DRIVING a Porsche 911 is like eating at a restaurant with three Michelin stars - you know you're going to be in for a memorable, expensive treat and anything less than a heavenly experience is simply unacceptable.

Porsche is just as fiercely protective of its reputation for excellence as any high-class restaurateur. The menu changes from season to season, but the produce on offer remains decidedly tasty.

In fact, Porsche's latest horsepower banquet might even merit an extra star.

To the uninitiated eye, every Porsche 911 ever screwed together looks pretty much the same, and even aficionados of the marque can sometimes have difficulty telling one generation from the next.

That has been particularly true in recent times, and while the latest "997" iteration doesn't take any liberties with the classic 911 formula, it is the best-looking 911 for a while.

It exhibits a less fussy treatment of front and rear lights, simpler, more fluid lines and an even wider track than before.

The driving position has at been improved by the long overdue arrival of a steering wheel that adjusts for angle as well as reach.

At last, anyone who isn't of "average" proportions can pilot a 911 in complete comfort.

The tight leather stitching and precision with which interior elements are rendered is well up to the standards you'd expect of a car in this dizzying price bracket.

All Porsches exhibit sublime handling, but that's not to say that they all handle in the same way. Despite its extra power - as if you're ever going to really need 355bhp - the "S"-badged model feels slightly smoother and keener around corners.

The 325bhp standard Carrera is hardly a slouch, and some buyers may prefer its slightly rawer edge, particularly if they have owned some of the great Porsches of the past.

You drive a 911 in a completely different manner to any other car, which is part of what makes it so special. If your line around a corner is too wide, conventional wisdom and instinct tell you to lift off and correct your line.

In one of these, you have to feed in a bit more throttle and let the power tighten the line.

Indeed, so much of the 911's driving character is counter-intuitive, owners would be well advised to take advantage of some professional track tuition in order to fully understand the breathtaking breadth of their car's capabilities.

One notable new feature is the PASM active suspension system. It is surprisingly effective, allowing the driver to switch between a more comfort-oriented setting for road use and a hardcore "Sport" setting for track days and winding cross-country routes.

It's standard on the S model, an option on the Carrera and if nothing else can be used to kid yourself you're really getting two cars with different characters for the price of one.

Power for the Carrera S comes courtesy of a new 3.8-litre engine which is offered in addition to the existing 3.6 for the standard Carrera. The 997 generation model - the 15th in case you were wondering - is being introduced only as a two-wheel-drive model for the foreseeable future with the existing wide-bobied all-wheel-drive models (Carrera 4S, 911 Turbo and GT variants) sticking with the 996 design.

Matters such as fuel economy, insurance costs and carbon dioxide emissions are likely to be largely irrelevant to the 911 buyer. Your wallet is either fat enough or it isn't.

Even so, Porschephiles aren't quite the yuppie monsters of yore that they are often portrayed as being. They tend to choose a Porsche rather than a flashy Ferrari, trendy Aston Martin or nouveau-aristo Bentley Continental GT because they demand a complete driver's car and understand the 15 generations of continuous improvement that have resulted in the modern 911's intoxicating blend of form and function.

After more than 40 years, this car is still the dish of the day - made fresh to Ferdinand Porsche's original recipe.