Back-to-basics Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe just pure bliss

Since the current generation Porsche 911 was introduced five years ago, we’ve been privileged enough to drive this iconic sports car in a variety of configurations.

After getting acquainted with the 992 for the first time inside a Carrera S, we have worked our way up the very tall performance ladder to the GTS, Turbo S and GT3.

‘Plain Jane’ Porsche 911 Carrera

So it was quite an interesting prospect when the opportunity recently presented itself to have the bare-boned Porsche 911 Carrera coupe as a house guest. While it might have less power than the Carrera S we drove back in 2019, frowning upon a 911 in any form is considered a cardinal sin in this writer’s opinion who grew up with posters of 930 and 964 generation models on his bedroom walls.

At a starting price of R2 477 000 the Carrera coupe sits below the Carrera T coupe, which has effectively replaced the S, and offers the gateway to the 992.2 line-up. For the 2025 model year, the Porsche 911 Carrera receives an updated engine, exterior styling enhancements and more tech inside.

The updated 911 Carrera features the same 3.0-litre flat-six twin-turbo petrol engine in the rear as before. Some serious tweaks have resulted in increased performance of 290kW of power, up by 7kW, with torque staying unchanged at 450Nm. The grunt is sent to the rear wheels via eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (PDK).

Impressive in the drag strip

The engine enhancements include a new intercooler and turbochargers. The intercooler, taken from 911 Turbo models, is placed directly beneath the rear decklid grille, while the turbos were adopted from 992.1 Carrera GTS models.

Stuttgart claims that the Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe can sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds when fitted with the Chrono Sports Package like out tester was. And in true Porsche fashion, the claim was on the money, if not a little on the modest side.

During Road Test Editor Mark Jones’ high-performance test at Gerotek, it went as low as 3.64 seconds from 0 to 100km/h. Comparing this time with some seriously pedigreed 911s makes you realised how significant it is. It trails the 991.2 911 GTS3 RS (3.57 seconds) and 991.2 911 Carrera GTS (3.62) by less than a tenth of a second.

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End result of the overall project

Trying to analyse this performance is a somewhat exhausting exercise. On the one hand it boggles the mind to think that an unassuming plain Jane regarded as the modern-day base model can match the high-end racers of not that long ago which featured gong ho fixed spoilers, increased aerodynamics and much more grunt.

On the other hand, you realise that this is just the result of the serious racing DNA developed over six decades. Despite the Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe not featuring all the latest and greatest riding tech its more famed siblings come standard with, all the good things that has trickled through from the top over time, like the little intercooler here and turbocharger there, have made it as purebred as you can find.

Apart from its acceleration, everything about the Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe was superb. Some purists will argue that the lack of a manual gearbox will lack more driver involvement, the PDK does an excellent job of sharp gear shifts that is anything but serene.

The low centre of gravity, excellent weight distribution, feedback from the steering wheel and very competent stock standard brakes combine in perfect harmony for a simply enthralling driving experience. Once you start throwing it into corners and realise how easy it handles for a rear-wheel drive sports car, you become reluctant to go out. Or take it back to Porsche Centre.

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Intoxicating exhaust notes

The optional Sports Exhaust activated through a button in addition to the four driving modes on the steering wheel mounted selector; Wet, Normal, Sport and Sport Plus, added to the emotional involvement. Whether idling at the red lights or whizzing through the countryside, the enhanced exhaust notes add a superb element to the drive.

Paying homage to the nameplate’s heritage, the Porsche 911 Carrera features fully digital 12.6-inch instrument cluster alongside the 10.9-inch infotainment screen. The instrument cluster has seven display options, one being the classic five tube design with centre tachometer.

The Porsche Communication Management system features new connectivity functions like deeply-integrated Apple CarPlay and the use of Apple Music and Spotify without even without a smartphone.

The Citizen Motoring‘s tester featured the optional two seats in the rear, which has more legroom than it might seem. Even my very leggy 10-year-old daughter was content to sit there on short trips.

Functional styling changes

On the outside, Porsche has integrated all of the light functions into the standard four-point LED Matrix design headlights. This freed up space for larger air intakes in the front redesigned front fascia. The lights that was previously there have moved into the headlights.

A newly designed rear light band with “PORSCHE” lettering features at the rear along with a redesigned decklid grille which flows seamlessly into the automatically extending rear spoiler.

The Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe is a prime example of a car’s ultimate progression. Top-end models will always be great, but for a base model to be this good is a testament to Porsche’s unwavering commitment to one of the most iconic cars on the planet. Take a bow, Stuttgart.

Porsche 911 Carrera road test data