I Chose a Base Model 2025 911 Carrera–Here’s Why You Should, Too

Originally asked my dealer about the 992.2 GTS–he chuckled and offered an allocation change for a chance at a 911 Carrera base, and I’m not looking back. 

With any luck my 2025 911 Carrera will be in my garage before the end of November. According to the most recent update from Porsche, the car should be entering production any day now and then will begin its 4,000-mile journey to my house. I have owned and driven many Porsches over the years, but it has been 21 years since I last had a new one built to my specifications. That car was a base Guards Red 2003 Boxster. That was a long time ago, and I thought that it was finally time to once again relive the excitement and agony of ordering and waiting for a brand-new Porsche. But why did I choose a base 992.2? And why did I spec it the way I did?

That is what I plan to share with you today. Building a new Porsche is a very personal experience and I don’t expect everyone to agree with my decisions. And that is perfectly fine. At the end of the day, we are all spending our own money (and quite a bit of it) on these cars and we should build them the way we want.

I am sharing my advice, experience and thoughts with you as I thought that perhaps it might help someone out there. If you don’t agree, that is perfectly fine. You need to buy the car that speaks to you, not the one that some guy on the internet thought you should buy.

Why a 2025 911 Carrera?

I write for Rennlist, I am the VP of my local PCA region, and I have purchased several Porsches from my local dealers in the past. So, as you would expect, that all means that I get absolutely no special treatment. None of these things earn me a spot on the Porsche VIP program list. Getting an allocation for a new Porsche sports car is as difficult for me as it is for anyone else that is not on the VIP list.

So, forget a new GT3. In fact, I originally asked my dealer about the 992.2 GTS, and he chuckled. “Fat chance, Joe.” OK fine, can I get a 2025 911 Carrera Coupe? Yes, I can. c. But will I be happy with just a base 911?

A Case for Base

Nobody is going to drool over a base 911 at a local car show. The GT3 RS and S/T models will get all the eyeballs as people speak of them in hushed tones. I am in my mid-50s, so I have outgrown a long time ago the need to give a crap about any of that anymore. The higher trim models are wonderful. I had a 911 Turbo S for a while, and I have driven many GT3s. And as fantastic as they are, their greater performance potential is largely wasted on public streets. And while I am being honest, even on the track, they are really not that much more fun. They are faster for sure, but unless you are getting paid to set lap times, that doesn’t matter.

I can spend the day on a racetrack in a base 911 or a GT3 RS and at the end of the day my smile will be just as large. People tend to be obsessed with horsepower numbers and Nürburgring lap times and downforce figures. But rarely do such things really matter. Especially when the base 911 is already so excellent. That isn’t to say the higher trims are not terrific. They most certainly are.

But no one should feel sorry for anybody that is driving a new base 911. Besides, thanks to the intercooler from the 911 Turbo and larger turbos from the 992.1 GTS, the base 992.2 is just a tune away from making 500 horsepower. So, if I ever feel that my new 911 is lacking, I can always turn up the wick.

Build Options

The Porsche configurator is a blessing and a curse. There are so many options that the odds of you ever finding an identically equipped car are long. But at the same time, it is just more stuff to obsess over. I decided to go with Lugano Blue over the Basalt Black/Classic Cognac interior. That interior is a nearly $9,000 upgrade since you are forced to also add the extended door panel in leather option. But the higher grade of leather and the extra stitching combined with the shear beauty of the look convinced me that it was a good place to invest. The Carrera Classic wheels remind me of the Fuchs I had on my 1970 911 Targa, so I had to go with those as well. Sport Exhaust and Sport Chrono are no brainers.

18-way seats, Bose stereo, HD-Matrix Design LED headlights, and Exclusive Design Taillights are the last big-ticket upgrades. Stopping for gas while I am on a Porsche rally with the PCA is a pain in the neck, so the extended range fuel tank was an easy decision. I also like the flexibility of having rear seats, so I selected that no cost option. I added in a few other smaller options and my total build came in a touch over $151K.

Skipped Options

Obviously, there are many options I decided against. But a couple of the big ones include most of the assistance features. I added Lane Change Assist but skipped Adaptive Cruise Control, Night Vision Assist and so on. For one, I hate the warts that these features come with in the center of the front bumper. And two, this car already has enough technology, I just don’t need all this stuff in my sports car.

I also skipped the sunroof. The sunroof is not only expensive, but it adds weight well above the center of gravity and I rarely ever open the roof anyway.

Some Concerns

When you read reviews of the 2025 911 Carrera everyone parrots the same complaints. There is no manual transmission option, the center tach is gone and replaced with a digital screen and the push button start took the key away.

Yeah, fair points. But I still have my 1999 Boxster. The 986 is the sports car bargain of the universe by the way, but that is another article. Anyway, it has real gauges, a manual transmission with a short shifter I had installed and a real key. So, I don’t really mind that my 911 is more modern.

Although, I wish Porsche at least made the start button look like a more quality piece. It doesn’t look like it belongs in a car in this price range and will probably look like it belongs even less in a few years after some of the lettering inevitably begins to wear off.

More to Come

When my car arrives, I will be sharing my initial impressions of it as well as updates as I live with the car. I know some of you are concerned about the direction that the 911 is heading. I am as well to be honest. But we can’t stop progress, and the 911 remains one of the best cars on the planet. If you know me, you know that I will put this car though its paces. It will also probably not remain 100 percent stock for very long. I look forward to sharing my 2025 911 Carrera journey with everyone.

Photos: Porsche

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Joe Kucinski

Joe has been obsessed with cars since he got his very first Matchbox toy in the ‘70s. In 2003, he found a new obsession in track days that led to obtaining his SCCA competition license in 2015. In 2019, he became a certified driving instructor for the National Auto Sport Association. His love for all things four wheels has never wavered, whether it's driving some of the best cars in the world on the racetrack, tackling 2,000-mile road trips in 2-seat sports cars or being winched off the side of a mountaintop in a Jeep. Writing for the suite of Internet Brands Auto Communities sites, including Rennlist.com, Ford Truck Enthusiasts, 6 Speed and more allows him to share that knowledge and passion with others.