So 3.5 seconds to 60mph & 180mph top speed from the base spec model. Why would you need anything quicker?

Heated 18 way seats, cruise control, DAB radio, and TPMS are my must haves. Every time I watch a 911 review it makes me realise how lucky I am to have one. It's all the car you need.

Excellent review! Really appreciated you pointing out the nuances (lack of tire noise and being able to hear the engine and exhaust sounds better, etc.) and comparisons to M4, M2 and other Porsches. This base model would be a contender for an all around one car stable. I like that it seems to provide a pure driving experience and closer to an analog car of the past. The simplicity is a nice antidote to the complexity of today.

Joe, I bought my 992 CARRERA in Sept 2021 (MY2022). There were only 6 registered in the UK that year. I was loaned a GTS when my car went in for an update and I was afraid I would be disappointed afterwards. I wasn’t. I love my CARRERA. It’s a truely great and excited car. There is nothing BASE about it, although I did specify quite a lot of extras, which were unnecessary but just stroking my ego. Best car I have ever owned. I just love it. Great review of a great car. Thank you.

2 options are a must have IMO: Pan roof and Bose. Especially for resale values. Personally I’d change the tips to quads too 👌🏼

Quality content Joe, 4k camera work is brilliant, keep up the great work mate.

Like many, I grew up with the 911 as my dream car. Owned a 991.2 C2 a few years back and loved it. Purchased it with 12k miles for $77k. Fast forward to 2 years ago and I purchased a 992 C2S new. Ordered it and got a $5k discount off MSRP. The dynamics of the new 911 are great but the new car prices are absolutely delusional. I was Porsche’s biggest fan 2 years ago and prior but no way would I pay $125k for a decently option base 911. The dynamics are fantastic with the new 911 but the engine sound is just bad. The interior is nice but then again it should be at that price point! The BMW M2, M3, and M4 are way better values. I have since owned a new 2023 M3 xDrive and now an M8 which I bought used in perfect condition with warranty and a 40% discount on MSRP. The interior of the 911 does not hold a candle to the M8. The M3 interior is also just as good as good as the 911 and it will hang with a 911 C2S all day on the street as far as performance goes (my C2S was $135k which would be $150k now and my M3 was $85k). My advice having owned these models, unless you are filthy rich and money is no object at all, avoid a 911. Get a Cayman, Boxster, or an M car. Spoken from someone who had 911 posters on his wall growing up. They are completely overrated for the price and the 4.0 in the Cayman or Boxster sounds way better than all non naturally aspirated 911’s. They are also just more fun to drive period.

I absolutely love the semi-retro interior. Interiors on new cars is mostly "too much" with their swooping lines to every direction and spaceship looking details everywhere

I kept my base 992 build as simple as possible. Sport Exhaust, 20/21”Carrera classic wheels, Sport Chrono, GT wheel, 18 way seats (heated/cooled). No sunroof or driver aids (blindspot/active cruise)

Michelins are masterful at reducing road noise and improving ride quality. I had a set of Pirelli’s on my MK7 GTI and didn’t think road noise was an issue until I switched to Michelins. The difference was staggering… like going from a Honda Fit to a Mercedes S-Class. And they (AS4’s) last a long time: My GTI has 320 hp and 350 lbs./ft of torque and after a year the fronts are still at 8/10ths. Great in the dry, wet… every condition. They’re $100-300 more for a set but totally worth it.

3.5 seconds 0-60 in the base 911 Carrera is nuts. It is perfectly quick for the base model, and the traction you got was great, since that engine is slung over the rear axle to plant that car to the ground very well.

Base 992 911 Carrera: Must have Options. 1. Full Leather 2. Sports Seat Plus (4-way), Burmester HiFi, .. 3. LCA Lane Change Assist. 4. Dashcam (Front & Rear) 5. Ambient Lite Pkg. 6. Prep. Roof Transport. 7. Metallic Paint ..... Done. .. Cheers, M/S Vail, Colorado P.S., Present P-cars: '98 Carrera S 993 & Frau's 2015 Cayman GTS 981. . Both ordered new. .. The 993 will leave me when my cold dead hands say so ....

