2008 Porsche Carrera S Manual



Carrera S What is it?
Porsche’s most accomplished Carrera S to date. Rear-wheel drive, manual gearbox and optional limited slip differential make it the purist’s choice of the present new-generation 997 range.

Is it any good?
For starters, it looks superb. Many deem the 993 to be the prettiest of the 911s but the latest crop have taken the evolution of the species to its peak, surely. Doesn’t it look stunning in white too? Aesthetics are just part of the model’s overhaul, the 3.8-litre flat-six DFI engine is- cleaner, more efficient and more powerful than its predecessor - producing 385hp @ 6,500rpm and 310lb ft of torque at 4,400rpm.

In every respect, the Carrera S is a seriously quick car and although the engine might not be as charismatic as some of the older air- cooled series 911, it’s moved the benchmark left by the first generation 997 considerably. Since we’re on the subject of performance, let’s take a look at the figures. We managed 4.3 seconds for the 60mph dash and a hundred in 10.3, and both on the road and track it feels nothing less than effortlessly quick. Even in this relatively fresh press car, the motor feels very strong and sends the car charging from corner to corner with a menacing urge; it’s got great mid-range too.

The optional rear differential means the 911 corners hard and fast, feels hunkered down to the road during high-speed cornering and responds to steering input wonderfully. Nicely weighted steering, strong progressive brakes and firm but supple enough suspension round off the package. Combined fuel economy of 27.4mpg is just shy of its PDK equivalent, considering the performance, however, it makes some sports car manufacturers efforts look half-arsed. The only gripe, and it does become unpleasant on anything less than billiard-smooth blacktop, is the amount of road-noise you get in the cabin which, considering how refined the rest of the package is, comes as a tad untoward.

Worth it over the entry model Carrera?
Seeing as a PDK -Sport Chrono equipped- Carrera is as fast as the manual Carrera S up to 100mph, you may deem the extra outlay unjust. The Carrera delivers pretty much all of the thrills of the more powerful ‘S’, too. The bigger brother does make its extra guts felt when you press on into the big speeds, although you never feel anything less than impressed behind the wheel of the Carrera. So, unless you’re after the ultimate pub bragging rights, we’d advise to save yourself some money and stick with the entry spec model.

We Like
Engine, superb package

We Dislike
Excessive road-noise

Verdict
A great 911, but does it justify its premium over the cheaper entry- level model?

Specification
911 C2S Manual
Engine: 3,800cc, flat-six water cooled
Max Power: 380bhp @6500rpm
Max Torque: 310lb ft @4,600rpm-6000rpm
Weight: 1540kg
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Top speed: 188mph
0-60mph: 4.3 seconds
Base Price: £70,360
Price as tested: £80,168


Back

Video VBOX from Racelogic is a range of high quality solid state video recorders combined with a GPS data logger and real-time graphics engine.




Part of the Unity Media group of publications
Banzai | BMW Car | GT Purely Porsche | Performance BMW | Performance Ford | Performance VW | Retro Cars | Retro Ford