Never-Ending Story: Part 1 of 2; For the sixth time, Porsche launches a 911, and it is good.

Byline: MAC MORRISON

"Whenever we introduce a new 911, there is a debate about whether we have gone too far, and half the people say we did not go far enough,'' says Peter Schwarzenbauer, suppressing a smile. A nearly imperceptible roll of the eyes tells you the CEO of Porsche Cars North America has had this conversation before, and he's prepared for it. "We had the same discussion on the launch of the 993 and 996. With 997, we will have much, much less discussion about the car's look than we did with the 996.''

Schwarzenbauer means he expects less criticism from Porschephiles toward the 2005 Porsche 911 than they unleashed when the 996 bowed in 1998. That car, along with the Boxster, set the table for a corporate revival that now benefits the 997. It brought the tiny company into the 21st century of parts-sharing, reduced manufacturing costs and expanded customer base. It also triggered a maelstrom of discontent among purists who believed water was far more suitable for drinking than for cooling a boxer-six Porsche engine. And when the 996 rolled into the world looking like a slightly beefed-up Boxster with a fixed roof, well, the excrement really hit the fan.

While the people from Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen nod knowingly when you mention this, they won't blatantly knock the old car. "We are happy the 996 has been the most successful 911 to date,'' says chief 997 designer Grant Larson, who also served as design leader for the stunning Boxster concept and production car, as well as the Carrera GT.

Larson's point is true from a driving perspective, as the 996 caused longtime 911 drivers to recalibrate their backsides to a whole new performance envelope. It's also accurate from a sales perspective (approximately 160,000 cars sold worldwide) and, as Schwarzenbauer points out, the car did a wonderful job attracting buyers who never sat in a Porsche prior to 1998. But push the execs a little harder and read between the lines, and you know the purists' criticism is not lost on them. Speaking about the 911's development from the 993 to 996 series, Schwarzenbauer says, "You have to walk on a fine line... Not everyone liked this hard-core sports car,'' referring to the 993. "[Many new 996 buyers] wanted to have a sports car, but with comfort, because they were used to comfort in their other cars. With the 997, we are trying to offer both worlds.''

Porsche engineers claim the 997 is 80 percent new, the roof being the only carryover exterior piece. Round headlights return in place of the former teardrop-style projectors, with turn indicators, fog lamps and positioning lights mounted in a separate unit below. Headlights sit at a more vertical angle than those on the current car, and the corners of the hood are rounded rather than squared off. Taillights are smaller, and the Carrera GT-like rear bumper cutline extends up at an angle to run along the top of the lenses, rather than straight back as on the 996. Overall, the car is three millimeters shorter in length and 38 millimeters wider. Most appealing, the wide, shapely rear fenders give the 997 a stance reminiscent of the 993 and earlier Turbo-look Carreras. Schwarzenbauer may call it more hard-core, but it's clear this is also a more mature 911; "nurtured,'' Larson says.

The almost all-new cockpit treatment (the rear seats carry over) indicates Porsche wants those comfort-oriented buyers, but it thankfully hasn't crossed the line into self-indulgent luxury. The interior still screams "driver's car,'' perhaps even more so than the 996, but in a fashionably modern voice. The new dash, door panels and center stack may seem ...