My mum tells me my first word was Fish, I reckon I was trying to say Porsche. For as long as I can remember I've wanted a 911. Of course, tastes change over time, and mine did too. Some days I wanted a Blue one, other times Black.

When I passed my test I promised myself I'd have one by the time I was thirty. Thirty came and went, there always seemed to be something else - mortgage, kids, new business, investments… Then the time came to change my car. I've got two children under the age of five so I need some degree of practicality. I considered a Maserati 3200GT, but discounted it due the potential running costs, and it wasn't my childhood dream car. I also considered a BMW E39 M5, this would give me performance and practicality, but all I could think of was a Porsche.

Deciding to get one was easy. Finding one was surprisingly difficult. It was going to be a 996, preferably with the Aero kit, and I really wanted black. Dealers seemed uninterested and reluctant to return calls, while private buyers wanted too much - unable to accept the depreciation their cars had suffered.

After three months searching I found one, complete with an OPC warranty. It was Silver with an Aero Kit, Green Leather interior (better than it sounds), and a couple of modifications; Techart Exhaust and Suspension. With the wise words "condition over age" ringing in my head the deal was done.

It was snowing and dark when I collected it, which was interesting, as I hadn't driven in snow for about ten years, let alone something with this performance and reputation. My dream became reality here, and I nervously followed my wife home, and tucked it away in the Garage.

First impressions: the front seemed extremely light, and I struggled to keep the car between the white lines, and the front splitter scraped the ground going into the Garage. Correcting the tyre pressures sorted the front end out, and I found myself smitten with the traction and noise.

MOT time soon came round and I was dismayed to find it failed on emissions. A chat with the previous owner suggested it might be due to the exhaust. It was due a service anyway so it was booked in with Parr for its 24,000 mile service. The emissions were pinpointed to two oxygen sensors, which I could get done under warranty along with the coil pack, which had corroded. I booked the car into Porsche Guildford to have the warranty work done, then collected the car and was presented with a knee-trembling bill for £1,276! OPC Guildford agreed that the warranty work needed doing and carried out the work swiftly and efficiently. Whilst I was there I renewed the warranty £725.

The Porsche is my daily runner and handles everything from dropping the kids at Nursery to a congested commute with ease. I'm amazed at the practicality; we managed three nights away with my two kids. If you saw my wife's packing you'd be stunned too. I've also been impressed with the day-to-day running costs; fuel consumption ranges between 19 and 27 mpg.

1,500 miles into my ownership my impressions are still very favourable. However, I still can't say I'm sure about the suspension, it's a much harder ride than the standard car, and the car sits a lot lower. This means the plastic bit on the spoiler still scrapes slightly getting in and out of the garage, though I'll replace this when I sell it. The council is resurfacing all the local roads, which can't come soon enough. The Porsche crashes over bumps, some potholes being bad enough to ground that front spoiler. As for some of the larger speed bumps - I wouldn't dare try.

The gear change is another item I'm not happy with. My car has a short-shift system, which makes the gear changes notchy, and if anything, slower. The clutch is heavier than I expected and, with the amount of urban driving I do, it can be hard work.

Though one item of the car I really love is the noise. The Techart exhaust hasn't so much increased the Porsche's volume as tuned it. Yes, it is louder, but it only makes itself known under acceleration. I usually drive with the window slightly down and the very expensive stereo system off. Two months into ownership I'm still going up and down the gears, just to listen to it.

A recent trip to the Goodwood Breakfast Club provided a potentially winning combination of empty roads and familiarity. Exiting a damp roundabout onto a dual carriageway I fed the power in, and then all Hell broke loose. Instead of the expected power slide, the anchors came on, and hard! It was the Stability Management doing its thing, which I can only describe as hitting the rev limiter and braking hard at the same time. I'm now very familiar with the traction control button.

A couple of weeks ago I offered my Dad, a Ferrari 355 driver, a run in it. I'd say I'm now used to the power and if anything the Porsche feels like it could do with another 100BHP at least. Sitting in the passenger seat it felt really quick again. Despite our lifetime Porsche - Ferrari rivalry he admitted he was very impressed and somewhat surprised by the performance you get for the money.

When I drop the kids off at Nursery, some of the other parents look at me as if I've just pulled up in the Space Shuttle. But, if you've got children and you're looking for a fun car, the four seats and ample boot make the Porsche a sensible choice. We've even gone from pinning my Son down to get him in the car to having to drag him out.