992.1 farewell roadtripFAREWELL TO THE 992
France’s third-largest city is closed to cars. A quixotic quartet of 911s is lined up outside our hotel in Lyon – causing feverish excitement among local supercar spotters – but we can’t drive them anywhere tonight. The annual Festival of Lights is about to get underway.
As darkness falls, crowds flood into Lyon’s elegant boulevards and cobbled back streets. Lasers stab at the sky and pounding Euro-techno echoes off the 19th century buildings. Some revellers are swigging from bottles of champagne, but I keep a conscientiously clear head, washing down my pommes frites with a Coke Zero. We have a lot of miles to cover tomorrow and I want to enjoy every one of them.
Our winter roadtrip brings together four cars that show off the breadth of the current 911 range: the Carrera T, Turbo S, Dakar and GT3 RS. Porsche has billed it as a last blast to conclude the 911’s 60th year, but with the 992.2 due in early 2024, it’s also an unofficial farewell to the 992.1 generation. A dawn-until-dusk drive from Lyon to the Côte d’Azur, via some of the best roads in Europe, should be a suitable send-off.
I grab the keys to the Dakar
