Five years is a long time on planet car, and never more so than right now. When the 992 Carrera and Carrera S launched in 2019, there was a glut of alternatives. A Jaguar F-Type for something more rambunctious, a lower-rung AMG GT for V8 swagger, an Audi R8 for supercar excitement, perhaps even an Aston Vantage or Nissan GT-R. You get the picture. In 2024 every single one of those cars is now gone, or occupying a much, much higher price point than they were back then. So the fact that a plain-Jane Carrera still exists, and it can be bought for five figures (albeit by £200), is worth celebrating before we get to whether it's any good or not. It would have been easy, surely, to eliminate that model and kick off the updated 992 range with a Carrera T, S, or GTS. Thank goodness Porsche didn't.
The spec changes are relatively modest for the entry-level 992.2. The 3.0-litre flat-six gets turbos from the old GTS (said to be more efficient) for a little extra power, there are larger standard brakes, a slightly altered front end, and, inside, the new digital dash, start button, and more connectivity than ever. It does still feel a bit of a shame to have lost the analogue tacho and the start switch; the new rev counter and button aren’t as nice to look at or press respectively as before. But they’re minor gripes in what remains a very good cabin.
Half a decade of exposure to the 992 has probably made the car seem less chunky than it once did. That or everything else has grown so significantly in recent times that what once felt like a large sports car simply no longer does. You sit low, snug, and with what feels like an acceptable amount of car around you. (For reference, a 992 is 4,542mm long and 1,852mm across with the mirrors folded). It often feels like this happens with successive 911 generations, where that initial outrage about dimensions fades with familiarity, and so it has again. Or maybe two-door sports cars have become so rare that getting into any of them feels more special than it used to. Whatever - you feel right at home in a Carrera.
The engine, which Porsche claims to have revamped, feels perkier than it used to. Not by much, and obviously nowhere near the relentless GTS, just with a keenness at everyday revs thanks to those new turbos that didn’t feel quite so evident before. As always with Porsche turbos, this 3.0-litre boxer six is more than happy to spin past peak power and all the way to its redline, which still isn’t always the case in forced induction engines. It can be as willing and enthusiastic as you’re willing to drive, or as mellow as a turbo Carreras have been for almost a decade now. Porsche mentions in its press material how two-thirds of peak torque is around at just 1,500rpm, before the maximum of 332lb ft is there from 2,000rpm - and stays to 5,000rpm. It remains very easy to drive a 911 sedately, if required, complete with what’s probably still the best dual-clutch in the business.
Hopefully not everyone gets a 911 Carrera to drive it sedately, though - not least because it’s a great car to coax along more spiritedly. The wide, smooth, sweeping Spanish roads of the original launch didn’t necessarily play to the 3.0-litre car's strengths - especially with a formidably potent hybrid around also - but the Carrera feels like more than enough in a bright and breezy Britain. It’s fast, lunging through gear ratios a 718 driver would kill for and with changes quick enough to encourage use of the paddles. Perhaps helped by narrower, bumpier, busier tarmac, you don't need more than 394hp in a 911. Loathe though we are to say it as well, the PDK felt a better match for this version of the flat-six than the seven-speed manual in the previous T did recently. Hopefully the new six-speed transmission for that model's replacement will relocate the magic.
It says much, too, about the wider market that a 911 with two turbos, a standard automatic and optional 21-inch wheels is almost a pure sports car. But without any kind of hybridisation, a kerbweight comfortably under 1,600kg and standard rear-wheel drive, it virtually qualifies as old school when measured against E-Performance AMGs and plug-in M cars. In a mode-obsessed world, it's certainly an easy car to get to grips with - and those toggles on the dash mantelpiece really are useful for exploring the car (alongside a standard steering wheel mode switch for the first time).
