2023 Porsche 911 Carrera : Look Ma! Frog-shaped yellow car

Singapore - Call me strange, but when asked about which of Porsche 911 variants would be my favourite, I usually gravitate toward the lower-spec models. That is because on the road, a “slower” 911 can be driven with less restraint. Truth to be said, and oddly, I have a liking for a very unlikely 911; and that would be a Targa 4. 

When Porsche introduced its predecessor, the 991, it was a marked improvement over the car that itself had replaced. Built upon all-new architecture, and utilising more aluminium in its build, the chassis was an important evolution of the 911. More aluminium aside, the wheelbase of the new car was extended by 100mm, which in-turn extensively improved the iconic sports car’s balance. Away from the bones, and into the cabin, the then-new 991 also had a more refined interior, boasting modern infotainment, and improved material quality.

And then years later, Porsche did as in Porsche does, and brought us the 992 - the next evolution in the 911 range. The new car is around 45mm wider, but more interestingly, even the base Carrera now gets a widened track up-front. For its shoes, an inch-up gloss black ($6789 extra for the black paint) 20-inch / 21-inch - front / rear staggered arrangement for its wheels. 

Evolving to the 992, that signature five-dial setup on the dashboard is now almost fully digital, versus just one digital dial before. But while going digital would mean that there is greater flexibility in what drive data you might want to display, I am glad that Porsche still retained a physical rev-counter. The new 11-inch infotainment screen is now set above the middle air-conditioning vents which is a logical move, since you would be tweaking that screen more than adjusting the vents.

While I put some miles on the clock, I must say that this Racing Yellow Carrera may be the most “affordable” of the 911 range, but a 911 which has less power and is less fast, doesn’t mean that it is anywhere less fun… Ok. Maybe I am stretching this. But as I mentioned earlier, over here, Carrera can be driven with less restraint, than more brutal offerings within the 911 range.

The Carrera’s 9A2 Evo 3.0 twin-turbocharged under-trunk flat-six, is primarily based on the one found in the previous 991.2. Over here, it is in a slightly higher state of tune, putting out 380hp and 450Nm. This is hooked-up to an 8-speed dual-clutch cog-box, which drives only the rear wheels.

Porsche Singapore have also thrown in the Sport Chrono Package for this very car, which adds a convenient drive mode selector on the steering wheel. The Sport Response button located in the middle of the wheel, when depressed sharpens the responsiveness of the engine and transmission, and in-turn quickens acceleration for a grand burst of 20 seconds. The resulting boost shaves 0.2 seconds off the Carrera’s standard 4.2 second century sprint time.

Interestingly, what has been left out, is that lovely Sport Exhaust System, to better vibe with the heightened performance. That aside, I am impressed by how effortlessly the engine spins up. Lower your right foot onto the throttle, and that singing six-cyl’s engine note quickly transitions into a howl, albeit a rather muted one (again because no Sport Exhaust). On the go, you could easily forget that you are building speed quite rapidly. The 8 transmission does a fine job of swapping out gears 8 times quicker than you can say ‘Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe’, with little to no break in drive delivery. Again base 911, but the drive is simply engaging.

There is also the part where the engine is at the rear, so the Carrera exhibits signature 911 handling characteristics. If you power out of a turn, you get that familiar bit of lightness up-front, while that rear-end seems to communicate that it has near-endless grip, egging you on to push even harder. That front-end feels more “glued”, and safer around corners, thanks to that wider front track which helps in reducing understeer. Very much like in the 991, you get heaps of whiz-bang to help keep the car in-check; very importantly idiot-proofing that rear-end from wanting to come around; that is if you are the sort who has that habit of (over) engine braking into a corner.

Away from that flurry finding perfect cornering lines along some winding road, where you are probably tame driving this “foot through the door 911”, you’d find that it is a very easy car to live with. While civilised most days, it will still put a smile on your face around the turns of Sepang.

PHOTOS & TEXT Clifford Chow

2023 Porsche 911 Carrera (992)

Engine 2981cc, twin-turbo, flat6
Power/rpm 380hp/6500rpm
Torque/rpm 450Nm/1950-5000rpm
Transmission 8spd PDK dual-clutch
0-100km/h 4secs (with Sport Chrono Package)
Top Speed 293km/h
Fuel Consumption 9l/100km
CO2 226g/km