New Porsche 911 Carrera S gets 473bhp and 191mph top speed
New entry to the Porsche 911 line-up sits in-between the entry-level Carrera and the GTS...
On sale Now | Price from £119,800
In the world of sports cars, speed matters. So the fact that the new Porsche 911 Carrera S can reach 60mph in less time than it’s taken you to read this sentence is big news indeed.
In fact, just 3.3sec is all it takes to haul this new sports car up to motorway speeds – that’s 0.6sec faster than the standard Carrera, and quicker too than the rival Aston Martin Vantage and Mercedes-AMG GT.
The new S model keeps the 3.0-litre flat six petrol engine from the regular 911, but has its power boosted to a heady 473bhp – almost 100bhp more than the Carrera, and 30bhp more than the old Carrera S received. The same smooth and quick-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox which features elsewhere in the 911 range comes as standard. And although you’ll need to travel to a track, or to Germany with its de-restricted sections of Autobahn to try it out, the Carrera S’ top speed is 191mph.
To match its improved power output, Porsche has also added extra kit, including standard 20 or 21in alloy wheels, a sports exhaust system, and upgraded brakes from the Carrera GTS. On request, buyers can also add sports suspension, which lowers the ride height by 10mm and adds rear-wheel steering to make the car even more agile at high speeds.
You won’t notice much change over the regular 911 Carrera inside, not that that’s a bad thing, since we note that the standard 10.9in infotainment touchscreen is quick to respond, and most surfaces are coated in high-quality materials. Carrera S buyers can add even more leather to their cars via the options list, with it coating the glove box lid, side panels and seat base.
Among the list of standard kit for the Carrera S are Matrix LED lights which can shape their beams to avoid dazzling oncoming cars, and wireless smartphone charging.
Prices for the Carrera S start from £119,800 – £20,000 more than the standard Carrera, and more than you'll pay for the Vantage. The Mercedes-AMG GT costs more still, at £138,980.
If you’d like to match the performance of the new Carrera S with the open-air thrills of a convertible, then the 911 Carrera S Cabriolet will be of interest to you. Prices for that model start from £129,800, slotting neatly in-between its Carrera and GTS Cabriolet siblings.
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