Great review Joe, I watch every 911 I can and tbh I get so sick of some of them...Its refreshing to hear someone state just how good the 911 Carrera is (I hate the word "base" there is nothing base about a 911). There are many people who buy 911 only as a resale tool and stop real enthusiasts getting them, they also go on about it having to be a manual, or a GTS "sweet spot".. so look past the Carrera... I am also happy on the review of the tyres as mine has P Zeros from factory and they are noisy, I may well change to Michelin when they are ready for change..I do however have the 20/21 set up on mine as I opted to go for a few options in the configurator. Keep up the great work from a fellow Brit in Canada.

Option no. 1 for me was the electric folding side mirrors (yes - standard on an Audi A1 but a £276 extra in this!!). With the now relatively wide 992 and so many narrow B roads I spend half the time these days folding the side mirrors in and out. Probably paranoia but helps me sleep better at night.

Great video Joe. Half the problem with waiting for a new 992, and it is a wait, is there are so many options to keep playing with and trying to get a test drive in the actual model you've ordered is not always possible because dealers have so few of them.... They're all on waiting lists. One day. One day the dream will come.

I think the Carrera S is the best package they make for a daily driver. I know the GTS gets all of the sweet spot coverage but the S had almost as much guts and a much better ride. The GTS is better on a track but a daily driver spends almost no time there. The base 911 is awesome. Make mine a Carrera S Cabriolet with PDK - Cue the haters!

I’m picking up my new 2024 Black 911 on Tuesday So excited

Stunning landscape, stunning car, great camera work -- nice

Great review Joe I had a Base 992 with 20/21 wheels which was on Goodyears. The tyre noise the UK was awful, driving smooth on European roads transformed the car and the tyre noise was much reduced ( Michelins weren't available at the time). Option wise, after 3 euro trips, I'd go... Glass sunroof Noise reducing glass Sport chrono Bose Camera 18 way seats. Sports exhaust A great car!

Porsche. Kicking ass with tiny little flat sixes for 60 years! Beeindruckend! ;-)

Joe, I have a 2022 Cayman GTS 4.0, which I daily in Northern California. I drove a fairly limited spec 2022 C and it left me sort of meh. The GTS 4.0 is seriously good and lots of fun. Anyone who is thinking about a base Carrera should also test drive a GTS 4.0 Excellent review

My must-have upgrades in every car as a daily: - wireless Apple CarPlay w/ induction charging - keyless entry - heated front window (somehow that’s pretty rare) - autom. dimming mirrors - dark rear windows - decent audio system - classic cruise control … I guess that’s it. And usually I’d pick way more in the configuratior, just as you mentioned 😂

While you’re complaining about the price and I agree with you, consider this. 10-15 years ago a well equipped American truck 1/2 ton (lorrie to you guys) was about 1/10th the price of a base 911, now they’re the same price. Who’s gouging its customers?

Glass sunroof, C2S wheels, Bose, sports seats (regret not getting them), extended fuel tank, sport exhaust, sport chrono (only for launch control) but could do without.

To my opinion you ask the wrong question. “Is it worth It? Same with a € 10.000 Louis Vuitton handbag (excuse me). The question should be are people willing to put their money on the table for it. The obvious answer is yes. The Porsche brand and the 911 Image are priceless.

Such a great review! As a GTS owner, the base is the one to get. It’s a shame it doesn’t come in manual.

Panoramic sunroof (a must), front sport fascia, Bordeaux interior, Chalk exterior, Chalk interior dashboard/center console accents and metal plated gas cap. Manual shift if I were proficient. 😎👍

I’ve always loved the base spec 911 Carreras for their purity. The 911 distilled.

I love my base, I have had it 6 months already and I am still having tremendous fun every time I drive it.

