[stevenvillatoro]

Driving impressions:

After the first week of cohabitation with my 'T', during which time I've been a ball of nerves, I have a lot of very good impressions to report... and a few not-so-good things that make me miss the perpetually easygoing nature and cheery character of my M240i. I'm not at all sure that the new car and I will have a long term romance, or just a brief, torrid, and costly affair.

Driving the 'T' is an experience that can't be described by its performance stats (0-60 in 3.5s, 1.05g cornering, per Car & Driver for a PDK version, as mine is). The real story is in its phenomenal road composure and adhesion, steering that defies description for its feedback and precision, visceral thrills from its brute linear power and invigorating symphony of glorious sounds, and sure-footed brakes that gracefully engage in a way that makes stopping nearly as exciting as accelerating.

Put these mechanical systems together, and you have the feeling of a car that is so composed that it feels unshakable under any conditions. Last night, I took my favorite twisty backroads to Target, and the tightest curves were non-events compared to my M240i. The light nose of the 'T' chomps at the bit to point in a new direction. It's a quintessential "car on rails". No roll. Zero quibbles. Overall, this car exudes über-confidence to the highest level; you feel 'in command' rather than at the effect of the road conditions. Each time I've driven it has been mind boggling.

Mechanically, the 'T' comes standard with most of the enthusiast-coveted handling upgrades. My 'T' also came with many comfort/luxury options. The 18-way seats in Sport-Tex (a handsome woven stranded vinyl fabric) are especially worth mentioning.

But... here's where I have a problem. Despite delivering a never-ending delight based solely on driving dynamics – a solid 10/10 in my book – there's the matter of daily life with the car.

Disclaimer: The 'T' makes a fine daily driver... in most senses. It hasn't sacrificed ride quality for performance. You feel every pebble in the road, but not unpleasantly so. It is very firm, but not rough or jarring. And, although the cabin isn't as quiet as a library, it's never bothersome.

Where things go wrong are with the buttons, software, and out-of-date functionality. Illogicality prevails when searching for "where'd they hide this" feature/screen/button, etc. Unlike BMW, CarPlay is not wireless in the P-car. In fairness, the everyday frustrations that I'm having will probably diminish as as I get used to all the back-asswardness of it all. To Porsche's credit, they've added a lot of redundant controls to effectively double your odds of finding out where they've hidden this or that goodie.

The 'frunk' is really awkward... last week I pulled up to Trader Joe's in the rain, but when I came back to load my groceries up front, I realized the curb was filled with rainwater. Even when the weather's good, its far-inset cargo area requires a lengthy reach past the nose of the car; not optimal with heavy grocery bags.

But these are non-enthusiast quibbles, right?

Several times the 'Entry & Drive' access wouldn't unlock the driver's door until the third try (swearing at it seemed to help). If you wanna look like a doofus getting into your new Porsche, just try unlocking it in public, grrr. Neither have I mastered the seemingly elementary double-click alarm 'disable' feature for the cabin's motion sensor, so that my dog doesn't set off the alarm. Eeek.

The break-in period for these engines is <drumroll> 2,000 miles. During that time, I'm expected to respect a 4,200 RPM limit and not to make "short" trips. Whatever the latter means, it'll take me six months to break in the engine.

Only time will tell whether or not I'm Porsche material. Certainly, the car has NO intention of adapting further to me. Its so-called charms are of the 'take-it-or-leave-it variety. Anyone who's ever been delivered such an indifferent car-speak dare, in the course of a fledgling man-metal romance, will understand the intrigue of that sort of callously indifferent affront.

Crazy focking German hottie. Time to head down to the garage and head out for a wild road romp.