After brief dalliances with red and yellow, I opted for the classic Porsche colour, Arctic silver - a calm foil for Meaden's tree-frog Exige. Leather, satnav, uprated stereo, multi CD, extinguisher and a few other bits and bobs all inflicted varying degrees of wallet pain, but the tricky decision was whether to have sports suspension and/or the sport chrono pack. I have a tendency to tick the box for anything with a 'go faster' prefix, but in the end I passed on the sports suspension, not wishing to delete Porsche's new PASM system about which I'd heard great things. In any event, PASM includes its own sport setting. I did go for the chrono pack though as, amongst other things (including lap timer), it offers a setting to further sharpen control responses and raise the threshold at which PSM intervenes. Final damage was a light lunch under ΂£70,000, but the way I see it I've got myself a junior GT3. Sadly, the sports exhaust wouldn't come on stream until my car was already built.

I'd ticked the factory collection option (just as I did with my Boxster), but this time the evening flight, hotel stay and even the genuinely interesting factory tour and lunch drag somewhat. All I want to do is get my hands on my car. But I recommend the experience - it makes you feel closer to the car. Even on this second visit I'm surprised at how small the factory is and just how hand-made and personal each Porsche is. Examples of incredible attention to detail are everywhere. Each engine is built by one man from start to finish in one-and-a-half hours, after which it is dyno tested for an hour. The EU directs that all engines must perform within 5 per cent of manufacturer's claims, but Porsche insists on 100 per cent. So you know your Carrera S will produce what it says on the tin. Or more.

Ronnie, Porsche's hand-over man, tries to maintain a professional air but, like everyone else at the factory, he's genuinely excited by the new 997. He can sense I am too, and hands over the keys. I get in the car and twist the key - hmm, don't think the lack of sports exhaust is going to be a problem. Will reality meet expectation? We'll see.