When you get a new car, you suddenly notice similar vehicles everywhere you go — coming toward you on the road, behind you at a stoplight or next to you in a parking lot. While some of today's cars blend into the landscape, others are much more noticeable — like Porsches.

As the owner of a 1976 911S, I regularly encounter other vintage Porsches in my travels on the Connecticut shoreline. Hardly a month goes by during peak driving weather that I don't see a fellow enthusiast motoring around town in a comparable 911. However, Boxsters, Caymans and newer 911s are more common.

Occasionally, the sexy lines of a newer Porsche will grab my attention more than others. And a white GT3 RS on the Q-Bridge in New Haven did just that recently. I'm unabashedly unfamiliar with newer 911s, but something about this car with the giant rear wing, obviously meant for the track, piqued my interest.

Here are just a couple of things I learned about the car. It packs 500 horsepower — more than three times what my vintage 911S possesses. It also has a $175,000 price tag (I'm not going to compare its value to mine). Car and Driver called it "the best 911 of them all."

It was easy to pick out the GT3 RS in a crowd of commuters as it slowly (yes, slowly) meandered down Interstate 95 on a recent evening. Fortunately, the driver got off the same exit as I did, and I was able to get a closer look.

The driver was a young man in his 20s, and he was driving very conservatively. The guy was showing massive control to be driving so casually. Or perhaps a recent speeding ticket dampened his enthusiasm?

The car sounded great, too, as expected. I couldn't help but compare it with my 40-year-old counterpart. They are vastly different, yet share the same DNA. If compared side by side, the 911 gene would be obvious.

I haven't driven a GT3, but I'm sure the experience would be incredible. But what about the soul?

Smoky, as I affectionately call my 911S, has tales to tell. The original floor mats emblazoned with "911" are completely faded. The driver-side door creaks because it's rubbing against some undetermined piece of metal.

Sure, he's showing a little wear and tear. But he still gets a lot of attention, largely because he's vintage. While my head turned for the GT3, other people's heads turn for Smoky.

I don't know Smoky's history prior to my acquisition several years ago, but we've already created a story together. We've gone on some road trips, broken down a couple of times and waited for the winter snow to melt and the driving season to commence.

You know how people have old souls? I think cars do, too. And older ones like Smoky definitely excite those around him — even if he doesn't have a giant wing.

My 1976 Porsche 911S, which I affectionately call Smoky, is still capable of turning heads.