My must have options on the base (in order): 1. 18-way seats 2. Bose sound system (it is pretty good on the 992, much better than the 718 Bose) 3. Vented seats 4. Leather interior (two-tone slate/chalk or Bordeaux w/chalk stitching) 5. Lightweight and Noise Insulated Glass That is it for must haves. Sport design front, Pano roof, premium package, Porsche crests on seat backs, and 930 leather would be nice to have. PSE is not needed.

I love the shots of the dead bugs on the bumper. Showing real driving and not wasting time cleaning the bugs off for a shot!

Awesome video. You have a way of conveying the actual driving/ownership experience that’s just excellent - similar to your GT3 Touring vid (a must-watch for anyone interested in that car) which provided even more detail of how the car felt in your chatting and comparing impressions with Patrick. On the options, there’s a lot of very expensive pieces of black things that one could add to the exterior that I could live without. The standard wheels are also fine. I would spend the £500 for two-tone interior, which really lifts the look compared with black-on-black-on-black and is some bargain elegance compared with the more exotic colour/material options that can add up to £20k+! If I were feeling flush, I might have the glass roof too. Paint colour is obviously often optioned… I actually don’t mind the no-charge yellow on the press car, and something I might be alone in moaning about is that UK number plates can really spoil a look sometimes. The yellow rear plate can stand out horribly against some colours - not a problem on the yellow press car! And, interestingly, if you look at the Porsche configurator’s rear views you’ll find that they change the colour of the number plate to exactly match the paint colour you choose - so perhaps it isn’t just a me thing!

T or S in MT are the sweet spot for even more driving focus feeling.

I just took delivery of a 2023 - it has amazing acceleration.

Quality KZfaq reviews (like this one) assisted me tremendously in optioning my 992 C2...taking me from $18K of options initially identified to about $6K final build (leather everywhere being over $4K of that)....and the remainder under $1K items like extended range fuel tank, ambient lighting, folding mirrors, dash cam pre wiring). the car offers so much the extras are not needed IMO

Very much agree with your comments about the base model, but would like a manual. Also I’m concerned the 911 is just getting to big. I’d like it to be a foot shorter and 500 pounds lighter. Or the size it was 25 years ago.

Extended fuel tank and front lift are the only things I would consider on a base 911, from a driver's car perspective.

Without going on the configurator, minimum option adds (unless now included as standard) are auto-dimming mirrors, 18 way seats, led pdls headlamps, adaptive cruise (if its a pdk, which the base has to be), probably a different wheel choice, reversing camera. Axle lift would be useful.

Just got a preowned 992 C2S ... and what a machine ... wow. Great impressions and thanks for sharing :)

Thanks very much for your honesty…and not just praising the „higher“ models. Instead a really differentiated view on topics not often spoken about. 👍🏼

Superb review Joe of all the performance anyone could ever need surely! A stunning car, looks gorgeous in yellow too! Reduced tyre roar is always a massive bonus! Loving your content Joe, more Porsche please ! lol. Cheers. PS Sorry to say, BMW will never compete with this! Enjoy the race.

Fantastic review of a great car. Here’s a comparison for you though. If you had around £100k burning a hole, would you go base 911 992 or 911 GT3 997?

The problem with the base list price now being nearly 100k as mentioned at the beginning of the video. You can get a 991 911 Turbo with low miles for that price, looking on autotrader today you can even get things like a Ferrari 599 in mint condition with very low miles for 70k! This is exacerbated when the current generation isn't even universally loved .... as previous generations were. If this had a big 6 cylinder which sounded beautiful it may just make up for it, but it doesn't.

Great review. SOOO glad you focussed on steering feel as BMW have totally forgotten about this and most reviewers sadly ignore this key aspect to give a favourable review and not get blacklisted by manufacturers.

Another great review Joe, once again a step up on your production and content. And I love my base (manual) 997.2 👌

Joe my dad bought your g80 blue m3

I have the 992 Carrera T And the must have option is extended leather. Couldn't stand having plastic on a car way over 125k.

911 is the greatest car ever made ❤❤❤

What a video! Maybe a carrera T with manual is the real sweet spot but in Belgium it is 10k more expensive than this version!

