The Carrera S, a stalwart of the 911 lineup since the 993, was conspicuous for its absence when Porsche launched the current generation model last year. Probably this was done to ensure that the newly electrified 541hp GTS drew all the early-adopter attention - and that makes sense, because with 480hp from the familiar 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six (the same peak output that featured in the previous, non-electrified GTS) the newest rear-drive Carrera S brings an awful lot to the table.
Its maker calls it ’the most dynamic Porsche 911 Carrera S ever’, which is obviously a reference to its extra power - 30hp more than you got from its predecessor - but also alludes to the standard fitment of Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (i.e. the much cleverer, electronically-controlled rear diff) and staggered 20-/21-inch wheels sizes. The step-up in capability from the entry-level Carrera, equipped with its lowlier 394hp, is meant (as ever) to seem self-evident.
Certainly, you will notice it in a straight line. Few people would complain about the 3.9 seconds the current Carrera takes to arrive at 62mph with the same eight-speed PDK, but 3.3 seconds - essentially equivalent to the 992.1 GTS - is a significant improvement in acceleration. Interestingly, this has been achieved without the 420lb ft of torque that was supplied to the previous GTS’s rear wheels; the 992.2 Carrera S makes do with 391lb ft - 60lb ft more than the Carrera, the difference attributed to ‘new turbochargers and extensively optimised charge-air cooling, among other things’. Like the old GTS, it will nudge 194mph given a long enough runup.
This idea of stepping into shoes vacated by a model that now has ’T-Hybrid’ in its designation is augmented by the presence of the GTS’s upgraded brakes, measuring 408mm at the front and 380mm on the rear and identifiable thanks to red brake calipers. Naturally, Porsche keeps some choice items on the option list: ceramic stoppers inevitably require a tick, as does the PASM sports suspension with its 10mm lower ride height and rear-wheel steering (a standard feature of the harder-driving Carrera T).
Inside, you get black leather as standard, which covers the seats, headrests, dashboard, door panels and (no-cost optional) folding rear seats - and will extend to the glove box lid, side panels and seat base if you request it. The Cabriolet, launched alongside the coupe, gets back seats by default. Externally, alongside the larger Carrera S wheels, the new model adds the silver tailpipes of its standard sports exhaust system, and the body is based on the design of the previous 911 Turbo. So expect plenty of physical presence.
This is appropriate when you consider the increasingly punchy numbers that Porsche attaches to any 911 derivative these days. With the basic Carrera kicking off at £99,800 and the new (exclusively manual) Carrera T clocking in at £111,300, there was only one place for the rear-drive Carrera S to go: accordingly, £119,800 buys you the coupe, £129,800, the Cabriolet. Still, that’s a useful saving over the £132,600 GTS, and it offers a persuasive haven for anyone still not sold on the idea of a (very lightly) hybridised 911. Both variants are available to order now.
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