A week ago, I got my first Porsche, a new 911S RWD cab. I didn't spend a lot of time comparing the base with the S because the car was right there in the showroom, my wife and I both loved the color and equipment, and I figured that I wouldn't mind a little extra performance.

For those who are quite familiar with the 997.2 in both base and S versions, could you enlighten me on the differences in engines, steering, suspension, sound, handling, etc.?

Thanks.

 

Even though you own an "S" you can still go and test drive a base.

The S is a better car. But obviously it cost more.

Spec differences can be found at porsche.com

Opinions on differences can be found by searching the forum.

My opinion, which is probable in the minority here, is that if you want a cabrio there is no need to get an "S". Its a waste of money.

A base cabrio has all the power, handling, noise, suspension a ragtop needs.

In three years of attending DE's I have seen one 911 cab tracked and that was in a beginners group. For the track the cab must be modified with permanent roll-bars. Not really appealing to many main stream drivers.

 

I did test drive a base cab, but it had PDK rather than the stick we got. Plus, after all of these test drives, impressions started to blur together somewhat, so I don't feel like I'm a good position to compare the base and S.

I had a look at the Porsche website (actually, many looks), and it does present some basic specs, but it's not ideally set up for a genera comparison of the base versus S.

Whether I can track it is definitely a question I need to answer. I guess it has non-permanent roll bars, and hopefully my closest track (Summit Point) will accept that. But there are also the issues of the car being leased, lack of insurance coverage, etc. One possibility is to get a cheap car set up specifically for track use, but it would be a shame to not be able to track the 911.

 

I would take the 6 speed S over the base PDK also. The thrill of involvement guides my personal choice.

The roll bar requirements will depend on the track and the organization you drive with. A hard top might be another option.

I have track insurance that I pay extra for. But my base 05 base carrera is not expensive to cover.

As you move up in groups stuff can happen. I actually think that leasing the car makes it more attractive to track. Unless their is some clause in the lease for diminished value.

You picked up a great car. Best of luck and enjoy.

 

That's a good point about the hard top, and I'll definitely check into the track insurance.

Also, as far as getting S for a cab, I looked at it the other way. The cab gives up some performance to the coupe, so getting an S is a way to get some of that performance back.

I like to tell my wife and others that this 911 is two cars for the price of two: a pretty convertible for my wife, and a true sports car for me.

 

Happy wife...happy life.......

Can't argue with your reasoning!

 

Carrera S with a 6 spd.

 

For the coupes:

MSRP - +$12900
Top Track Speed - 186mph vs. 178 mph
0-60 (PDK, no SC) - 4.3s vs. 4.5s
Displacement - 3.8L vs. 3.6L
HP - 385hp vs. 345hp
Torque - 310lb-ft vs. 288 lb-ft
Bi-Xenon Headlights standard
Curb Weight - 3219lbs vs. 3164lbs
Fuel Consumption (PDK) - 19/26mpg vs. 19/27mpg
Drag Coefficient - 0.30 vs. 0.29
Twin dual tailpipes vs. dual exhaust
Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), with 1cm lowered ride height, standard
19" Carrera S II wheels vs. 18" Carrera IV wheels
Brakes - S has "four-piston aluminium monobloc calipers that are larger, reinforced and have a striking red painted finish. The front axle has larger brake pads and thicker brake discs"

 

The base car is an entry level 911 . The S" has bigger brakes , more Hp and a few other tweaks to differentiate it . Porsche offers a comparison guide of all the specs on their site .

In terms of marketing and price this is what recall.
When Porsche launched the 997 they kept the base car close in price to the previous 996 but introduced the "S" at a price increase. In my opinion it was a subtle way of bumping up the price but offering a backup model to justify it.
This two tier marketing stragety was something that i accepted but didn't like . My feeling was that there should have been only one engine for the 911 coupe .
Now they are doing the same thing with the Turbo , the cayenne , the Panamera . They did it with the 993 and 996 turbo but the "S" models were limited in production in contrast with todays 997 cars.