WJ100

Hi all,

I'm new here so appreciate the input in advance. About me (well about my cars)...last 4 cars in reverse order:

Alfa Giulia QV
BMW F82 M4
Merc W204 C63
BMW E90 M3

I've really enjoyed the Alfa for the last 3 years but it's about that time. It's also about time for me to give a 911 a try I think. As is well documented, inventory is an issue (understatement), but I still have a full year of Alfa warranty so if I place an order for a 992, I should be ok.

I did find a 992 C2 with about 9k miles on it to test drive recently and overall I was impressed. Could definitely tell the car had significantly less HP and torque than my Alfa but, here's the thing...I'm just not sure I need the power of the C2S given how the 992 is packaged. Kind of pains me to say this, but I have a hard time really using the power in my QV on public roads (I don't track it) and somehow I'm attracted to the idea of having to push the car/work for the power again for a change. I still have a 2002 Miata and I certainly get to use 90%+ of the performance of it.

Here's where I'm looking for advice from the forum. I've read a ton of reviews that seem to indicate the C2 is sometimes even preferred over teh C2S...but...from those of you who have driven cars with more power and have made the transition to the C2, do you miss the brute force? Would definitely be an adjustment and I'm curious to get some feedback.

Much appreciated - thanks for helping out the new guy...

Stevelev

I’ll play ... being a manual guy, the decision was made for me. Frankly, my 991.2 Targa 4 was a manual and it had more than adequate power and would have replaced it with a C2 if Manual was an option. That said, I do look forward to taking delivery of my 992 S next week ... there’s considerably more than enough power in that ! I’d suggest you try and test drive an S as that will help you determining which is right for you.

Jaye Bass

I'd say the decision would come down to manual trans and track day handling enhancements. The Base car is plenty quick with most of the reputable US magazines getting 0-60 times in the mid to low threes. Ultimately, I went with a base car cause I already have a track car, the 992 will be my daily, and my dealer had an allocation for a Base Coupe.

Tedster

I agree with posters above. If you must have manual then the S is your only choice. If not the base will be just fine. If you need more power then the S will help. Either version will be fast enough to get you in trouble on public roads if you do not pay attention. After having a 718 Boxster with PDK which I thought was lacking in involvement, and considered that I didn't need the 992 to handle regular congested traffic, I went with the 7 speed. One other plus with the S is bigger brakes and lower cost for wheel upgrades and several other options that can reduce the price gap. Your timing seems to be good also and you might be able to get a discount which is not likely in today's climate. Good Luck!

Bluehighways

Need? vs. Want? Seriously now; no one actually "Needs" the power of either the C2 or a C2S. But "Want" ? Well now, that's an entirely different thing. I have a C2S and I have to admit, the thought of a TTS does intrigue me.

c1pher

If you want a manual, you have to get a C2S or C4S. But honestly, I’d be happy with a C2 or C4. I’d spend a little more for the C4 to get more of an all weather capability as well as torque vectoring that the C2 doesn’t get. But if I couldn’t get a C4 allocation, I’d still love a C2. It’s not really a base car.

Kurac

With Car and Driver getting 3.2 to 60 and 11.5 @ 120 in the 1/4 with a base Carrera, that’s damn impressive for “379hp” on paper. It’s mentally hard to go from 500+ HP American cars to something that doesn’t even have 400hp on paper, but the test results don’t lie. I played with some HP calculators with ET and trap speeds and the C2 is making closer to 435-450hp....and in a light weight package in today’s standards.

SBAD

Only ordered a C2S because I wanted a manual transmission. MANY people agree with your thinking about too much performance for the street. I also ride motorcycles so I get my acceleration kicks there. I know the juvenile 0-60 comparisons are meaningless in the real world.

detansinn

The S cars get you more power, bigger brakes, 20/21" wheels, limited slip differential(s), and additional performance options not available on the Base Carrera.
It's selling the S cars short to suggest that it's just a power upgrade as there's a bit more to it. For me, as a package of upgrades, it was worth it.

That being said, for a lot of folks, the Base Carrera delivers the goods.

smiles11

Exactly - It’s more than just having the MT option.

Anyone who thinks - might as well get a base car if you’ve spec’d a PDK hasn’t done their homework.

Tell that to the TT/S owners 😜

c1pher

You’re right, there is more to it, but what I was trying to say is that buying a non S is not a bad 911 either. It’s not like “if you don’t get an S then you should just buy a Miata”.

smiles11

Agreed 💯

khalil

It depends on your profile. If you track or travel by land: C2S; if all you do is drive about your city: C2. You won't have as much fun with a C2S in the streets as you would with a C2, and you won't have as much fun with a C2 in the roads as you would with a C2S.

I chose a C2. I'd rather travel by air, and I don't like tracking a non-GTR car.

Jaye Bass

I dunno about you guys but my 911 is not my only car. All of my other toy cars have better power to weight ratios than a 992 S with all of them on razor sharp analog chassis. My Carrera will be a fine addition to the Bass fleet.

rk-d

Same chassis, same basic engine....it's effectively the same car with less power.

I don't see how a Carrera could be more fun than the same car with more power. I see that posted a lot - I agree with the concept of a lower powered NA motor being potentially more fun than an FI car, simply because you can wind it out....but a weaker FI engine with the same exact architecture is not really analogous to that. It's not like the C2S has monster lag or is meaningfully heavier.

Now the Carrera does come stock with smaller wheels and tires. That can make the car feel a little lighter and it's easier to play with slip when the car is under tired. Maybe that's part of the charm for Carrera people? That I understand.