Latest news with #CarreraS
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
2025 Porsche 911 Carrera S May Have Lost The Manual, But Its Driving Excellence Remains
Every car enthusiast has heard it a million times: the Porsche 911 is an incredible car. I'm not going to sit here and declare otherwise. The latest 992 generation is a freakishly fast, refined, well-built, capable, and enchanting sports car. The recently introduced 992.2 Carrera S packs supercar levels of performance with a 0-to-60-mph time as quick as 3.1 seconds and the same 191-mph top speed as last year, but it also packs supercar prices. The coupe's base price is $148,395 including $1,995 destination, and the cheapest Carrera S convertible will cost you $161,595. That's about a $17,000 jump over the 2024 Carrera S, and it's a $26,000 jump over the base 2025 992.2 Carrera. You get more standard features and 30 additional horsepower compared to the 2024 car, but that's still a massive sum of money. As I sit in my studio apartment writing this review, of a car worth more than twice my annual salary, I know I'm not the average 911 Carrera S buyer. In fact, the average new 911 buyer's annual salary is $849,000, so I know I'm very, very far detached from the average 911 buyer. Because of this, I'm not going to harp on price (much) past this point. 911s are expensive and getting more expensive every year, but prospective buyers can at least rest easy knowing that Porsche 911s experience the slowest depreciation of any new car on sale. Put the financials aside and look at the latest 911 objectively, and the 992.2 Carrera S is a further evolution of the already brilliant, quintessential sports car. Full disclosure: The lovely folks at Porsche put me up in an oceanside resort in Encinitas California for a few nights and graciously allowed little old me to sample two flavors of the newest 911 variant, the Carrera S coupe and convertible. I ate lots of yummy food and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my time. Read more: Porsche Taycan Turbos Have Lost Up To $100,000 Value In 4 Years Porsche first showed the 2025 911 in base Carrera and hybrid Carrera GTS forms, and now the Carrera S has rejoined the lineup with the same facelift. As with the other 992.2 models, it now includes previously optional features as standard like a sport exhaust system, a leather interior package, matrix design LED headlights, lane keeping and traffic sign assist, ambient lighting, power folding mirrors, and a heated steering wheel. If you were to spec a 2024 Carrera S with all those options, the 2025's price is... still $5,590 higher, actually. Beyond the now-standard features, the 2025 Carrera S also gets a fully digital instrument cluster, tweaked exterior styling, and a standard steering wheel–mounted drive mode dial. The Carrera S loses its manual transmission option for 2025, but its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-6 now makes 473 horsepower, up by 30 hp, and spreads the same 390 pound-feet of torque as last year across a wider power band. It gains the larger brakes from the last year's 911 GTS, and they are more than up to the task of stopping the additional 42 pounds of the now 3,424-pound 911 coupe. The only way to get a manual transmission in your 911 is by going for either the $7,700-cheaper Carrera T, or the ballistic 911 GT3. Driving the new Carrera S is a blast, despite its lack of a manual transmission. Both my coupe and convertible press cars were equipped with the $2,400 Sport Chrono Pack that drops the 0-to-60 time down to from 3.3 seconds to 3.1 seconds in the coupe, and from 3.5 seconds to 3.3 seconds in the convertible. Both cars are hilariously quick, and the standard 8-speed PDK automatic that facilitates those blistering times is still one of the finest dual-clutch transmissions ever made. There's prodigious power in every situation, but if you're looking to execute a hole-shot in traffic or want to spook your passenger with power, press the red Sport Response button on the steering wheel-mounted drive mode dial and the car immediately selects the optimal gear, ups the revs, and maximum power is instantly available. Both my coupe and convertible press cars were also equipped with Porsche's $2,090 rear-axle steering, which makes it feel like the 911's already small 96.5-inch wheelbase is further shrunk, offering ample agility and a tiny turning circle. The steering wheel does a great job of communicating the extent of the torture that the front tires are experiencing at any given moment, making it easy to build confidence when exploring the Carrera S' mind bending levels of adhesion. Just make sure you or your passenger haven't eaten recently, as the intense grip easily induces nausea. Though it's largely the same as before, the upgraded twin-turbo flat-6 in the new Carrera S is still one impressive lump of magnificence. The way that it positively erupts above 5,500 rpm and continues to rip all the way to the 7,500-rpm redline is supremely impressive and provides much of the same satisfaction as wringing out a naturally aspirated engine. Beyond the Carrera S' naturally aspirated–esque power delivery, it sounds naturally aspirated, too. There must be a paradigm shift that occurs in the Carrera S' engine bay above 5,500 rpm. It manifests itself as a magnificently