When we have something special in the workshop, we give Lee from 9WERKS a call.

He loves tasting and comparing 911s from all eras, and this week he took to the road in our original 1970 Porsche 911E. Lee has driven more Porsches than most of us will ever see, and he has a great way of explaining what makes each one tick. He’s an enthusiast like us and, being a relatively young man, his take on these early cars is always interesting and well considered.

This time the lure was a remarkably original 1970 911E — and the key thing that makes it so unusual?

It is almost exactly as Porsche built it. Not restored. Just a well-loved survivor.A perfect benchmark for what a 2.2-litre 911E should feel like.

As Lee says, these early long-bonnet cars are art on wheels. You can admire them without ever turning the key. But the beauty of Porsche engineering is that they’re just as rewarding to drive today as they were when new.

The E sits neatly between the T and the S of the time. The S is the wild one — all revs and drama. The E is the sweet spot: smooth, torquey, responsive, and easy to drive. At around 155 bhp and roughly 1,000 kg, it proves you don’t need huge power to have fun.

The little 901 dog-leg gearbox only adds to the experience. First is left and back — originally chosen because it suited racing. These gearboxes are lovely when the car’s in good health: light, mechanical, and satisfying to use.

This particular car wears very rare burgundy paint, paired with corduroy seat centres, leatherette, and basket-weave trim. A wonderful period combination. Lee compared it to the modern 992 Targa Heritage Edition, which borrows heavily from this era — but as he put it, “Why buy the homage when you can drive the real thing?”

What I’ve always loved about these early Es is how alive they feel on the road — delicate steering, instant response, and just the right amount of pace to keep you entertained without getting you into trouble.

Listening to Lee afterwards, I think he felt the same.

A simple, honest, beautifully balanced Porsche — doing exactly what Porsche intended, and on today’s roads every bit as relevant as it was 55 years ago.

It’s a Porsche you can feel fully engaged with: something that keeps you part of the drive, capable of effortless three-figure cruising if the opportunity arose, and entirely able to take you to the French Riviera in absolute style.