Porsche 911 S 2dr PDK

Ten Second Review

Porsche's 911 Carrera S gets a useful update in this 992.2 form, with a power upgrade to 480PS, an updated interior and a tougher 'Turbo'-like look. There's no engine electrification like you get further up the range, but you may not feel you need that and if you don't, a Carrera S is difficult to ignore.

Background

There's great debate about exactly what is the 'sweet spot' in Porsche 911 range. When the original version of the eighth generation 992-series design was first launched back in 2019, most agreed that the optimum buy-in point lay with the mid-range GTS variant. But that's adopted T-Hybrid power and become very expensive. So what about a 992-series 911 that's based on that old GTS, is pretty much as fast but adopts a lower price point? That's the thinking behind this improved 911 Carrera S. As part of the mid-term '992.2' facelift for this eighth generation 911, the Carrera S gets the updated interior and slightly smarter look as we've already seen on the 911 Carrera and 911 Carrera T models that sit just below this Carrera S in the range; and on the 911 Carrera GTS that sits just above it. But the key improvement with this 'S' is a 30PS power hike to 480PS. Is that enough to justify this car's now exalted price point?

Engines and Tech Spec

There's a 3.0-litre flat six plumbed-in out back - of course there is: this is a 911 after all. But in the Carrera S, it's now got 30PS more than it had before, putting out 480PS, which is enough in both the Carrera S annd the alternative Carrera 4S (if you've got the 'Sport Chrono Pack' fitted) to get you to 62mph in just 3.3s (0.4s faster than before) on the way to the same 191mph top speed as previously. So yes, it's as fast as you'd want, the power upgrade coming courtesy of new turbochargers and an 'extensively modified' cooling set-up. Crucially, peak pulling power is developed low in the rev range from just 1,700rpm, which should make it easy to tap into performance which is accessed via PDK paddleshift auto gearbox as usual boasting 8 speeds. You can't have a manual gearbox; unfortunately, that's reserved just for the lesser 394PS 911 Carrera T. Those seeking the 911's distinctive noise at high revs are promised a lofty (for a turbo motor) 7,500rpm redline and the 'typical sonorous Porsche flat-six engine sound'. Handling is typically immersive and as with the 394PS 911 Carrera, adaptive damping (or 'Porsche Active Suspension Management') is standard, as part of a now 'optimised' hydraulic damping set-up. Zuffenhausen also claims to have sharpened the steering to make the car even more direct through the turns. And there's an upgraded braking system borrowed from the GTS Hybrid, with 408mm front discs and 380mm discs at the rear, said to offer outstanding rates of stopping power. In addition, Porsche's Torque Vectoring Plus system (not available on the 911 Carrera) comes included for extra cornering traction. As before, there's a 'Wet mode' driving setting that senses the splatter or rain water in the wheel arches and then dials in appropriate settings for the engine, gearbox and safety systems at the same time as alerting you.

Design and Build

As usual, there's a choice of Coupe or Cabriolet body styles, both of which have a more aggressive look with this 992.2-era Carrera S model thanks to the adoption of the swollen rear wheel arches and larger intakes of the 911 Turbo. Otherwise, the changes are as with other 992.2-series 911s; which means redesigned headlamps, now with standard matrix tech, which retain the characteristic 4-point graphic but now incorporate all the illuminating functions, so there's no need for front driving lights, which creates space for larger cooling vents at the front of the car. There's also a redesigned rear light strip and model-specific bumpers. Otherwise, the pure 911 shape remains unaltered; and the Carrera S gets the larger of the two staggered-size wheel options, which means 20-inch fronts and 21-inch rears. You might more easily note the major change made to the traditionally driver-focused cockpit; for the first time, the Carrera S has a fully digital instrument cluster, though the rev counter remains the central feature in the 12.6-inch curved driver's display, customisable with up to seven layouts; including a 'Classic' display inspired by the traditional five-tube Porsche dial design with a central tachometer. There's also now a start button rather than a twisting dial. As before, infotainment is still taken care of by a 10.9-inch Porsche Communications Management central screen. But this monitor now offers more customisation options for drive modes and driver assistance systems, plus there are lots of new connectivity features, including video streaming. As before, you can have two tiny rear seats (which these days must be added as a no-cost option). And under the bonnet, there's 135-litres of storage space.