sonorous siren song and reaches a crescendo that goads your right foot into staying down and your right hand off the upshift paddle until you see the new digital tachometer needle enter the red. Below 5,000 rpm the engine is relatively unobtrusive, but breach that 5,000 mark and you'll never want the revs to drop back down. It's addicting. The Carrera S cabriolet is 185 pounds heavier than the coupe, with a base curb weight of 3,609 pounds. That weight gain gets you a spectacularly integrated cloth roof that's actually cloth covering hard panels. The top's construction lends itself to minimal additional noise intrusion over the hardtop, a very sleek shape, and the nicest headliner I've ever encountered on a ragtop. Dropping the top is easily done at speeds up to 31 mph via a console-mounted switch, and there's a standard electrically deployable wind blocker that is slick to use and does a great job of mitigating hair-tangling wind from infiltrating the cabin. Once the roof is down, you notice three things: there's virtually no structural wiggles, the top of the windshield is far enough forward that you get a great open-top view of the mountain roads you're weaving through, and, hold on, is that a blow-off valve I suddenly hear? It sure is — unmitigated access to the intoxicating siren song produced by the rear-mounted flat-6 is such a treat. When I hustled the convertible hard, I found it slightly easier to find understeer on corner entry, and the force of the launch is slightly downgraded from the tunnel vision–inducing G-forces of the coupe. Beyond the convertible's $13,200 price jump over the coupe to a base price of $161,595, it barely gives up ground to the coupe 99 percent of the time. The most controversial aspects inside the 992.2 911's interior are the new start button (gasp) and the new fully digital gauge cluster (gasp again). Instead of the old key-like twist switch, you now press a button on the left side of the steering wheel to start the car, and it's not hard to get used to. And yes, the 911's characteristic center-mounted tachometer is no longer a physical dial, but the OLED driver's display has resolution high enough that you can hardly tell that you're not looking at a real tach until you switch to the handy full map display. It's not the most configurable display ever, but you can set it up to display all the important stuff like your max G-forces, several different temperature monitoring metrics, current tire pressures, and more. The infotainment is typical Porsche with logical menu structures and a clean look, and the dashboard has my favorite design feature: a perfectly placed shelf to stabilize my hand on when I'm trying to make on-screen selections while in motion. The system does everything well, and mercifully there are physical controls for the ever-important fan speed and temperature controls. As with the base Carrera, the 911's folding rear seats are now available as a no-cost option, with the car coming standard as a two-seater. The interior feels typically Porsche solid, but my sole gripe is that the wireless phone charger that's hidden inside the center armrest overheats devices like that's its job. The Carrera S is the 911's most popular trim and thus an important model for Porsche, with about 35 percent of all 992.1 911s sold being Carrera S models. While it is an absolutely brilliant car to drive, the standard Carrera is brilliant too, and its base price is $26,300 cheaper. I doubt the average 992 buyer who earns over $800,000 a year minds a measly $26,000 price premium, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention it. The Carrera S is faster and more powerful, but unless you're a serious driver taking your 911 on demanding high-speed canyon drives or to the track a few times a month, you aren't likely to be disappointed with the standard Carrera, especially if you add the performance options that the Carrera S has. While the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera S may not be as flashy as something like a McLaren Artura, Maserati MC20, or Aston Martin Vantage, it continues to be an absolutely epic sports car, and a compelling choice when buying with your brain. The Carrera S remains a versatile, comfortable, daily driveable sports car that goes like stink. If the money isn't an issue — and if you're shopping for 911s, it probably isn't — you won't be disappointed. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
View Interior Photos of the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera S
Read the full review It may look (mostly) familiar, but the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera S gets updated for 2025 with more performance and refinement, plus a few noteworthy interior tweaks. Front seats with leather trim come standard in all 2025 Carrera models. Rear seats also are included in Cabriolets but are a no-cost option in coupes. Highlights for the Carrera S's updated interior include a new start button to the left of the steering wheel. The now-standard drive mode selector on the steering wheel also has been updated to look fancier. Gone is the 911's central analog tachometer, replaced by a fully digital 12.6-inch instrument display. Porsche's infotainment in the 10.9-inch touchscreen also receives slight revisions that we struggled to notice. Sadly, the S's previously available seven-speed manual transmission has been axed in favor of a standard eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic. Keep going to see more photos of the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera S's interior. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Driven: 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera S Is a Worthwhile Treat