Love my 992C after Stage 1 APR, 490 hp makes it perfect. I put 8.5k miles on it so far this year.

I've configured a T and a GTS. Both must haves are bucket seats, Bose and roof rack provisions. Also the corresponding interior trim package. Manual for the T auto with the works for the GTS. Aero kit and carbon roof for the GTS.

Ur one has full leather? So 4k option with 14way seats

Great review Joe - you made a compelling case for 'less is more' !

Brilliant Joe! I fully agree, what more? Another positive factor for such acceleration is how light it is! Cheers, Tom.

Thanks for the video as always buddy! Great car but the pricing is totally getting out of hand 😢 not only for Porsches though. With that said a base 911 is a really great package. Considering the service fees etc the overall cost becomes quite high. But I guess the target buyers are not that cost sensitive 😊 I would opt for other wheels, tinted windows, nicer exhaust and better stereo

I own a 992 base Cabriolet. It's a great car. I choose the full leather interior, 18-way adjustable seats, adaptive headlights, heated seats, BOSE, sport exaust system, suround view, wider wheels (20/21) and some more. The base engine responds quicker (due to smaller turbos) to the throttle, I prefer it over the "S" model. I have the Goodyear tyres and I'm very happy with them ( we have good roads in Switzerland).

Loving that you appreciate the base "Margarita" of the 911's 👌🏼

I love all of the stares of admiration coming from the school kids!

Theres something fabulously pure about the base 911.

Not long now for the sweet desired reality 🙌🏽

I'd really like to see you now review the Carrera T, thats alot of car for not that much more than the base car. On a base car, I'd just spec 4 way Sports seats plus and a heated steering wheel.

Thank you for such a great review, Joe! You nailed it. The base 992 C2/4 is such a brilliant piece of kit and THE daily combo for whatever you have planned. Driven the GTS & GT3 992 I have to admit that between the GTS and the base Carrera the difference is not that impressive, in fact with the GTS you always feel like you are sort of a bit too much. A bit too much tyre noise, engine etc. Everyone who is debating and out of principle refuse to look into the base 992 have never really driven the lineup. In my POV, only the GT3 makes this significant leap forward in terms of experience that is worth an investment. A side of that, you are perfectly of with the base model and invest the money better in a great spec such as sport exhaust, RS Rims and sport exterier package. You'll have a lovely combo. I am actually looking into this currently and its good to hear that someone else has the same experience. Have a great week. Cheers.

Beautiful ride.i own a racing yellow 991.1 with the glass roof and always get thumbs up here in a scottsdale, AZ. 👍👍👍. Great video

