2008 Porsche 911 Carrera

If the 996 was the 911 that proved Porsche could modernise without losing its soul, the 997 was the one that made everyone admit it. Ours was a 2008 Carrera — a 997.1 — in black, with the 3.6-litre naturally aspirated flat-six and a six-speed manual, and it was the most complete driving machine we have owned. The round headlights were back, the interior was properly finished, and on the road it was a revelation: steering perfectly weighted, chassis beautifully balanced, flat-six delivering its 325 horsepower with a linearity that made it easy to exploit on canyon roads. We drove it from Los Angeles to San Francisco along the coast, through the Santa Monica Mountains, up to Sequoia and back, and on every road it felt exactly right. It was also the last naturally aspirated base Carrera — every 911 since has been turbocharged — and we knew it at the time. We drove it accordingly.