Here are base specs for both models.

http://press.porsche.com/archive/pro...rera_specs.pdf

 

Its interesting you mention boxster.

I told my friend about the Carrera (hes a car but not necessarily Porsche enthusiast), and his comment was 'thats basically a boxster', its comments like that inspired me to make this thread.

 

But it is not basically a Boxster. The base Carrera is nothing like the boxster. The 911 is in a class all its own, IMHO .

 

My wife initially test drove a non-S 911 Cab. Coming from a 340-hp V8 Audi S4, she came away unimpressed. Then she drove an S (they were both 2011 MY) and came back with a big smile on her face. Needless to say, we drove home in the S!

 

Some will always say they would get an S and never a base, always a BMW 335 and never a 328, etc.

But if you get the S, you'd be the one who "couldn't afford the Porsche turbo". You get the point.

 

Daam non S did not make your wife smile?

Porsche, where did it all go wrong?

Ok I'm keeping my options open.

 

No offense, but your friend has no idea what he's talking about and you probably shouldn't take any further advice from him concerning Porsches. The 911 and Boxster are very different... first among the differences are rear-engine vs mid-engine configuration.

Anyway, a Boxster is a great car in it's own right. It is not as iconic as the 911, but I can't really see how any Porsche could be considering an embarrassing car to own... especially not a base Carrera.

 

I will say you had better drive them both. Even the S was underwhelming to me coming from a Cayman and then a tuned 335. If you are coming from an M3 or tuned 335 then the base Carrera may not impress you.

 

I'm a little taken back by some of the comments. I was coming from a V8 BMW M3 (which followed a heavily modified 335i) and the 997.2 Carrera I have more than impresses me! My 997.2 PDK is my track toy and 80% of the miles I drive it are on the track, so here are my thoughts:

A factor worth considering is the 997.2 DFI engine that is quite an improvement over the 997.1 engine. The 997.2 carrera can keep up with (and beat the 997.1 Carrera S) on a track all day. Quite frankly, the 997.2 S is a bit more powerful, but its barely noticeable on a track.

It all depends on what you want, but I'm very happy with my base Carrera. In the end its a still a 911, its that simple.

edit: We all know that there typically are "better" versions of the 911 you can always opt for (or dream of), but you can also be happy with a base Carrera and have a ton of fun with it

 

I'd rather have a lightly optioned C2S than a heavily optioned C2.

But, I'd really LOVE a TT...

 

There is no doubt that the 997.2 is a step up from the 997.1. After being around so many of these cars, today I would take a 997.2 base over a 997.1 S easily.

You definitely need to drive all variants and let that be the deciding factor for you, it all comes down to what fits the need for your situation

 

Well, if she'd come from an Accord or Camry, perhaps -- but she's a "car girl" and wanted a clear and obvious upgrade from the S4.

 

Hey REKX three things:

1. Your friend doesn't know "squat" about Porsche.
2. You need go with what your inside tell you.
3. This post is a funny as *****

 

Porsche marketing at its best: they put a "$" sign at the end of "Carrera", took out the "|", and we all fell for it! (Ha ha). A 911 is a 911, whatever the suffix.

 

hummm, what about the extra 30hp, bigger brakes, stiffer suspension, wider exhaust, higher top speed, faster 0-60? Yes a porsche is a porsche but the base 911 seems to be more comfortable for a Daly driver since its softer and more comfortable, while the S is a bit more "racy" if you will; you can't really say a base is the same as a GT3 or GT2 just cuz they are both 911's....