Porsche unveils a baseline 911 Carrera

When Porsche ushered in its new 992 generation Porsche earlier this year it was in the form of the more powerful 911 Carrera S.

Now the eighth generation of the iconic sports car range is being expanded with the introduction of an entry-level 911 Carrera guise, in both Coupé and Cabriolet derivatives.

Powering them is a down-specced version of the boxer 3.0l six cylinder biturbo engine, with outputs of 283kW and 450Nm versus the 331kW and 530Nm of the 911 S.

Still, that’s good enough to scoot the standard Carrera from 0-100km/h in a claimed 4.2 seconds and a 293km/h top speed, which isn’t exactly hanging about. The optional Sport Chrono Package shaves a further 0.2 seconds off the sprint time.

The Carrera gets a similar range of standard features as the 911 Carrera S. These include a touchscreen display, comprehensive connectivity, and assistance systems such as the Porsche Wet Mode that ensures even safer handling.

The 911 Carrera is distinguished from its more powerful stablemate by smaller sized wheels, brakes and tailpipe covers on the exhaust system.

Available in rear-wheel drive only (the Carrera S also has an all-wheel drive option), the basic Carrera rides on 235/40 ZR tyres on 19-inch alloy wheels up front and 20-inch wheels with 295/35 ZR tyres at the rear.

Power transmission is handled by a new eight-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission, and claimed fuel consumption is 9.0l /100km for the Coupé and 9.2l for the Cabriolet.

Stopping power is provided on both axles by 330-millimetre brake discs with black, four-piston monobloc fixed callipers.

The new Porsche 911 Carrera Coupé and 911 Carrera Cabriolet are now available for order, priced respectively at R1,489,000 and R1,674,000, including a three-year 100,000km Driveplan.