Although we have a couple gripes with
the 992’s interior, there’s no doubt its
modernization is an overall success.Starter Kit
A
s my garage door went up and the
morning light bathed the car’s taut
and cohesive curves, I said to myself,
“This would never get old.” Instead of
hopping right into the 2020 Porsche 911
Carrera, I paused to reflect on how simple,
restrained, and unmistakable the Carrera
coupe’s form is—yet how much thought
and work went into its shape.
All those compound curves, one flowing
into another, positive and negative spaces,
and there isn’t a single flat surface. There’s
no bolt-on “jewelry,” no character lines
or sheetmetal creases. The whole car is a
jewel and gesture in and of itself. Name
another car with so few design details that
looks as good. There isn’t a bad angle. It’s
sculpture you can drive.
The 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera is the
eighth (or 992) generation 911, and of
those, we’ve now driven three variants: the
Carrera S that won our 2019 Best Driver’s
Car competition, the Carrera 4S for those
who would benefit from all-wheel drive,
and the incomprehensibly great Turbo S
that rightly leaps into supercar territory.Naturally, each has a related but distinct
personality. So where does this so-called
“base” 911 land in terms of character and
driving experience? Say you are limited by
budget to only just afford the bottom-trim- Is it worth it?
Simply put, it is perhaps the most
cohesive sports car of the bunch, the
Goldilocks “juuust right” 911—at least that
we’ve driven so far. The way it drives can
best be described as “pure.” The driver
isn’t in awe of the engine; it’s just back
there, ready and willing.
Unlike the 640-hp Turbo S, with its
tremendous power and athleticism, I
found myself using more of the power
more of the time, keeping the revs above
the magical 5,000-rpm zone where
the engine’s torque hands the duties
of acceleration to horsepower. The
standard steel brakes are progressive
and easy to predict and thus modulate.FIRST DRIVE I 2020 Porsche 911 CarreraWords Chris Walton
Photographs Darren Martin52 MOTORTREND.COM SEPTEMBER 2020