While the latest Porsche 911 is busy making waves for the adoption of hybrid power in the 992.2-generation GTS model, it's business as usual elsewhere in the lineup, i.e., steady gains in performance and refinement. Building on the updated base rear-wheel-drive Carrera, now comes the 2025 Carrera S, a one-level-up indulgence that Porsche says is the most popular trim in the lineup. With additional equipment and a meaningful bump in power over last year's model, the new S gives 911 shoppers even more reason to splurge. As a hedge against potential boredom with the standard Carrera's 388 horsepower (nine more than you got in 2024), treating yourself to the S nets 473 horses (a gain of 30) from its twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-six. Credit a larger intercooler and new turbochargers cribbed from the outgoing nonhybrid GTS. Though that greater herd of ponies peaks at the same 6500 rpm as before, the carryover 390 pound-feet of torque amasses 100 rpm lower, at 2200 revs. The result is cake and a fork to eat it with—slightly better low-speed tractability, plus stronger top-end pull—which puts the S on par with the previous GTS. Make that almost on par: Though the outgoing GTS produced the same 473 horses, it made a beefier 420 pound-feet of torque at 2300 revs. In our test of a 2022 model, that was enough to sling a GTS coupe to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and cover the quarter-mile in a blazing 10.9 seconds. Still, we expect similar times from the new Carrera S once we test one, and it'll surely beat the 2025 Carrera's 3.1-second 60-mph time and 11.4-second quarter by a tenth of a second or two. All those times factor in the potent launch-control function of the 911's eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic—the only transmission available in the new base Carrera, Carrera S, and hybrid Carrera GTS models. Blame production efficiency and relatively low take rates for the loss of the S's previously optional seven-speed manual. But the 911's stick shift isn't dead just yet, as Porsche will still sell you a three-pedal, six-speed manual in the 2025 Carrera T (as standard) and the updated GT3 (as a no-cost option). As for a manual returning to the Carrera S, Porsche may entertain the notion if demand is strong enough, but it's currently not in the works. On the rare occasion that the S's PDK gearbox isn't doing exactly as it should—seamlessly shuffling ratios to help keep the engine churning and the driver focused on, well, driving—you can notice a whiff of lag from the engine as the turbos spool up. Then the flat-six begins to howl through its now-standard active sport exhaust (previously a $2950 option), the scenery starts to blur, and you wonder if your senses were acting up. We'll always prefer rowing our own gears whenever possible, but it's virtually impossible to knock the clairvoyant cog swaps the PDK pulls off midcorner without upsetting the car. Same goes for its smooth, effortless character when trundling around town. As a premium 911 model, the Carrera S continues to include standard braked-based rear-axle torque vectoring and 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels (versus the Carrera's 19s and 20s). Adaptive dampers now shared with the new GTS also are in the recipe and feature updated hydraulic tuning and a greater bandwidth in capability. Combined with carryover, softer-than-GTS spring rates, the changes are most noticeable in the suspension's improved compliance and overall balance, which also helps sharpen the car's already-stellar responses. The generally rough road conditions of the Midwest will be the ultimate test of this new setup. But we could feel a slight improvement in ride quality even on the manicured pavement of our Southern California drive route, the S gliding over stray bumps and expansion joints with little disturbance to the cockpit or degradation in body control. On twisty mountain sections in the car's Normal chassis setting, the dampers continually adjusted to maintain massive levels of grip and composure as we bombed from corner to corner in impressive comfort. Reassuring stopping power via upgraded brakes—six-piston, 16.1-inch units in front and four-pot, 15.0-inch units in back, also from the outgoing GTS—counter the Carrera S's enhanced thrust. As before, larger carbon-ceramic binders are available, as are rear-axle steering and a PASM sport suspension that lowers the car by 0.4 inch. Unsurprisingly for a Porsche, the add-ons can pile up quickly, though we do recommend springing for at least the front-axle lift system ($2980) and the extended-range 22.1-gallon fuel tank ($230). From the outside, version 992.2 sees the 911 receive some mild design tweaks, with the main callouts being gently resculpted bumpers and standard multifunction LED Matrix headlights (upgraded HD-Matrix units are available). Also present are several new wheel designs—and on cars equipped