for show. The front leather sport seats are comfortable and power adjustable. Leather, leather everywhere; the entire dashboard and the doors are leather-covered. Standard navigation and computer and Bose sound and just about everything else you can think of.

The cockpit looks like an airplane. Gone are the days of the simple Teutonic dash. However, this is not really bad. Things are logically laid out and easy to learn. When you have a lot more functions, you need a lot more buttons.

This is THE driver's car. My 1996 911 was wonderful -- a fast, fast sports car. This one is a monster: 444 HP and 457 lb-ft of torque. You've got to remember that the gas pedal controls both acceleration and boost, or you'll run into that slower traffic WAY up the road there before you can blink.

Seventy-five to one hundred happens in the blink of an eye -- without downshifting from sixth gear. Imagine what fourth brings to this transition.

It does use some gas (nineteen in town, so far) and an oil change does cost $250 (But you only do oil once each year or 12,000 miles). Heavy foot eats rear tires, but that's to be expected. Supposedly I'll never do anything to the composite ceramic brakes.

This car has ZERO body lean. That 130 mph I hit on the long straight at the track in my older 911 is going to seem slow when I get this one out there.

Purrs like a kitten and gently walks away from stops on city streets. With that massive torque, you can practically just pop the clutch at idle.

I have to agree with Road & Track: Engineering does trump physics.