Market and Model

There's a big price jump for this 992.2-era Carrera S. For the Coupe version, Porsche now wants around £120,000, with £10,000 more wanted for the Cabriolet. This means that this 480PS S model now costs £20,000 more than the base 394PS 911 Carrera (but around £13,000 less than the (now-Hybrid) 911 Carrera GTS. If you want the AWD 4S versions of either Coupe or Cabriolet, you'll need another £6,500. At least you get quite a bit more standard equipment now as part of the deal. Part of the price premium over the Carrera is accounted for by the fact that this Carrera S gets larger 20/21-inch wheels, a sports exhaust system with silver tips and Porsche's Torque Vectoring Plus system. There's also a ceramic braking option. Otherwise, the spec additions are as on the 911 Carrera. Which means that you now get rear-wheel steering, plus Matrix LED headlamps featuring more than 32,000 light points. Their high performance high beam illuminates the road to a distance of more than 600 metres and offers innovative additional functions such as a driving mode-dependent dynamic cornering light, lane brightening, a construction site and bottleneck light and a non-dazzling high beam that is precise to the pixel. Inside, the car now benefits from a fully digital instrument display. You'll want to consider paying extra for the optional electrohydraulic roll-stabilisation PDCC set-up. As you'd expect on a super sportscar, there's also a driving modes system that primarily tweaks steering feel, throttle response and gear change timings, with 'Normal', 'Sport' and 'Sport Plus' options, along with a 'Wet Mode' that can adapt the behaviour of the car to better suit rainy or icy conditions. And an 'Individual' option so you can personalise your own preferences. These driving modes also tweak the damping thanks to the fact that the brand's 'PASM' 'Porsche Adaptive Suspension Management' system with its choice of either 'Normal' or 'Sport' modes is also standard.

Cost of Ownership

Porsche has done its best to make running costs affordable but you're still going to need very deep pockets to run one of these. As usual, we'll quote what we've been given - fuel figures and CO2 figures conducted under strict WLTP-testing. This 2WD Carrera S coupe manages up to 27.4mpg on the combined cycle and up to 233g/km of CO2. That compares to 28mpg and 229g/km for the standard Carrera (and 26.9mpg and 237g/km for the Carrera GTS T-Hybrid). The Carrera 4 manages up to 27.1mpg and up to 236g/km in Coupe form. If you specify optional Adaptive Cruise Control, further efficiency gains can be made via a 'coasting mode' added into the PDK auto gearbox which seamlessly disconnects the engine from the transmission at a cruise. All 911 models are covered by the brand's usual three-year unlimited mileage warranty package. And the 911 also has 12 years of corrosion cover and a three year paint guarantee. Insurance for a car of this power and performance is never going to be cheap; all 911 variants attract a top-of-the-shop group 50 rating. Still, residual value percentages are uber-high - think in the late fifties after three years of ownership - or better. Bear in mind that depreciation will take a hit if you load your car up with too many unnecessary pricey extras. And of course showboating on track days will cost you big in rubber wear; the bespoke Pirelli tyres are fearsomely expensive to replace.

Summary

In summary, what we have here is a worthy evolution of the world's longest running sports car dynasty. Porsche is banking on the fact that the excellence of this updated 911 will help to simplify the decision over whether to commit to the significant outlay involved in buying it. If over half a century of development has taught us anything, it's that you wouldn't bet against them succeeding in doing just that. And the Carrera S. Is it the ideal 911? It won't be ideal for your bank balance. And we're disappointed you can't have a manual gearbox. But if you can stretch to the now-exalted asking price, want more power than the standard 911 Carrera can provide and don't need the fancy hybrid electrification of the GTS, it's a great option that now looks satisfyingly Turbo-like. Porsche is banking on the fact that the excellence of this 911 will help to simplify the decision over whether to commit to the significant outlay involved in buying it. If over half a century of development has taught us anything, it's that you wouldn't bet against them succeeding in doing just that.