GSIRM3

I am only 6'1", and I can't fit in a Cayman.

gota911

I am 6' 3" and neither the Cayman nor the Boxster will work for me. Either not enough leg room or not enough seat back tilt, or both.

WCE

Just built a base Carrera with a number of standard S items I wanted and ended up about $9000 below the identically equipped S. Given Porsche charged over $16k for the old Carrera S "power kit" which added 23 HP and the 991 S has 50 HP more than the base, it seems you get about double the HP of the old power kit for about half the price difference by upgrading to the 991S! (made sense to me)
And you are also getting the upgraded brakes and quad exhaust tips...all for about $111k plus taxes and fees for the S that I configured.
WHAT A BARGAIN?

spourreza

I am 6'1' as well but I fit ok in the my prior Cayman.

Mike in CA

As Tim says, I think it's about leg length. I'm 6'2" and I sort of fit in my Boxster S but the seat had to be all the way back and my knees were bent a bit more than I liked because I'm long legged. If you're tall but a little longer in the torso maybe you'd fit better.

washington dc porsche

In the end an S, GT3, GT2, Carbrio, RS, etc... will have more value (prestige, $$$$, performance).

JLHendrix

Well with the base you may be the smallest house in the neighborhood but it is quite a neighborhood and in my opinion, and excellent value. I will say that it is very difficult to evaluate the question with the 991. There may be some significant differences in the driving characteristics of the CS v C because of the new engine in the latter. The 3.4 makes alot of horsepower but this occurs at the end of the power band. This car may be a blast to drive with a manual. It may also have less lowend torque than the current 3.6.

Alstoy

Get the S so you aren't ridiculed (joke). I have a base 997 and love the car, but as with most ownership of this kind I tend to wonder sometimes if an S would have been better, or a GT3, or a GT3 RS...and so on and so on. My best friend gave me the best advice-90% of the world would love to have our problem (Porsche ownership). Just drive them both and buy the one you love the most. Cheers.

JamesT7

Alstoy,

Good advice. I did that with first gen 997. For me I liked the S better and I liked the additional equipment too.

Cheers,

tangram

Am I mistaken in believing that the bodies of the base and S are the same? Back in the day, one big reason to get the 993 Carrera S was to get the turbo-width body but it seems like the specs on the Porsche website suggest the 991 base and S are the same bodies.

Alstoy

I do believe that they are the same body. The UK brochure shows the S sitting 8mm lower. I will not be able to get the S now, as I was planning to add the plastic hanging ********* (cheeky joke). Cheers.

10 GT3

To me, the base Carrera does not exist. They reduced the engine to 3.4l, same as a Cayman or Boxster S. The Carrera S with its larger/more powerful engine, better suspension and brakes is the minimum Porsche I would consider. Yes, the price has increased between a Carrera and an S, so has the performance gap. If the dollar difference is really your deciding factor, then save some money and just buy a Cayman or Boxster S that will perform as well as regular Carrera. One of my best friends daily drives a 997 Carrera he ordered in 2006. He thought it was adequate at the time, now regrets not getting an S.

spourreza

Take it from someone that had a Cayman, 996S, 997.2 blah blah - you couldnt be more wrong. You can’t compare any of the Boxster/Cayman model lines with a 997/991. The Cayman is not a substitute for a 997 and it never was supposed to be. Completely different feel, technology, horsepower, weight, size, torque etc. This is a completely circular argument and no one is right or wrong. All based on preference. For me, I am not racing nor do I need to get to work 0.3 seconds faster. A fully loaded 997.2 was perfect for me.

Hardback

I would go s of course but I think Porsche has something up it's sleeve. The 3.4 tuned to make 350 HP? Must rev like nothing we've seen....?! On the other Hand, torque of a 3.8 flat six??? Good luck with your decision.... I won't buy anything less than a GT3 at this point. But I'm beyond any normal reasoning by now. The track has summoned me... What type of drivin you do? This will dictate which 911 is for you.

Buy the fastest meanest loudest fkin porker you can!