with adaptive cruise control, an ungainly cyclops-like sensor in the front fascia. Avoid that last one. As with other 2025 Carrera models, the S coupe is now a standard two-seater, with rear accommodations a no-cost option and mandatory on the droptop Cabriolet. Traditionalists may gripe about the new engine-start button to the left of the steering wheel, versus the previous switch that you had to physically twist, as well as the loss of the 911's central analog tachometer flanked by two small digital readouts. But we can't argue with the functionality of the new 12.6-inch instrument display, which provides superior readability and better integration with the updated infotainment in the 10.9-inch touchscreen. The configurable digital cluster also can be set to display the familiar central tach, so it's mostly a net gain. All these improvements up the Carrera S's base price considerably, with the coupe's entry point swelling more than $15K versus the 2024 model, to $148,395. Add $13,200 for the S Cabriolet. Yet account for its greater performance and additional equipment—which also includes extended leather trim, a cooled inductive device charger, an upgraded drive mode selector on the steering wheel, and more—and the S's inflated ask is not as punitive as it seems. For us, short of taking out a second mortgage for a new GT3, the manual-only Carrera T ($135,995) is still the preferred way to go for 2025. But for those simply weighing a grander 911 than the base car, the Carrera S is a compelling step-up. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
View Exterior Photos of the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera S
Read the full review The 2025 Carrera S is the latest 911 variant to join the updated 992.2-generation lineup, gaining more power and refinement. The updated 2025 911 Carrera S may be tricky to spot, as the revisions to its front and rear bumpers are subtle. Hint: Look for the new multifunction LED headlights. Also new is a standard active sport exhaust, which was previously optional. As before, a droptop Cabriolet model also is offered, adding $13,200 to the coupe's $148,395 base price. New turbos and improved cooling help push the S's 3.0-liter flat-six to 473 horsepower, a gain of 30 versus 2024. With power routing through an eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic, 60 mph should come up in about three seconds, with the quarter-mile passing in roughly 11 seconds. New adaptive dampers slightly improve ride comfort with no penalty to handling. Also new are bigger standard brakes borrowed from last year's GTS model. As with other 2025 Carrera models, the S coupe comes standard as a two-seater but can be optioned with rear seats at no cost. All Cabriolets are four-seaters. The Carrera S is the most popular trim on the 911 lineup, according to Porsche. The S continues to feature standard brake-based rear-axle torque vectoring and 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels. Keep going to see more photos of the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera S. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tested: 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera S
People buy sports cars—and pretty much all other cars—as if they're filling out their employee self-evaluation forms. Or like they're ordering a bottle of wine at a restaurant. The most popular choice is typically the one that's one step away from the edge. Am I an "Excellent" employee or an "Utterly Faultless" one. Pick the second best and you still have a good score without sounding delusional. As for wine, pick the second cheapest option on the menu so you don't look cheap, while still being mostly cheap. And so it goes with the Porsche 911. The Carrera S version is the most popular in the line, accounting for 35 percent of 911 sales in the U.S., and it is one rung up from the bottom of the seemingly endless 911 model ladder. For 2025, Porsche gives the Carrera S a substantial midcycle refresh, as this second-rung 911 moves to the 992.2 Carrera S moves into the new year with the same basic twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-six as it had last year. But Porsche has turned up the boost to make 473 hp, up 30 hp from the 2024 Carrera S. That's also 85 hp more than the same basic engine in the base Carrera. Unfortunately, in the transition to the 992.2 version, the Carrera S is no longer available with the option of a manual transmission. The 2025 Carrera S gets bigger steel brakes, which are essentially the size of last year's GTS brakes. Carbon-ceramic brakes are an option. Updated adaptive dampers promise a more comfortable ride. The S now gains a standard sport exhaust. And the interior now comes with more standard leather trimming, including the seats. Of course, Porsche being Porsche, you can still get an optional and pricey full-leather interior. Porsche says that the 2025 model has a "significantly revised front/rear fascia," which is overstating the case a bit. They are technically different than last year, but even Porsche stans would be hard-pressed to tell you just how. Such is the slow evolutionary change of the 911. Vehicle Tested: 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera S Base Price: $148,395 Price As Tested: $182,005 Location: San Diego County, California Engine: 2997cc twin-turbocharged flat-six Power: 473 hp @ 6500 rpm Torque: 390 lb.