Porsche knows variety is the spice of life by offering the 911 in numerous flavors, but you can't go wrong by sticking to the "simple" Carrera with rear-wheel drive. Zuffenhausen's ace of base is no slouch by any means since it'll still outrun most cars on the Autobahn without breaking a sweat. A new video shot on an unrestricted section of the German highway shows the entry-level variant being pushed hard, all the way up to its top speed.
Porsche has different standards for what an entry-level version stands for, so even the rear-wheel-drive Carrera delivers thrilling acceleration at full throttle. With a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.2 seconds (or 4.0 seconds if the Sport Chrono Package is installed), the cheapest 911 is plenty quick. Flat out, it does 182 mph (293 km/h), although the digital speedometer of this car shows a slightly higher velocity.
Porsche 911 Carrera Spy Photos
Indeed, we can see the 911 Carrera doing 194 mph (312 km/h), but modern speedometers tend to show a slightly higher speed. In reality, the car was likely traveling at speeds closer to what it says in the official technical specifications sheet. Mind you, the base model only has 379 horsepower to work with, so it's impressively fast considering the lesser specification of the flat-six engine.
At 518 hp, the new GT3 RS has an extra 139 hp at its disposal and we're hearing the hybrid GT2 RS could smash the 700-hp barrier. The Carrera is substantially down on power, but it's easier to live with daily thanks to its more forgiving suspension. It's also a lot cheaper as Porsche is asking $114,400 for the basic 911 whereas the GT3 RS is more than double, at $241,300. Needless to say, the GT2 RS will be even costlier.
The great thing about the 911 lineup is that Porsche has a version for everyone (well, everyone that can afford a 911 that is). It's impossible not to find the sweet spot in the sports car's vast range, which now also includes a high-riding Dakar version.
