The 911 cockpit is a place designed for serious driving. The seating position is perfect for most enthusiast drivers. Compared with other high-performance sports cars, it offers outstanding visibility in all directions. It's also a truly comfortable car for traveling long distances. The ignition key is located on the dash to the left of the steering wheel, as it was on Porsche's LeMans race cars.

The steering wheel has a contemporary three-spoke design, and its leather-wrapped rim is thicker and grippier than ever. The steering wheel's core structure is an expensive magnesium alloy, which weighs less than the old steel/aluminum structure. More significantly, the wheel adjusts both up and down and fore and aft (albeit manually). Controls on the steering wheel hub operate the audio and navigation systems or the optional telephone.

The latest Carreras feel a bit roomier than their predecessors, and we suspect more comfortable for larger drivers. The difference is a combination of small things, like the adjustable wheel and a slight repositioning of the pedals toward the front of the car. They have higher bolstering on the bottoms and back, but they actually feel roomier. The width of both cushions seems to have increased, especially near the top of the back around the shoulders. The seats are mounted lower to the floor, creating a bit more headroom.

The gauges are large and easy to read. The dash vents are large, and the air conditioning worked well during some hot lapping at Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham, Alabama. The climate controls are located in the center stack. From an aesthetic point of view, they're the least appealing part of the interior, but functionally they work fine.

The 911's slickest option could be the Sport Chrono Package. It's most obvious component is almost glaring to anyone familiar with this car: a jewel-like chronograph sprouting from the center of the dash. Flick a switch on the dash, then start or stop the chronograph with a switch on one of the steering wheel stalks, and it will display acceleration or lap times. What you don't see are the adjustments in electronic controls that occur when the chrono is switched on. The electronic throttle switches to its most aggressive mode (meaning the most gas for a given amount of pedal application), and the anti-skid electronics give a driver a lot more rope to get into trouble with. A history of recorded times can be displayed on the navigation system screen for comparison. A gimmick? Maybe, but it might be handy for lapping at a Porsche club event.

Porsche's recent improvement to its audio systems, long anemic compared to the best car stereos, continues with the 911. The upgrade high-power Bose package is above average, and more competitive with the best in luxury cars. It still doesn't seem modern, however, and something simpler would be welcome.

The 911 provides space to put stuff. The glove box includes storage slots for pens and couple of CDs, while the console has a change holder and a 12-volt power point.

The Targa offers a clear roof that slides back inside the rear of the car with the press of a button, giving the driver a superb top-down experience. With the roof closed, the driver has a choice of tinted glass or a mesh lining to deflect the sunlight. We'd prefer a solid cover, however, because the mesh wasn't heavy enough to block out the sun on bright days with the sun high overhead.

The 911 is relatively practical for a sports car, but it isn't a minivan. The back seats are not really habitable. With the rear seats folded, there's room for a load of groceries and you can lay the dry cleaning back there, so the 911 beats many sports cars in its ability to run daily errands. There's not much luggage space for two people going on a long trip, however, so you have to pack light. Nor will you want to use the Carrera to pick someone up at the airport unless they are traveling very light. The trunk might hold a couple of small duffel bags; a Corvette coupe will allow you to take more. Porsche offers a truly useful roof transport system ($400) that allows 911 coupes to carry lumber and other bulky items, but luggage on the roof of a 911 screaming past ruins the picture. Besides, who wants to take time to strap suitcases on top of a car? So it's nice to have another car or truck available to perform these duties.