feature I | what makes a modern(-ish) classic.

part III — all the romance, excitement and thrill of a of a classic car but it’s usable.

after almost three years of having our Porsche 944 S, we have added a good 4.000 kilometers to the car’s mileage. with the first long drives behind us, there is one particular aspect that we want to dig into a little: its usability.

whenever we get in the 944, it is like being back in 1987 when the car first rolled of the factory. i’ve described it as a time capsule before and there really is no better way to put it. with older cars there is less that separates you from the experience than in modern cars. less separation in turn leads to more impressions. you can smell the engine that is sitting in front of you, it feels as if you are sitting directly on the ground and you are surrounded by all these mechanical noises from the moment you unlock the car. all these impressions create the analog experience that is so special with old cars whenever you go for a drive. they could also all make driving the car less comfortable. but somehow they don’t.

the Porsche 944 has just enough creature comforts that it is easy to use and live with. seats that you can sit in for hours, smooth steering and a manual gearbox that makes you want to shift gears but is forgiving when sitting in traffic. we even have a decent radio. with that, our 944 carries all the romance, excitement and thrill of a of a classic car that takes you back in time — but it’s usable.

we do want to take good care of this car but we also want to use it. we are already looking for that next long road trip that we can take the car on in search of that stretch of road where every turn and every gear shift goes together with a huge smile. but then you have the drive to the twisty roads, the way back home and all the days in between road trips. our 944 is equally enjoyable on every bit of the journey and on all those days. as a modern classic should be.