Encouraging Porsche’s favourite son to talk about the 911 is like asking Colonel Sanders about the merits of fried chicken. You should take the response with a pinch of salt.

But Webber drove Porsches long before working with the brand, and promises he would keep doing so if they divorce. I believe him.

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Webber shares several traits with the 911.

Athletic? Tick.

Timeless style? Tick.

Impressive sporting history? Tick.

Like the car, he’s had to move with the times. Retired from racing on track, Webber now serves as manager to Oscar Piastri, Australia’s latest hope for a Formula One world championship.

And the 911 took a major step in its evolution this year by introducing hybrid power for the first time.

Porsche’s first electrified sports car is a carefully considered machine that aims to improve performance rather than reducing fuel consumption.

Electric motors live inside its eight-speed PDK dual clutch transmission and an enormous turbocharger slung out the back.

It never drives on electric power alone. Prod the new starter button and a new 3.6-litre six-cylinder engine barks to life before settling into a high mechanical idle. You can hear the turbo spool and whistle at low speed as the car rumbles along in the traffic.

It doesn’t feel like a hybrid at all.

And then you put your foot down.

And revs rise from a motor capable of making 357kW and 570Nm without hybrid assistance.

And the little electric motor inside the turbo spools it up to eliminate lag.

And the big electric motor inside the gearbox chips in with an extra 65kW and 150Nm to deliver a total of 398kW and 610Nm.

And the car rockets to 100kmh in 3.0 seconds.

It hits like a sledgehammer.

Especially when compared to the bungee cord power delivery of traditional turbo engines.

The mild hybrid system of the GTS makes it feel faster and more rewarding than before.

We drove the car on the road in Victoria, and on track at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.

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There were just a handful of new hybrid models on hand, so professional driving instructors made do with the old model while journalists followed in the new gadget on track, reeling them in every time the road turned straight.

Seriously. Professional drivers painted black lines through fast corners to build gaps that were easily closed with a heavy right foot in the new weapon.

The 911 shines brighest when driven hard.

It copes with high-speed track work like few other cars on the road.

Sure, the tyres look and feel second-hand after dozens of laps at speed. But the rest of the car remains perfectly fresh on a calm drive back to our hotel.

Some cars have a particular speciality, but the 911 is a car to do it all - thrilling track drives, carving through the mountains, or commuting to work.

It even has a back seat.

Polished to a brilliant finish, the 911 shines brighter when you have more time to appreciate little things that add up to it being truly remarkable.

There’s the perfect driving position, with a low-set seat, high-set wheel and spot-on pedals.

It feels like home.

There’s the reassuring response from driver controls that remind you this is a car crafted with precision.

There’s the turbocharged bark, woof, snort and huff from a motor that sounds like a particularly large dog defending its side of a fence.

There’s the confidence-inspiring visibility in a forward view framed by curved guards that provide reference points for the front tyres.

And a thrill from evocatively shaped wheel arches in the rear view mirror.

Sure, there are shortcomings.

It’s quite expensive (press cars were loaded with additional extras pushing prices close to $500,000 drive-away), there’s a little too much road noise on the highway, the three-year warranty is mean and the timeless nature of its styling is a downer for folks who really want to make a statement.

Then again, I can’t say I disagree with Webber’s enthusiasm.

He says he can’t see anything else in the driveway. Ever.

“I want to be that cool old guy… even when I’m 70 or 80 I still want to be in a 911,” he says.

“I think it’s the best car in the world.”

PORSCHE 911 GTS

PRICE: About $400,000 drive-away

ENGINE: 3.6-litre 6-cyl turbo hybrid, 398kW and 610Nm

WARRANTY: 3-year, 100,000km

THIRST: 11L/100km

CARGO: 135 litres

SPARE: Repair kit