Porsche 911 Carrera launched with 385hp
New entry-level 992 gets turbocharged 3.0-litre flat-six and £82,793 starting price
Eight months after the launch of the 992, Porsche has added the standard Carrera to its current 911 lineup. The new trim level brings the model's starting price down to £82,793 and provides the manufacturer with a direct rival for the likes of Jaguar's 380hp F-Type V6. Using a 385hp version of the turbocharged 3.0-litre flat-six featured across the 992 range, the base 911 is capable of sprinting from 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds - or four seconds dead with the optional Sport Chrono pack - making it two tenths quicker than the old 991.2 Carrera turbo.
Porsche still only offers an eight-speed PDK with the 992, and for now drive is sent exclusively rearward in the Carrera, which tops out at 182mph. The model's main differences occur in the flat-six's internals, where it receives smaller turbines and compressors - otherwise the non-S car gets much the same technical makeup as its slightly more potent sibling. That includes the same chassis and traction control systems, with a new wet mode that helps the rear wheels apply power more effectively on slippery surfaces - reducing the chances of any unwarranted reversing into hedgerows - alongside the new digital cabin technology.
The Carrera receives smaller wheels all round, so that's 19s at the front and 20s at the rear, giving it slightly larger tyre side walls - but the rear contact patches are still 295mm. Braking is handled by a set of smaller discs (of 330mm) than the S, grabbed by four-piston monobloc calipers finished in black. You can, of course, option in the usual extras, such as Porsche's adjustable Sport chassis, for a four figure sum, so don't expect many Carreras to be leaving the showroom in absolute base spec.
With potentially less grip, less power and the added pliancy of those thicker sidewalls, the entry version might yet prove the sweetest 992 - certainly it will be the most accessible. The Carrera S has immense talent, but there's no doubt that Porsche has pursued ever faster speeds alongside ever higher levels of grip. It's so enormously capable though that a step back might not be such a bad thing for road driving.
We'll know soon enough. Both the Carrera and Carrera Convertible are available for order as of now, with the latter costing almost £10k more at £92,438. All-wheel drive versions will follow in the coming months to double the present 992 line-up, with the hotly anticipated GT stuff also set to appear in the not so distant future - as hinted at by the recent sightings of the new GT3.
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