New entry-level 911 remains PDK only – for now
Porsche has unveiled its base-level Carrera for the 992 generation. Featuring a detuned version of the same 3.0-litre 9A2 ‘Evo’ flat six found in the Carrera S, the turbocharged Carrera puts out 385hp, which is fed to the rear wheels only. The power output is 15hp more than the base 991.2-generation Carrera before it.
The base car will feature a staggered wheel size between front and back axles for the first time: 19-inch on the front and 20-inch at the rear. Other visual differences to the C2S include smaller brakes with black calipers, and two single-exit tailpipe covers. A wide body, Porsche Wet Mode and the 10.9-inch touchscreen carried over from the C2S and C4S are all standard features. The 992 Carrera is available from £82,000 in the UK, and the Carrera Cabriolet is available from £92,000.
Porsche was expected to use the new Carrera’s unveiling to announce availability of an optional manual gearbox to the 992 range, however, Zuffenhausen insists both it and the Carrera S, in Coupe and Cabriolet body styles, are PDK-only – for now. It looks like Porsche will therefore announce availability of a seven-speed manual gearbox – which has been improved over the 991.2 – when it unveils the Carrera 4 before the end of the year.
This drawn-out approach to expanding the 992 Carrera range does not follow Porsche’s protocol from previous generations, when both the C2 and C2S were unveiled at the same time. Expansion of the 992-generation 911 has been stunted, however, by Porsche’s efforts to promote its Taycan all-electric sports car, which will make its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month. Total 911 expects the 992 Turbo to be announced by January 2020, with the 992 GT3 arriving in March.
