tyresmoker

Good morning. First let me apologize if this question has been posted a million times...Brand new here. I am finally in the position to consider my first 991. New to the car, new to the brand. I was smitten by the 991 since the day it launched. Drove a '14s the other day and about to drive a very low mile, clean Carrera in the next few days....This, as for most of you, is another toy in the collection...I live in congested southern new england, so going for a stretch won't be as often as I would like...My question....should I save more pennies and wait for an "s" or will the base Carrera satisfy my cravings? Thanks in advance for your time!

slidemx5

You'll need to drive both to really tell. I thought I'd want an S on paper, but after driving them both back to back this week I'm not sure I'd pay a huge premium for an S, unless the price or options were right.

2012Neunelf

Agree with slidemx5, I own the 991 base and love it. But the extra performance with the S might be preferred.

Mike

997s07

I was about to sign in the dotted line and wire the money for a GTS, then I test drove a base for the heck of it. Got the base. Love the engine and put in JRZ coilovers and GT3 swaybars (with modified end links). The car is a blast to drive, you need to select the correct gears as the engine likes to rev high and fast. Get a manual if you can / want - much more engaging.

EDIT: Get the GT4 shifter from Sunset Porsche (Suncoast charges an extra $100 over MSRP).

Now sit back and wait for asinine comments from our resident Greek philosopher and great insights from our North Georgian logician.

Archimedes

Both great cars. Go drive them and you'll know which is right for you. Don't listen to other people's opinions on this issue. Too much confirmation bias on RL. Go drive them yourself.

squid42

I would have a mental problem spending 991.2 "S money" for same displacement and engine-wise the equivalent of a couple flipped zeros and ones in a computer.

The smartasses at Porsche are aware of that and decided to "solve" the problem by withholding a large number of options to be available only in the S. PDCC, rear axe steering, any suspension lower than default (come on, really?). Of course they still grant you the right to buy the ceramic brakes on any of their cars. Not a sales strategy that makes me very cozy with them.

spiderv6

Only you can tell and everyone here has their own personal bias.

If you get bitten by the bug you are screwed anyway. Buy a base you will want an S. Busy an S you will want a GTS. Buy a GTS you will want a Turbo........etc

There really is no way out of it once you are in.......

Jnosol

You cannot go wrong with either. If you care about re-sale value, then the S or GTS would be the better choice. If you just want a true sport car at the lowest cost, go base. They all have the best Smile-Per-Gallon compared to other vehicle brands I've experienced with.

If you're not fixed to 991, try a Cayman GTS for the price for the 991 base. The Cayman GTS with a tune/IPE/race headers/exhaust will kill most 911s on the track. They're extremely fun to drive.

For me, I always wanted a 911. My buddies bought GT4s and I was considering one, but I know I would still want a 911 even if I had a GT4. So no RAGRETS here with the 911 .

rkwfxd

I'm pretty happy with my '16 base C2. I intend to replace it with an '18 base C2.

NoGaBiker

Tyresmoker, how can we possibly answer that question? Porsche offers upwards of 22 911 variants, ranging from ninety-something-thousand dollars to well over 200,000. There is no minimum threshold beneath which a 911 is unusable or something like that. For the most part, for most people, spending more will result in getting a better 911, with notable exceptions, such as:

Going GTS to GT3 gets a better 911 in many respects and a worse one in others; if like me your use won't include dedicated track work, then it could be that the betterness of the GT3 at some things is more than offset by the worseness at others.

Going from NA to Turbo (when that was still a choice) got you a faster, wider, more luxurious car. It's what I went in to buy last year, but wound up loving the NA cars again so much that I ordered a GTS and sold my Turbo. Decided that the betterness of the Turbo wasn't really what I was looking for this time around.

There are many other examples. Some people say they like the nature of the 3.4 motor better than the 3.8. I suppose a few of those people owned a 3.8 and then went to a 3.4 next time around because they liked it better -- such a person would be unusual, but they probably exist.

Most people feel the opposite and either choose 3.8 the first time, or try a 3.4 for awhile then trade for a 3.8. For whatever that's worth.

I suspect that if 3.4 and 3.8 were optioned the same and priced the same, there would be very few (as in zero) takers on the 3.4. But they're not. There's a big delta in price, so the 3.4 starts to make sense for that reason to a lot of people. That's what you have to ask yourself. Is the 10k delta (or whatever it would be if you're looking at used 991s) for the extras in the S worth it to you? :shrug: So I'm back to my original proposition: how can anyone answer that question for you?

If you expect somebody to come on and say, "I bought a 3.4 to save some money but MAN, did I make a mistake! I really want a 3.8 but can't afford it" you're going to have a long wait. Not at all saying that's the motivation with most or all 3.4 owners, but it is definitely something you never read. Same with Boxster/Cayman; hardly ever do you hear an owner (and I was one once) say, "Wish I could afford a 911, cuz this Boxster just isn't up to snuff." But you do see a whole lot of people start with a 98X and move to a 99X the next time. Again, for what that's worth.

Go. Drive. Evaluate. Let us know!

jbirdie6

I went through a similar process over the past couple months as I searched for a 991. My first test drive was in a Black C2 and it blew me away (comparing it to my 2001 C4 and my 16 M235xi). The fit, finish, and performance just had me from the get go. I was resigned to getting a C2 because I thought the C2S was just going to be out of my range. I was on a mad search for a CPO Racing Yellow 7MT C2, preferably with some options but learned quickly that I was searching for a very rare combo. Spent 5-6 weeks searching daily on the Porsche Pre-Owned locator as well as the other sites and suddenly came across a RY C2S 7MT with pretty much everything I wanted (CPO, PSE, Sport Chrono, Bose, 18-way power seats, moonroof, etc.). I flew out to Dallas to check it out and test drive it - it was on a new level compared to the C2 in my opinion. The PSE with Sport Plus and the extra power is incedible. Even better, I got it for $67k (2012 CPO w 23k miles) which was less than most base C2 cars I was looking at from model year 13/14.

So the moral of the story is test drive both and hold out for the one you really want. It may take some time and effort to find it, but it'll be worth it when you do. Nothing worse than settling and then wanting something else shortly thereafter. That said, I would have been very happy with a C2 as well - I feel pretty lucky that I found my car with everything I wanted and it happened to just be a C2S!

subshooter

Exactly how I feel. I'm not paying $14k for another .3 secs to get to 60mph. They spent hardly any R&D money changing the increased boost pressure and ECU and slightly larger turbos.


The only option I would have optioned is SPASM and PTV that is not available on the Base. Oh well, Porsche's loss on those dollars.

Recommendations:
If getting a 991.1: Get the S. 3.8L vice 3.4L and the base is a bit too slow for me.


If getting a 991.2: Get the Base for reasons stated above.

77tony

Slightly used 991.1 "S" with sport exhaust for the win ! T

oalvarez

in an attempt to keep relative value out of the decision, i'm tellin' ya.....i just sold my 991 C2S and opted for a new/leased 991 C2. for daily duties the 3.4l car is beyond plenty. beyond. looks the same inside and out and acts almost the same. have the extra dough and want the extra power/brakes? get the C2S!

it really is that simple.

DerekS

If you get the base, you will wonder about the S now and then.
However you will in NO WAY be unhappy.

I've had two base 911's and this was my experience both times.