I'm someone who generally specs circa 20K in options on the configurator, without adding PTS, so I'm not the best person to ask about a minimal spec, but I'll have a go at prioritizing all the options that are important to me. My intention is to always make spec'ing a new car worthwhile. I have no psychological need to be the first owner. If I can get my essential preferences in the used market and make a big saving, I'd prefer to do so. Anyway, here goes... The number one option for me, not necessarily a cost option would be to choose an interior that's not all black, depending on the colour of the car. There are free alternatives and there are two-tone options for less than 500 quid. I'd also probably spec the passenger side cupholder trim in leather c.200. And if spec'ing a non-black dash top, I'd spec leather sun visors c.300 to get them in matching colour, which is a particularly important option to select if spec'ing a cabriolet. (If I had to choose an all-black interior, I'd choose the Race-Tex interior, which is a free option.) As I normally spec a Cabriolet, I would typically spec a non-black convertible top as well, which is also a free option. ...So, circa *200-1000 quid for the main interior colour.* The number two option is probably to spec a cost option external colour. If not opting for PTS, which is now circa 8K, I'd probably choose a metallic paint for a little over a grand. ...So, circa *1000 quid for the exterior colour.* The third option I'd consider, depending on the colour I'd chosen for the interior (and the exterior), is different colour seat centres for circa 700 quid. For instance, if I've decided to opt for a blue interior, which is a free option, I'd consider opting crayon stitching, which is also free, and then also crayon seat centres, which as previously stated cost circa 700 quid. ...So, circa *0-700 quid for seat centres.* My fourth option would be the 14-way seats with memory for circa 1700 quid. I could probably live with the standard 4-way seats, but a 100+ grand car without memory seats would really annoy me. I struggle to get comfortable, and even if I didn't let my wife drive it, mechanics, MOT testers, and valets are likely to adjust the seats, which would do my head in. ...So, circa *1700 quid for memory seats.* *And I could probably stop at this point, spending just c.2900-4400 quid on options.* Options that aren't must haves, but which I'd most want are: a) Lane change assist c.700 quid, as I think it's the most important safety aid. b) Mirrors fully painted in exterior colour c.400 quid, as I hate the little bits of black plastic that require feeding with colour restorer, especially in areas where it's difficult to keep the product off the paint. c) Carbon window triangle trims c.400 quid, for the same reason as fully painted mirrors. d) Electric folding mirrors c.300. e) HomeLink c.200. f) Ionizer c.200. g) Rubber mats for 75 quid, but can easily be purchased later, and cheaper if not Porsche branded. h) I'd probably also select the little storage net, which is a free option. i) Depending on the colour scheme I've chosen, I may also consider colour wheel centres c.130 quid, but probably not a must have, and one can easily buy them later. ...So, circa *2300-2400 for my next most wanted options...* But if I've spec'd those, it doesn't really make much sense not to spec my next most preferred options as well: j) White rev counter c.300, is my preference, and is significantly more expensive to change later. k) Porsche crest on headrests c.200 is an important option for many and something one can't really add later. l) Heated steering wheel c.200 is almost a must have on a premium car, and if it can be added later it would be prohibitively expensive. m) Aluminium-look fuel cap c.100 is nice to have, but not a must have, and can be purchased later. n) Power steering plus c.200 , which is typically spec'd, is also something that most people could live without, and you can pay for it to be enabled if you didn't spec it and later decide you do need it. ...So, circa *700-1000 for my next most preferred options.* The following are what I will call the premium options I typically add that really add up quickly: o) Interior package in leather/brushed aluminium/wood c.800-1300 is probably my next most important option. If I've spec'd a black and beige interior, I think it's almost essential. p) Regular LED PDLS Plus headlights c.800 is worth it for the auto-dimming alone, IMO. q) Surround view park assist c.800 is almost essential if you're not a parking god and certainly if you've spec'd diamond cut wheels. r) Adaptive cruise c.1400 should be standard on a GT car, let alone a premium car. s) Bose c.1200 is not a must have, especially on a coupe, but may make the car significantly more difficult to on-sell without it. t) Sport chrono is probably almost a must have if you're intending to track the car. For me, I just like the rotary drive mode and boost selector on the steering wheel, but as I don't particularly like the lap timer on the dash, I'd spec the version with the clock face c.2800, but it's a lot of money just to get the 'manettino' control. u) Engine cover slat inlays painted in exterior colour c.500 to complete the exterior look. v) PTS c.7900. ...So, circa *16,200 - 16,700 quid for my premium options.* *Lastly, if I was spec'ing a coupe, I'd seriously consider the glass sunroof c.1800 as almost essential. And, if spec'ing a C4, I think PTV Plus for c.1200 quid is an almost essential option for those intending to regularly drive hard.* ...So, circa *21,100 - 26,500 quid in total, just for options sans accessories and with the standard wheels!* Still circa *14,200 - 19,600 without PTS.*

I have a base boxster 981. Absolutely love it.2.7 flat six great little car. i think 100k for that yellow beast is great value, one day i will have one.❤❤❤Great video joe.

It’s such a great car, it’s just a shame even the base model is now so expensive 😢

Great review really enjoyed it.👍In most cases, the Base 911 model is more than one can chew unless you are going on the race track. Most people who generally criticize everything about the Base 911 Carrera can't even afford one.