Sport Plus works if you’re really at maximum attack, the 992 being both usefully taut and uncannily limber, though it makes for an annoyingly eager PDK; the smallest throttle application will have it kickdown to whichever gear wants 7,000rpm. An impressive achievement, and super smooth, but unnecessary. Especially given the flat-six, even with an optional sports exhaust, isn’t the most tuneful. Far better to keep the powertrain in Normal to avoid this frenzied gearshifting, then ramp up the damping support as required. This time around it felt pretty great left in the standard setting, just a sliver more vertical movement adding to the sensation of driving fast.
As always, the tools are at your disposal to make the most of the driving experience. The brake pedal remains as firm and dependable as ever, the steering weight is ideal and the turn-in spot on even with just one axle accepting input. The throttle will meter out exactly what you're after, too. Hard not to revel in the kind of unflustered precision that seemingly only Porsche is interested in foregrounding. The last bit of elusive excitement seems almost surplus when everything just works.
And actually, in the Carrera’s defence, when the roads are autumnal, it’s not the super serious sports car the 911 is often portrayed as. Even with the ESP only slackened to Sport, there’s more than enough freedom for latest version to demonstrate why two-wheel drive 911s are still the best ones. Because it's so knowable through the control surfaces - and because your trust comes so easily - it almost becomes a habit to leave slower bends with a little flurry of wheelspin. And a grin. That certainly wasn’t going to happen in Spain, and probably won’t much here with 315-section rear tyres. But it was a nice reminder nonetheless.
Those tyres, as well as making little skids harder to access, mean a Carrera is still quite a loud cruiser, which might dent its everyday appeal a tad. It’s not terrible, but there are certainly more refined motorway coupes. Going for lightweight glass on a car like this, even if it is noise-insulated, doesn’t feel like the most sensible choice. It’s probably worth getting the no-cost-option rear seats in as well, as that will surely make a Carrera more desirable secondhand and potentially reduce the din a little further.
Having expected a very impressive 992.2 Carrera anyway, the latest version over delivers. Previously you might have marvelled at how well it was all put together, right up to the point where you started yearning for a higher rung of 911. But that's not necessarily the case this time round. Or at least, not yet - let's see where it stands when the GTS arrives. Ultimately, if we're establishing a pecking order, a 718 4.0-litre remains the more thrilling sports car, though its older interior, relative lack of torque and longer gear ratios dent its everyday appeal. Which is what these cars get bought as, let’s not forget. And while a £100k Carrera sounds crazy, the new RRPs actually track a tad below inflation: an £82,793 asking price in 2019 is the equivalent of £102,000 today. Told you five years can be a long time. Go easy on the options spend and it’s hard to think of a more complete sports car package. And not just because so few exist, either.
SPECIFICATION | PORSCHE 911 CARRERA (992.2)
Engine: 2,981cc, twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: 8-speed PDK auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 394@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 332@2,900-5,000rpm
0-62mph: 4.1 seconds (3.9 Sport Chrono)
Top speed: 183mph
Weight: 1,520kg (DIN)
MPG: 27.7
CO2: 232g/km
Price: £99,800 (price as standard; price as tested £124,058 comprising GT silver Metallic for £1,068, 20-/21-inch Carrera classic wheels for £1,910, Two tone leather in black and Bordeaux Red for £513, 18-way electric Adaptive Sports seats Plus with memory for £2,825, Electric tilt/slide sunroof for £1,509, Preparation for roof transport system for £51, Model designation painted in black (high gloss) for £206, Sport Chrono package including Porsche Track Precision App and tyre temperature display for £1,797, Sports exhaust for £2,249, HD Matrix LED main headlights for £2,033, Windscreen with grey top tint for £98, Lightweight and noise insulated glass for £1,151, Interior Package Leather with accent in Lightsilver for £924, Porsche crest on headrest for £206, Heated GT Sports steering wheel in leather for £236, Surround View and Active Parking Support for £1,299, Adaptive Cruise Control for £1,469, Lane Change Assist for £740, Burmester High-End Surround Sound System for £3,974)
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