Air- or water-cooled, the Porsche 911 is a balanced, delightful cruiser | Why I Drive #30

Keith Hammersma had always wanted a Porsche 911, and now he has two. The style, balance, power, and brakes combine to make his 993 and 996 cabriolets the ultimate top-town drivers for northern Michigan summers. The only decision he has to make now is water-cooler or air-cooled. Hagerty is your definitive source for all things classic: compelling stories about cool cars and the people who love them; the latest on collector car values and market trends; and all the eye candy, roaring engines and nostalgia you can handle. So strap down, settle in and cruise with us a while. We’re glad you’re here.

Video Script:: 

- [Keith] Well, that's a
2002 Porsche 911 Cabriolet and I've always loved the Porsche 911s. I remember, you know,
my earliest, you know, was when I was like 15 years old. A neighbor had one and
it was beautiful car and I thought someday, I'm gonna own one. Finally, when all the kids
were out of the house, it enabled me to have a little
bit of extra money around. You know, they are the
ultimate driving machine. Porsche puts the engines in
the 911 where they belong to get the perfect balance. (serene music)
(engine revving) I'd driven my son's BMW M3s but the 911s, they corner like they're on a rail. It's just so much fun, rapid acceleration, nimble you know in a nice
winding country road. The brakes on these Porsches
are you know outstanding. You can get on 'em hard
and get slowed down and get back on the gas
again in the corners. Well, this car here, you know, is a six-cylinder pancake
Porsche engine again but there has the six-speed
automatic gear blocks in it with the paddle shifters. Unlike the automatic
transmission, you know, if you're out on a drive,
if I drive that up north to our cottage, it's nicer
just to sit back sometimes and let the car shift for you. So I love sharing it with my sons. Tyler, he's a big car guy
and we've been looking for a really nice last
generation air cooled car and stumbled across one
here in Grand Rapids. And now I have the last
of the air cooled variance and the first of the
liquid cooled variance. And I'll drive one, park it,
and go jump in the other one. So I mean, it's just fun to drive. I drive these cars every
day when the weather's nice. Yeah, Michigan summers, you
know, that's why, you know, I get out and drive and
make the most of it. My name is Keith Hamersma,
this is why I drive. (serene music)