Farewell 911: You will know what I mean when I talk about loss

If you are a car lover or even a full on petrol head then you will know what I mean when I talk about loss.

It does not matter what the reason is, most of us have had to say goodbye to a car we love. It doesn’t get any easier no matter how many times you have had to do it or how old you are. It’s all about the memories, the joy and the impact that a particular car has left on you as a driver.

This month I have experienced the loss of a Porsche 911 996 Carrera 4 which I have been fortunate to have for some 15 years.

#GetCreativeWithPorsche series

It’s the car that I have been able to drive on many of Western Europe’s finest roads in the U.K., France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and of course Spain. Visiting many of Europe’s finest cities and countryside from lakes to mountains. Those driving experiences have created driving memories that I shall never forget. They have also made me really understand what a Porsche is all about, the driving.

But there comes a time when you know it’s time to make that decision.

The next stage is a bit of a chore, do you sell privately or do you go to a dealer? Do you sell or part exchange. Decisions, decisions, decisions not helped by firstly, the selection of cars on the island of Mallorca which is quite understandably limited and being polite, somewhat expensive. And secondly by my extremely short, short list of what I was looking for next.

Luckily I found a man selling a car on the island which was more or less exactly what I was looking for. I arranged to meet him and view the car that he was selling. What I didn’t know at that time was that he was a specialist dealer as well as a car loving petrol head. This was not what I expected. Here was a man who understood, appreciated and cared for his specialist cars as much as I did.

He inspected the car in great detail, the bodywork, the interior, the engine and all the documents. A deal was done and I am pleased to say I have now learnt that he is going to keep the car for himself.

Living on an island such as Mallorca can sound pretty idyllic but not if you are a real driver, not if you like open roads where you can really explore a car’s capabilities.

This does not mean, I hasten to add, endangering life at stupid speeds on unsuitable roads.

Mallorca’s roads are in many ways very nice, please note the term nice. And before you ask or indeed comment, I have driven the fascinating Sa Calobra road, built manually without the help of any machine in 1932, designed by the Mallorquin engineer Antonio Parietti. Apparently before road mapping tools became available, road engineers would follow and trace a donkey’s path down a steep incline or mountain side as they would always choose the most gentle and easiest way down. From here all the engineers had to do was to design a road which followed the donkeys route.

I have also driven on his Cap de Formentor road. As feats of construction and design, these two roads are amazing. Their views unique and unforgettable, but because of the twists and turns, not to mention guys and gals on those two wheel devices, neither qualifies as a truly open road.

I have circumnavigated the island and crisscrossed from north to south, from east to west and encountered some very nice roads, Campos to Porreres for example and Monturi to Sineu spring to mind. But these are just short curvy stretches. What the car really needs is long fluid runs to enjoy it at it’s best.

Was it stupid to bring the car to Mallorca a few years ago when we moved here from Italy? Perhaps, but the last few years have coincided with ill health and of course more latterly Covid with all it’s complications and limitations. Time and space have therefore been limited when it comes to driving.

In addition to this there are many changes to driving on Mallorca even in the relatively short period we have been here. These changes all appear to point at speed, more humps, some in quite ridiculous places, more speed limit changes, more cameras and now the island has two new drones for the traffic police to play with. How about targeting the bad drivers and doing something about the general poor driving skills which seem to be endemic on the island? Speed is not always the problem.

Luckily I have had a plan all along to buy something else, but it takes a lot of time, research, test drives and spending time with some awful car salesmen! But I am glad to say I have been able to find a car which will amuse me for a while. I still sometimes glance at a passing Porsche, but that’s just me, I can’t help it.

I believe I am very fortunate to have sold this car to a person who I know will appreciate it.

I hope he enjoys it as much as I have.

To sum up, the 996 is without doubt a fantastic car, a true 911 and a true driver’s car. It’s been fun.

Farewell 996 and thank you for the memories…