Joe, it continues to impress me immensely how through your reviews are! All bases covered, from on road manners, in cabin creature comforts & worthy purchase competition - all the way to little niggles that will erk a potential owner, day to day. Thanks so much!🚗

Thank you for such an amazing video! Is amazing to see how capable the base 911 is

Thumbs up at the end was so cool! Great vid JA

those rear wheels are really sunkin' in man #spacers.

I love the 911, maybe if I had a chance to get a 964 RS or 993 turbo I would get one, but the best modern Porsche is a six cylinder Boxster/Cayman. It hurts to admit that but it’s true.

Good honest review Joe 👍. Thanks for sharing

Another great video Joe. Keep them coming.

Agree with you Joe base models are often overlooked. My standard TT roadster does everything well and it is possible to have fun at legal speeds

Sports exhaust and front axle lift are must options for me.

What a video this is👏

For me it would be - manual gearbox, sports exhaust, sports chrono, rear wheel steering, and front axle lift.

Very enjoyable review Joe, thank you.

I would go for a T. Manual. Yes, I know, PDK is the faster car. T, adaptive sportsseats, liftsystem at the frontaxale, 90l fuel tank, adaptive lights (no Matrix, automatic dimming mirros, eletrical folding mirros, GT steering wheel in alcantara (racetex), surround cams, lane changing assist, dashcam preparation, Bose. The main question to burn money is color and interior trim. aetnablue plus the T-Interiorpackage And yes, the "naked" 911 is enough. Had one of these at the very beginning of the production for a week. White, no options. And missed nothing.

I'd just take nicer wheels and prob the Bose. Great work Joe.

I'd have a C2 Manual in red with the manual gearbox. I'd have to have cruise, but that's it. Luckily I still love my Vectra

The Color is perfect 💯

On top of the list for an allocation on the Carrera base, should happen in February 2024, get it spring/summer, now not to go over budget lol

Nice review from M-Head Man )) My daily driver is 991 TTS and I'm seriously thinking about winter daily between M3 G80 and RS4...(when I was younger I drove M3 E36, M Coupe, M5 E39, and S8, S4...)

Indeed, all the Porsche you'll ever need 😊

Adaptive cruise control. I live in California, where slower traffic drives in the passing lane.

Great review Joe! All the 911 you need. Such large price increases in such a short time period will either lead to discounts, or heavy depreciation in the future - unless they massively restrict supply.

As ever, great review Joe👏👏👏

Most of the 992 goodness is baked in to the base. Great engine but hobbled by the open diff. Smaller wheels and taller tires improve comfort but reduce grip. No manual available reduces driver involvement. No sports exhaust so maybe too quiet for some. I think actually that the S is the best overall road package. More power but not crazy like the Turbo S, manual option not available on Turbo or Turbo S, sports chrono allows suspension tuning on the go. Sports package upgrades the suspension further, bigger wheels means a larger contact patch for increased grip. If you ever drive challenging roads quickly that extra $15k over a base is well spent.

Just configured a 911 4 gts and the dealership wont let meconfigure without ~$20k in options and they made me agree to pay $20k over sticker

My must have options on a 911 are Bose sound system, moon roof, sport chrono, and PASM if available.

Thanks for the Michelin commercial

I agree Joe. The base car is so capable, especially as a road car.

Great review Joe, bought a base 992 10 months ago, had to wait a year. Bought the base so I could drive it and rev it out. The S was just tooo fast!

I would add the sports chrono package, and a moonroof/sunroof.

911T just to get the manual gearbox, and the sport design package, just to move up that rear bumper and make the rear of the car look a bit better!

My partner bought a base model carrera yesterday but with carrera s wheels . More than enough for th3 road.

I love these videos, and Joe is one of my favourite car KZfaqrs, but, I always cringe when he peels out from the side of the road and fires gravel everywhere. Not great for the paintwork. 😖

You have to have a Bose system in a 992. It’s very noisy in the cabin (mine is cabriolet). The Bose is a must have.