-ft. @ 2200 rpm 0-60 mph: 3.1 sec (mfr est) Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic Weight: 3424 lbs EPA MPG: N/AHow does it drive? Well, very much like a 992.1-generation Carrera S. That is to say: It drives fantastically well. But, as with its mild styling updates, the Carrera S's road comportment has only slightly evolved from its immediate predecessor. Such is the way of Porsche. And who is going to argue with the company's success with this methodical approach? Like all 992-generation 911s, the Carrera S dimensions now split the difference between a large sports car and a trim grand-touring car. On a mountain road (up and down Mount Palomar, in this case), the Carrera S felt as if it filled a lane. It's a substantial thing, this 911. And it doesn't just take up residence there, it positively owns the road. Imperturbability is the Carrera's defining driving characteristic. It is stable. It is precise. It is drama free. The imperceptible rear-steer system (a $2090 option) made it nimbler than it might look. Its well-managed body control kept weight from shifting around and upsetting the car's poise. And the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission can be left to its own devices, such is its almost telepathic control of the gears. That's a good thing, too, because the Carrera S is no longer available with a manual transmission. I know I mentioned that already, but it bears repeating. There's none of the edginess of, say, a Ferrari 296. None of the live-wire danger. But you'd be hard-pressed to go faster in any other car over a given stretch of public road than you can in the Porsche. There were, however, a couple of fleeting moments in my drive up and down the mountain that gave me pause. Twice while pushing the car hard around constant-radius corners, the Carrera S's generally excellent steering went distressingly light as if the front tires had given up entirely. They hadn't. In fact, the grip of the 245-section front Pirellis is impressively high. It felt like momentary steering system failure, which is, well, terrifying. But that doesn't really make sense either. Seems as if it was more likely due to the incessant creep of unnecessary technology and the tuning of this German-market example. That's a long way of saying it might have been a hyperactive lane-keeping assist system that caused the steering disturbance. According to Porsche, European regulations insist on a more conservative lane-keeping scheme, so it's more likely to activate than one running on U.S. tuning. Further, EU regs insist that such systems are always on when you cycle the ignition. All Carrera S models come with lane keeping, so you need to remember to turn it off when you're out for an entertaining drive that may involve transgressing white lines. Also, I bristle at the idea that with a sports car, even one that borders on a GT car, a buyer should have no choice but to have such a system. But I digress. The car drives beautifully. The 911's ever-increasing size and list of standard niceties mean it's also increasingly easy to live with. This is a supple-riding car thanks in part to the retuned adaptive dampers that allow for a more comfortable ride while maintaining or improving precision. The standard steel brakes are firm, easy to modulate, and quiet around town. Like 911s past, this Carrera S's relatively upright stature makes for excellent outward visibility. The wide interior provides plenty of elbow and shoulder room for the driver and front-seat passenger. (No one will ever actually sit in the available rear seats, unless they are a masochist.) Even big oafs can find ample leg and headspace. And the instrumentation, now fully digital, is easy to read at a glance. Porsche says 31 percent of owners drive their Carrera S on a daily basis, but at least 90 percent easily could. Yes, you should. This assumes you have the coin to do so. At an almost $150,000 base price (including destination charges), the Carrera S is pretty dear. And when you add the roughly $30,000 in options that Porsche says buyers usually do, you're getting perilously close to $200,000. A loaded Corvette Z06 can get close on price and provide more if you're considering the Porsche, you're historically more likely to choose something else on the Porsche ladder than switch brands. I might opt for the more bare-bones Carrera T or the more powerful Carrera GTS hybrid, if I had the money. Which I do not, as Porsche notes the median income of a Carrera S buyer is more than $800,000 per year. Oh, and a Carrera S Cabriolet is also available, starting at $161,595. Handling, which is both trusty and lusty. Huge performance with easy livability. Power upgrade over the 992.1 version. Lack of a manual transmission option. Would gladly trade the standard lane-keeping system for a slightly lower price. This is perhaps not my favorite detail, but the most curious one I encountered on my drive of the German-market Carrera S was the heavily tinted rear window and quarter window. The tint is not available in the U.S., and it's just as well since the contrast between the dark rear with the untinted side windows and windshield gave this Carrera S a strangely SUV-like look. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
