The sound of the engine is the first thing you notice after twisting the key. It sounds fantastic, and even better under hard acceleration. Sports car enthusiasts can easily recognize a Porsche by its sound. Whether one is driving by on a country road or roaring past at Le Mans, they have a distinctive sound that is legendary. The exhaust system was revised for 2002, so the current Porsche 911 sounds much better than 2001 models. All modern 911 engines are water cooled. In spite of all their technology, the current 911 models have that traditional Porsche sound we grew up hearing on the street and at endurance racing events. Blips when downshifting sound great.

That sound is accompanied by massive and immediate throttle response. The thrust provided by the standard Carrera engine is intoxicating. It made me want to push the throttle to the floor every time the car left the apex of a turn, just to feel it accelerate out of the corner.

Steering the 911 gives the driver a feeling of oneness with the car. The steering is very precise, so you can put the tires exactly where you want them. Yet it's stable and steady when cruising at high speeds. It isn't darty nor does it require constant corrections.

The 911 rides very nicely over rough pavement. You know the bumps are there, but they aren't jarring. Some say this refinement comes at a price, that this latest generation of the 911 has lost some of its feel. But we think the 911, regardless of model, offers plenty of feedback. You can sense the rear weight bias and you can actually feel the changing amounts of grip the front tires have as the car goes through an undulating corner.

The two-wheel-drive models do have more trailing throttle oversteer than the all-wheel-drive models. Abruptly lifting off of the throttle while cornering hard in the middle of an on-ramp caused the rear of a Targa to come out a bit. It was easily controllable, but a Carrera 4S did not do this when a similar maneuver was attempted.

With all of its technology, the all-wheel-drive Porsche 911 Carrera 4S may offer better accident avoidance capabilities than any other car on the road. First of all, it has excellent brakes. Huge brake rotors and one-piece calipers derived from the GT1 racecar, along with ideal weight distribution and massive tire contact patches allow it to generate incredible braking forces. As a result, it scrubs off speed in no time. Its anti-lock brake system is excellent, allowing the driver to steer around the problem while braking at the threshold.

While the Carrera 4 offers superior traction on slippery surfaces, Porsche designed the system to offer superior handling on dry surfaces. The all-wheel-drive system is designed for performance, not as an all-weather traction assistant. Though it adds a substantial amount of money to the price, the four-wheel-drive system improves safety and makes this Porsche even easier to drive. From a standing stop, you can crank the steering wheel over for a 90-degree turn and stand on it without any need for steering corrections. The rear end won't slide out (power oversteer) and the front end won't wash out (understeer); the Carrera 4 simply accelerates away (very quickly). Stab the throttle then lift abruptly off again in the middle of an on-ramp and the car won't do anything nasty. It merely takes a different set on the suspension as weight is being transferred fore and aft.

Even with all-wheel drive and all the other technology on the Carrera 4S, you can still sense the engine is at the back. Compared with front-engine sports cars, the front end of the Porsche feels lighter, quicker, with sharper steering response. Granted, there is no such thing as too much horsepower, but the Carrera 4 did not leave me longing for a Turbo.

That said, the Turbo is fantastic. In spite of its somewhat intimidating external appearance, it's an easy car to drive. Drive it hard and the Turbo really inspires confidence. Drive it harder and whole new vistas open up. Slam down the throttle, slam on the brakes, brake and turn at the same time, the Turbo will do everything a driver asks short of defying the laws of physics. It can make a hack look good and will make a smooth, reasonably skilled driver look like a master. In the hands of an experienced race driver, almost nothing can touch it, as discovered while sharing the wheel at Pocono International Raceway's infield road course with endurance-racing champion Hurley Haywood.

The available Tiptronic transmission is among the best, smoothest-shifting automatics we've ever tested. Upshifts and downshifts are super smooth in manual or auto mode. The manual mode is fun: By pressing a button on the steering wheel, you can go down through the gears as you brake for an exit ramp. But it's not necessary to shift manually. The automatic mode works superbly. It automatically holds a gear when it senses you are attacking the corners, rather than upshifting and downshifting. All in all, the 911's Tiptronic is a fantastic automatic.

In spite of all that, I'd order my Porsche with the manual gearbox for its superior control, superior performance and superior fun. The standard six-speed manual shifts smoothly and is a joy to use.

Pirelli P-Zero tires offer excellent grip. So much so that a race track is needed to fully explore the capabilities of these sports cars. Even so, it is easier to push this car to the limit than it was with Porsches past. The modern 911 has none of the handling quirks of Porsches past, such as excessive understeer in tight corners or the infamous trailing-throttle oversteer that could cause a spin when an inexperienced driver lifted his foot off the throttle in the middle of a corner. The staggered array with wider, lower-profile tires in the rear, contributes to the neutral handling in the 911 Carrera models.

The brakes on the Porsche 911 are legendary for their stopping power and all of the current 911s stop quicker than just about any production car built. Porsche requires brakes to provide 25 consecutive full-force stops without fade. Yet they are easy to modulate in normal, everday driving.

There are those who argue the Porsche Boxster does nearly everything the Porsche 911 can do for $26,000 less. The Boxster is, of course, a terrific sports car and the Boxster S comes even closer for $17,000 less. But there's no question the 911 offers a lot more power. Even more worthwhile is its chassis sophistication: Charge into a bumpy corner and you'll need to slow the Boxster down a bit because the car will slide toward the outside of the corner as the tires skip over the bumps and momentarily lose grip. In a 911, the massive tires stay in contact with the road because its more sophisticated suspension keeps them there. Whether it's a 30-mph switchback or a 100-mph sweeper, the 911 driver can blast through at the absolute limit. You'll be busier and slower in the Boxster. Compared with the Boxster, the 911 is more compliant and offers better throttle response. It's easier to drive, easier to be smooth. It feels more substantial. While the 911 works great as a primary (only) car, the same cannot be said of the Boxster. Pound for pound, you get more car for your money in the 911.