Porsche 911 50th Anniversary Edition review

It's been just over 50 years since Porsche introduced the 911, and this new Anniversary Edition, available to 1,963 buyers, celebrates that landmark.

Retro cues abound, like 20-inch Fuchs-style alloys, houndstooth seats (full-leather seats are available at no extra cost) and the chrome engine grille. Underneath it all are Carrera S mechanicals, allied to the wider rear wheelarches of the Carrera 4 models. The Geyser Grey Metallic paint is unique to the 50 – although you can get Graphite Grey or Black – and there’s extra kit like dynamic headlights and SportDesign wing mirrors, thrown in.

As with the last-generation 911 GTS, the combination of rear-wheel drive and the Carrera 4 bodyshell’s wider track makes one of the most engaging sports cars on the road even better to drive. It has plenty of grip, fantastic steering and a chassis that just gets better the more you learn how to exploit it.

There are no tweaks to the engine, so our manual car takes 4.5 seconds to go from 0-62mph, with all of its ferocity above 4,000rpm. Buyers can go for the PDK as a £2,525 option and it’s one that we’d have no trouble recommending. Yes, there’s an argument to be made that the manual is more involving but sitting in traffic for anything more than 15 minutes the heavy clutch pedal will soon have you wishing for the auto.

The 911 50th Edition will cost you from £92,257, which is about £9,000 more than a standard Carrera S. Add some of the kit standard on a 50, and the difference shrinks to around £5,000. In 911 terms that’s really not a lot of money – especially when you’re not only getting a slice of history but also one of the best looking and sharpest handling examples of the latest 911 you can buy.