The new Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet. Fine food, drink and luxurious lodging. And some damned stylish accoutrements with a nautical flare.
A coastal excursion to remember in the promiscuous new Porsche 911 Carrera GTS
All on the scenic coast of Maine.
The perfect recipe, in other words, for an excursion forever branded on the temporal lobe.
Our latest journey took us up coastal route U.S. 1 to the towns of Lincolnville and Belfast, where we made base camp at the stunning Inn at Ocean’s Edge.
Click to enlarge (dress by J. Crew, sunglasses by Gucci)
Along the way we made stops at Salt Water Farm (pictured at top), some seafood standouts, and Three Tides, the best watering hole in Maine with brilliant beer made by its sibling, the Marhsall Wharf Brewing Co., next door.
Iconic styling dating from its debut in 1963, with an ass like Claudia Schiffer and headlights to match
The 911 GTS turned heads of course, but not so that we felt self-conscious – a not inconsiderable feat considering it’s got an ass like Claudia Schiffer with headlights to match.
Exotic but far from outlandish, it represents such perfection in design that the famed German marque has had to make only subtle changes to the lines of the original 911 that debuted in 1963.
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Artfully evolved over the ensuing decades, you can easily draw a line from iconic models like the one Steve McQueen drove in Le Mans to the drop-dead gorgeous GTS.
We don’t agree with hardline purists who think slicing off the 911′s roof is sacrilege
We don’t agree however with the hardline purists who think that slicing off the 911′s roof is some sort of sacrilege.
While the coupe will always be the card-carrying classic, the cabriolet has its own discreet charm.
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In a climate like Maine‘s of course it’s not terribly practical in the snow-sodden months, but it’s exactly that hint of hedonism which makes it all the more attractive the rest of the time.
It’s exactly that hint of impractical hedonism which makes it all the more attractive
There are occasions, to be sure, when you want to cry “To hell with practical, I want to have some f–king fun.”
There is really no better way to broadcast that than with the GTS cab. The black RS Spyder wheels with their bright red calipers are a dead giveaway.
Click to enlarge (dress by Lacoste; sunglasses by Gucci; watch by Rolex; vintage scarf; bag by Levi’s Made & Crafted)
The 408 hp engine however with its top speed of 190 mph and and 0–60 clock of 4.6 seconds transcends all the tumult.
A flick of the sport exhaust button and a husky roar cleared rubberneckers from our path
This is, at heart, a machine for serious motoring, which is what we did while making our way up the coast.
Unsurprisingly, a flick of the sport exhaust button to let out a husky roar cleared most of the rubberneckers from our path.
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Arriving at the Inn at Ocean’s Edge, we left the Alcantara-clad confines of the GTS’ fighter plane cockpit for the more traditional milieu of the luxurious seaside hotel.
The GTS conveys an air of sporty exclusivity making it hard to return to more quotidian transport
We were not disappointed.
Just as the GTS is not your everyday car, conveying an air of sporty exclusivity that makes it hard to return to more quotidian transport, the Inn at Ocean’s Edge is less like staying at a crowded waterside resort than being a guest at an affluent pal’s private summer retreat.
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The AAA Four Diamond-rated hotel features 22 acres of gardens, lawns, and woods, an infinity edge pool, and award-winning restaurant all on its own stretch of ruggedly beautiful coastline.
22 acres of gardens, lawns, and woods, an infinity edge pool, and award-winning restaurant on the ocean
Located in Lincolnville between the towns of Camden and Belfast, many of the hotel’s 32 well-appointed guestrooms feature balconies, fireplaces, and panoramic ocean views.
Its excellent The Edge restaurant also looks out over the water, serving up a bounty of fresh local products prepared in an open kitchen and wood fired oven.
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You could easily dine there in regal style the whole time, though the hotel is also adjacent to Salt Water Farm, a rugged cooking school hosting various feasts and foraging excursions year ’round.
The hotel is also adjacent to Salt Water Farm, a rugged cooking school hosting feasts and foraging excursions
This week they’re hosting the 3rd annual Maine Event, “a week of butchering, shucking, roasting, smoking, pickling, preserving and distilling on the coast of Maine.”
Camden meanwhile is home to famous seafooding landmarks like Cappy’s Chowder House, while the Lobster Pound at Lincolnville Beach is also a perennial favorite.
No journey, via GTS or otherwise, is complete however without a visit to our favorite watering hole in Maine, Three Tides (below).
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Located on the water’s edge in Belfast, its seasonal beer garden with Marshall Wharf brews on tap and delicacies like Pemaquid oysters both fresh and grilled beats all.
Items that carry over the style and confidence of the car to whatever activity you’re engaged in
In any excursion of this sort you come to rely on key items to see you safely from the insular atmosphere of your mind-blowing motor to inevitable interaction with the world outside.
Ideally, they carry over the style and confidence of the car to whatever activity you happen to be engaging in, be it quaffing a pint of Pemaquid Oyster Stout or setting out for a day’s sailing via one of the Inn at Ocean Edge’s windjammer outings.
On this journey, a lightweight Barbour jacket, Brooks Brothers sweater and Levi’s Made & Crafted bag, both with a nicely nautical feel, were our constant companions.
Barbour has been keeping sporting gentleman warm with style since 1894
Classic British outerwear brand Barbour, which holds a Royal Warrant to the Prince of Wales, has been keeping sporting gentleman warm with style since 1894.
For summer sojourns we selected a lightweight classic Durham model (above) with a hood in navy waxed cotton as proof against any sudden shifts in the weather.
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Brooks’ Mariner Stripe crewneck (above), in the perfect gauge of super-soft cotton, does the job with verve when 85 degrees gives way to chilly ocean breezes blowing off Penobscot Bay.
Brooks Brothers’ Mariner Stripe crewneck and a Levi’s Made & Crafted canvas and leather bag
The canvas and leather bag (below), made in Italy by Levi’s high end new Made & Crafted collection, is a capacious carryall with Porsche-style panache constructed with as much care as any six-figure sports car.
Our pair of crisp white chinos from Dockers’ premium slim fit collection were as well-tailored as the stitching on the GTS’ sport seats.
And a striped t-shirt from J. Crew, madras D-ring belt from Vineyard Vines, a pair of Sperry 75th Anniversary CVO canvas sneakers and a classic steel Rolex (all in photo at top) made the perfect accessories for the getaway.
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Diversions dispensed with, it was back into the 911 GTS for the journey home – $120,000 worth of testosterone-laced Teutonic perfection unfortunately destined to leave our hands.
Anyone who sniffs that modern 911s lack character hasn’t had the pleasure of paddle-shifting this sexy beast
Parting was not so much bittersweet as acrid in the extreme.
As for the naysayers who sniff that modern 911s are lacking in character, they obviously haven’t had the pleasure of paddle-shifting this sexy beast….
- JPS
- Posted August 08, 2011
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- Jared Paul Stern
