BEHIND THE WHEEL: Porsche 911 Carrera
MONDAY JULY 21, 2025
Ever since the base Porsche 911 (991.2) became turbocharged, I’ve been telling everyone to just buy the base model. Add a few essential options, and that’s all anyone really needs. Spending more for an S model is no longer necessary. The base 911 is already supercar-quick, so what we really want now is to prolong the fun before hitting illegal speeds.
Ever since the base Porsche 911 (991.2) became turbocharged, I’ve been telling everyone to just buy the base model. Add a few essential options, and that’s all anyone really needs. Spending more for an S model is no longer necessary. The base 911 is already supercar-quick, so what we really want now is to prolong the fun before hitting illegal speeds.
PRO
Driving dynamics
Telepathic gearbox
All-day comfort
Base model is all one ever needs
CON
Nothing
SPECIFICATION
3-litre flat-six
388hp 450Nm
8-speed PDK
0-100 km/h: 4.1s
Top speed: 294 km/h
From A$ 322,000
This is a special car and it deserves a special colour like this one. That said, it is not for me. Just looking at it made me feel slightly sick. Once inside, that feeling eased a little. The cabin is nearly identical to the white 992 Carrera 4S I have previously driven. It is familiar but nothing particularly exciting. The facelifted version now has a start button for the engine, which felt a bit anti-climactic for a Porsche 911 given what we’ve been used to. So far, so bad.
After about 20 minutes, once everything had warmed up, I handed the car over to The CWO’s Stig and the real test began. The car was driven at nine-tenths, with full-throttle sprints, hard braking and thrown into every bend we could find. There are Sport and Sport Plus modes but there is also one more party trick. The Sport Response button delivers 20 seconds of maximum performance, perfect for overtaking or whatever other purpose you find suitable.
We spent the next three hours pushing this base Carrera to its limits. Despite having the smallest discs and calipers in the 911 range, it never once flinched or showed any signs of brake fade. This proves two important things. First, the entry-level 911 is all the car anyone could ever need. Second, it is genuinely track-ready. We subjected it to the worst punishment we could throw at it and it responded with precision, relentlessness and an eagerness for more. This yellow car seems to defy physics. Body roll and weight transfer are nearly absent. It inspires confidence and communicates clearly through corners.
Other noticeable improvements in the 992.2 include a more mechanical and emotional sound. The intake now has more personality, and the 3.0-litre flat-six engine delivers a top-end zing that feels very GT3-like. The turbo whooshes are loud and obvious, though whether you enjoy that is subjective. The exhaust does not crackle and pop as much as it did in the earlier 992 model, largely thanks to stricter emissions regulations. The 8-speed PDK gearbox feels telepathic and never misses a beat. At slower speeds, it still exhibits the occasional jerkiness but that is just part of the twin-clutch experience.
The negatives? It’s easy to jump to the price but when you look at the competition, the 911 still offers tremendous value. There is no such thing as a bad day when your daily driver is a 911. If you do not like automatics, you can always get a Carrera T, which is exactly what I would do and drive it until the last petrol station finally shuts its doors.