If you really want to know what it's like to feel connected to the car you're driving, you have to get behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet, an exceptional sports car with refined manners.

The result?

Driving the 911, you are struck by its power, nimbleness and obedience. It almost seems to sense what you want to do and responds accordingly, before you take action.

Photo by Porsche (ENLARGE) Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet

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The famous Porsche flat six-cylinder engine, which makes 355 horsepower and 295 pounds-feet of torque, powers the Carrera S.

Even with an engine that powerful, gas mileage is pretty good Ð 18 mpg city, 26 highway.

The test drive model had a six-speed manual transmission. Each ratio seems to max out the power of the engine.

If, while you're driving, you want to feel the breeze, putting the top down is a breeze.

Just one touch of a button and the top opens in about 20 seconds. Closing is just as easy.

The Carrera S Cabriolet has a wind deflector to keep the noise down in the cabin.

For safety, there are six airbags and reinforced windshield A-pillars, which form a front rollbar. There's a rear rollbar behind the back seats.

The rack and pinion steering system offers great precision.

When it comes to comfort, the front seats offer accommodating lateral support so you don't get that "beaten-up" feeling after a lengthy drive.

The Carrera S Cabrio, like so many other Porsche products, blends aesthetically pleasant designs with outstanding engineering.

We didn't get the opportunity to go out on a race track with this Porsche, but its performance on the open road gave us a not-too-subtle hint that it would be an absolute monster on the track.

But even at high speeds, its stability and traction control are evident, providing the driver with a reassuring feeling.

Products with this kind of performance and style enable Porsche to continue to post sales gains in the United States, despite the slowing economy and the weak dollar.

But make no mistake, this beauty will set you back more than a few weak dollars. The tester had a sticker price of $104,155.