Porsche is in the process of updating all of the eighth-generation 911 sports car, known as the ‘992’ in enthusiast-speak for its development code, with new looks and fresh technology. This causes the pre-facelift cars to become 992.1 and the new ones 992.2, and so the latest model going through the ‘one-to-two’ change is the Carrera S - which now comes with more power.
How much are we talking about?
As all the 911 range is shifting ever upwards in the realm of performance, the Carrera S has to move with the times. So power has gone up from 450- to 480hp, courtesy of the fitment of a new pair of turbochargers and revisions to the charge-air cooling system for the 3.0-litre flat-six engine. Torque remains the same at 530Nm, but the S now better bridges the gap between the Carrera and Carrera T models, with their 394hp, and the Carrera GTS T-Hybrid, which outputs a colossal 541hp. Indeed, all of these supposedly ‘lesser’ 911 Carreras are getting perilously close to the levels of the 510hp GT3, which was always meant to be the jewel in the speed crown of the 911 family.
Nevertheless, the pace of the Carrera S - available in both Coupe and Cabriolet body styles, but not the Targa - is now bonkers. It’ll run 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds and go on to a top speed of 308km/h if you want it to (or you’re in a place where such a thing is even possible, or more pertinently legal), which is presumably why the exterior bodywork of the 992.2 Carrera S looks a little like the outrageous Turbo models from the pre-facelift era. The look is supposed to signify that this is one seriously quick car.
That sounds good. What other chassis and drivetrain tech have we got?
Well, we start this section with a minor grumble - in the 992.1 line, the Carrera S was one of a few models in the range that you could still specify with a three-pedal manual transmission. But mention of that shifter has gone, with just the eight-speed PDK dual-clutch ‘box on the table. However, back to the good stuff, the S comes with staggered 20-inch front, 21-inch rear wheels, a sports exhaust system with silver tailpipes, and the electronically controlled diff lock known as Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus)… which is a system you can’t specify on the base Carrera model. The Carrera S also has the same brake system as the GTS, with red callipers and discs measuring 408- and 380mm, front to back, respectively.
If that’s not enough, the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) set-up is an option, and while even the regular Carrera has Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) adjustable damping as standard, the S is privy to the PASM Sports upgrade which includes a 10mm-lower ride height and rear-wheel steering. Not only have the damper hydraulics been optimised on this new car compared to the 992.1 Carrera S, but the steering and the front-axle kinematics have been retuned to suit as well, so the S should be a hoot to drive.
What about the passenger compartment?
Like every other 992.2, the Carrera S now has the 12.6-inch Curved Display fully digital instrument cluster, as well as a new start-stop button next to the steering wheel. Black leather upholstery is standard in the S, with all of the seats, dashboard and door panels finished in hide. The rear seats in the Coupe will also come in leather, but only if you specify them - like any other Carrera model (unadorned, T, S or GTS), the new rule here is that the 911 comes as a two-seater as standard, with the vestigial ‘+2’ rear seats a no-cost option. This doesn’t count for the Cabriolet, which comes with ‘four’ chairs from the factory, with no need to tick a box on the order form to get them.
Other equipment includes an extended leather package, contrast stitching in Crayon (Porsche’s proprietorial grey colour, not just daubed on in actual crayon, natch), Matrix LED headlights and a wireless smartphone charger. The last two of these are standard-fit, while the first two are on the options list, along with a front-axle lift system, the level-up HD-Matrix LED headlights, and the Sport Chrono package (this is what gives the S a 3.3-second 0-100km/h time; go without it, and the time extends to 3.5 seconds - still none too shabby).
Go on, then - how much are we talking?
Eesh. So every 911, with the exception of an unoptioned, base-spec Carrera Coupe, is now a six-figure car… beginning with a ‘2’. And so the Carrera S costs €232,000 as a Coupe, or €250,478 as a Cabrio