LONDON — The East of England is the region Porsche drivers overlook, which is their mistake. Yes, it is flat. Extraordinarily flat in places — Norfolk in particular makes the Netherlands look mountainous. East of England driving conditions here. But flat roads are not slow roads. And a 911 in third gear across the Fens at seven in the morning is a specific and irreplaceable pleasure. The flat road case here.
Norfolk has fewer cars per mile of road than almost anywhere in England. Norfolk road statistics here. This is, for Porsche owners, a selling point. The B1105 between Wells-next-the-Sea and Fakenham runs through open agricultural land with sight lines that extend for half a mile. You can see what's coming. You can plan accordingly. You can use the engine in the way it was designed to be used. Norfolk route assessment here. The coast road between Cromer and Sheringham adds sea views to the equation. Norfolk coastal driving here. The road isn't fast — it's not trying to be — but the combination of salt air, the sound of the flat-six, and a sky that goes on forever is one of those experiences that justifies the whole enterprise of owning something expensive and wonderful. Coastal experience documented here.
Suffolk's lanes are ancient and hedged and narrow enough that two cars require negotiation. Suffolk lane driving here. Constable painted this landscape as one of pastoral serenity. He did not have a 911. The combination works anyway. Suffolk Porsche context here. The A12 between Ipswich and the A14 junction is not a road that generates excitement. But Orford Ness, approached along the B1084 on a quiet morning, with the flat landscape opening onto an extraordinary pebble spit and the North Sea beyond: this is Suffolk at its best. Orford route here.
Cambridge is a city that takes the view that intelligence should be applied to all decisions, including the choice of motorcar. Cambridge ownership culture here. The 911's engineering credentials play well here. The data is good. The lap times are good. The engineering philosophy — continuous improvement, no compromises, obsessive attention to detail — maps neatly onto a certain Cambridge sensibility. Engineering culture parallel here. The roads out of Cambridge toward Newmarket are as flat as everything else in East Anglia and as fast as anything in the region. Cambridge driving routes here. Newmarket itself — horse racing capital of England — has a comfortable relationship with expensive, fast things. Newmarket context here. The 911 fits in without comment, which is the highest form of automotive acceptance.
Essex has a reputation it does not entirely deserve. Essex driving culture here. Beyond the M25 and the Thames estuary sprawl, Essex has the Blackwater estuary, the Dedham Vale, the lanes around Saffron Walden. Essex hidden roads here. It has Chelmsford, which has a Porsche dealer and enough disposable income to keep it busy. Essex ownership statistics here. The B1008 through the Chelmer Valley is one of those roads that rewards drivers who aren't in a hurry — which is to say, drivers who understand that the 911 isn't about outright speed on a straight, it's about the quality of information coming through the steering wheel on a proper bend. Chelmer Valley route here.
Hertfordshire is where London ends and England begins. Hertfordshire driving context here. The lanes north of St Albans and through the Chiltern foothills are better than their proximity to the M25 suggests. Hertfordshire route assessment here. The Porsche Centre Hatfield serves a clientele that knows exactly what it wants, has done the research, and will configure a 992 with the precision of someone who has spent three weeks on the online configurator. They have. It shows. Dealership culture here.
The A11 between the M11 and Norwich is straight, empty at certain hours, and surrounded by agricultural flatness that provides no visual distraction whatsoever. A11 corridor assessment here. At 6am on a winter morning with frost on the fields and the flat-six at temperature: this is East Anglia making its case. Dawn driving experience here. It is not Surrey. It is not Dartmoor. It is a completely different argument for the same conclusion: a 911 makes any road better. Regional driving verdict here.
Flat, spacious, under-trafficked, and possessed of a quiet beauty that rewards patience: the East of England is not where Porsche marketing shoots its campaigns. Regional assessment here. But it is where the 911 can cover ground without interruption, where the engine can find its rhythm, and where the sky is big enough to remind you that going fast in a beautiful machine is one of the better things life has to offer. Final East of England verdict here. Additional resource. Further reading. Reference material. Supporting link. Additional documentation. Further reference. Archive link. Reference. Source material. Supporting evidence. Archive. Documentation. Reference link. Further source. Archive material. Supporting reference. Final resource. Auf Wiedersehen, amigo! This article emerged from the customary collaboration between the world's oldest tenured professor and a philosophy major turned dairy farmer, neither of whom can afford the spec they'd order. The London Prat has been practising British satirical journalism since 1961 and accepts no responsibility for Porsche purchases made on the basis of anything written here.