The three-spoke steering wheel is wrapped in leather and is thicker and grippier than ever.   It adjusts up and down and fore and aft manually.   The steering wheel's core structure is an expensive magnesium alloy, which saves weight.   Controls on the steering wheel hub operate elements of the Porsche Communication Management system, which incorporates the audio and navigation systems and the optional telephone.   New for 2010 are steering wheel shift paddles instead of buttons.   They cost extra but most owners will prefer them over the odd buttons that Porsche has used for too long.  

The front seat of the Carrera is fairly roomy, making it comfortable for larger drivers.   The seats may be a bit stiff for some tastes, but they have just the right amount of bolstering: enough to keep you in place but not so much that wider drivers are pinched.   The seats are mounted low to the floor, creating good headroom and a sporty driving position.  

Most of the gauges are large and easy to read, but reading the offset and sparsely marked speedometer can be tough, especially when going fast.   The dash vents are large, and the air conditioning worked well during some hot lapping at Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City, Utah.   The climate controls are located in the center stack.  

The Porsche Communications Management (PCM) system, which incorporates all audio, navigation and communications functions, comes with a 6.5-inch touchscreen.   To ease communications, Porsche includes SIM card slot and offers Bluetooth connectivity.   A Universal Audio Interface has three audio ports in the center console to operate iPods, MP3 players or memory sticks.   iPods and memory sticks can be controlled through PCM.   We found the position of the USB port to be hard to reach, but the iPod and USB interface was very easy to use.  

The Turbo is the most luxurious of the 911s.   It comes with full leather upholstery that covers the seats completely in leather, and adds it to the dashboard, center console and just about everywhere else you can look or touch.   With standard features like a navigation system with a 40-gigabyte hard drive, memory for the seats and mirrors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, additional front seat power adjustments, and Bose audio, buyers will be perfectly comfortable while piloting their full-on sports cars.  

The Sport Chrono Package Plus features a jewel-like chronograph sprouting from the center of the dash that gets input from many sources.   Start or stop the chronograph with a one of the steering wheel stalks, and it will display acceleration or lap times.   A history of recorded times can be displayed on the navigation system screen for comparison.   The Sport Chrono Package Plus also comes with a Sport button that adjusts electronic controls for the throttle and anti-skid system.   Throttle mapping switches to a more aggressive mode (meaning more gas for a given amount of pedal application), and the anti-skid electronics give a driver more room to break traction.   The Sport Plus button activates even more aggressive throttle and transmission settings, and a race-ready mode for the anti-skid system.   Is Sport Chrono a gimmick? Maybe, but it would be handy for lapping at a Porsche club event, and the Sport modes make the cars much more suited to track driving.   Do you need it? Probably not.   Will it add to the fun? Probably.   It's hard to make these decisions when you're standing in the candy store.  

The Bose audio package is above average, though most high-end cars offer more modern and more powerful optional systems.   Still, we thought it sounded good with the top down at highway speeds.  

The glove box includes storage slots for pens and couple of CDs, while the shallow center console has a change holder and a 12-volt power point.   A pair of cupholders sprout from the dash.  

The Targa offers a clear roof that slides back inside the rear of the car with the press of a button, giving the driver a superb top-down experience.   With the roof closed, the driver has a choice of tinted glass or a mesh lining to deflect the sunlight.   We'd prefer a solid cover, however, because the mesh wasn't heavy enough to block out the sun on bright days.   The Targa's neat, but we prefer the coupe.  

The 911 isn't practical for more than two passengers.   The back seats are not really habitable.   While we were able to stick one 5-foot, 7-inch adult male back there with a shorter female up front, the complaining would grow weary if this were a regular thing.   With the rear seats folded, there's room for a load of groceries and you can lay the dry cleaning back there, so the 911 beats many sports cars in its ability to run daily errands.  

There's not much luggage space for two people going on a long trip, however, so you have to pack light.   Nor will you want to use your 911 to pick someone up at the airport unless they are traveling very light.   The storage area under the hood will hold a couple of duffel bags, but the Corvette coupe hatchback will hold more.   Porsche offers a truly useful roof transport system that allows 911 coupes to carry bulkier items, but luggage on the roof of a 911 screaming past ruins the picture.   Besides, who wants to take time to strap suitcases on top of a car? It's preferable to have a bigger car to perform these duties.