997 Carrera vs Carrera S

sebba · 8 Jun 2017

Hi all - I know there is a lot written about this but just wanted to get some opinions...

I know the S comes with a lot of standard extras (Xenons, PASM, bigger brakes etc) but if you were to source a reasonably kitted out Carrera - is there really much between the cars?

My logic being, given the age of the cars (say you get a 2005 car) - its probably due some routine work done to it so is it worthwhile paying up for a marginally cheaper Carrera and then making some choice upgrades (possibly making it better than a standard Carrera S?)

My main questions actually lie in the suspension department - i get no PASM on most carreras but what other upgrades can be done to a Carrera to make it better? and can you keep it inside 1k?

apologies for the long winded post....just airing my thoughts and probably not in the most elegant way....

Les · 8 Jun 2017

The 3.8 is lower and has nice twin tail pipes.
It's a tiny bit faster (unless one has the PDK) and often has more extras.
My Gen2 3.6 PDK accelerates faster than a gen1 3.8 manual.

There are more 3.8's in the UK than 3.6's, so more to choose from. It's the other way round in Europe.

The 3.6, on the other hand, is normally more reliable especially the Gen1 as there are fewer instances of borescore - but it still happens on the Gen1's.
It also has better MPG (I once got 41mpg out of mine) and is (in the case of my Gen2) on the lower TAX bracket (298pa).

The standard suspension on the 3.6 is somewhere in between the settings on the 3.8 - bit harsher than the normal setting but not as tight as sports mode. Both stick to the road like S**t to a blanket.

If you're going to use it as a weekend car I'd go for a 3.8, if you're using it every day like me then 3.6.

GT4 · 8 Jun 2017

The Carerra std steel suspension is possibly more linear than PASM.

I always found PASM too soft or too hard (ie just one averaged non-PASM shock setting would probably be best suited to UK roads)

Or go the whole hog and fit P17 sports (steel) suspension with further 10mm drop over Carrera S ride height.

CarreraMonkey · 8 Jun 2017

Nothing wrong with a carrera that's for sure.

From what I hear PASM is a harsh ride on the road anyway, and I love the ride on my wifes 3.6 carrera.

Is the other stuff (engine brakes, lights worth the premium) worth the premium? That's down to your own opinion and how you value them.

No help at all I know. :lol:

Martian · 8 Jun 2017

GT4 said:
....I always found PASM too soft or too hard (ie just one averaged non-PASM shock setting would probably be best suited to UK roads.

I found the 'normal' setting ok but 'Sport' too hard for UK use. Spending ~£1K on a TPC module has brought the PASM up to date though, no more 'too soft or too hard' complaints from users now.

I'd rather a good condition Carrera over a ropey S any day.

resigner · 8 Jun 2017

PASM is almost pointless on UK roads as it just stiffens the car to make it bounce around on the awful road surfaces we have. I tend to turn sport chrono on when pushing harder but instantly turn the PASM back off!

Not sure what you can add to a 3.6 car to make it worthwhile. I would suggest getting a good S in the first place, one which has been looked after. That will get you the money back much easier than a modded 3.6 which is a rather niche product........

GT4 · 8 Jun 2017

+1

Buy a nice clean example of either

Not meant to imply don't do mods per se, just don't mod a Carrera to be an S (although do buy a Carrera with S type factory options, like Bi-Xenons etc, if you can)

Just to complicate matters, I'd want a 997.1 Carrera cheaper than a 997.1 Carrera S, but would happily spend more for a 997.2 Carrera over a 997.1 Carrera S

(That may sound initially obvious, due to spread of ages etc, but I mean even if the cars were the same age and mileage)

MaxA · 8 Jun 2017

If your main concern is the suspension, then you might be better off with a 997.2 Carrera without PASM, so that you can fit a nice set of Ohlins R&T for proper handling. If you do get a car with PASM, you're going to have to spend quite a chunk on the TPC Racing DSC module to get the best out of the PASM, which is often either too soft or too hard. The problem however with a set of Ohlins is that they cost more than a grand, so you may struggle with your budget, if you also want to retrofit bigger brakes and xenons.

sebba · 8 Jun 2017

thanks guys - so many useful replies & pretty much confirmed my thoughts ...

If you can find a decent spec'ed carrera at a fair discount to a carrera S - there is no reason not to get it and use any loose change for upgrades...

say Carrera for 17-18k (with some nice upgrades - 19's, twin exhaust pipes etc) vs 21-22k for a Carrera S and spend 5-6k on upgrades

duly noted on getting a 997.2 carrera though.....may look into that..

nigel99 · 8 Jun 2017

I suggest getting and S over a non-S. I don't know of any owners of S cars that wished they had a non-s, but I'm sure there are plenty the other way round.

There are some C2's out there with PASM so you could limited your search for one of those if you were worried. I drove a Cayman on 19inch wheels without PASM for 4 years. You soon get used to the ride!

Even a C2S with PASM will feel the road. It's not the comfort of a Mercedes S class, but the ride is part of the charm\fun.

GT4 · 8 Jun 2017

I have a non-S, and if the last 0.2 seconds to sixty was that important, I'd probably run straight to a Turbo.

There are suggestions the 3.6 is the sweeter block (certainly on the DFI units)

Spec check here:

https://photos.stuttcars.info/upload/2015/02/16/911-997CarreraMk1-DE.pdf

http://coochas.com/brochures/Resources/997FullBrochure.pdf

tom_nieto · 8 Jun 2017

I think what you'll find when you're looking is that there are loads more 3.8 cars to choose from than the 3.6. It may be difficult to find a well spec'd 3.6 no matter what your budget is. Suspension and brakes can be tweaked to your hearts content but I personally wouldn't buy a 3.8 for the suspension alone. If you buy a bog standard 3.6 you might also miss out on upgraded headlights, sports exhaust, chrono and sports seats unless you're lucky. It depends on what your exact priorities are - if you're only interested in it for track use then but the cheapest, most basic 3.6 and get to work on the suspension and (possibly) brakes and ignore the rest. Perhaps look at a 3rd radiator, but spend the rest on fuel. If you're after an all rounder I think you'll get a much nicer 3.8 and it won't cost you a whole load more cash.

A facelift 3.6 with all the right options is a very good car and with PDK it's faster than the pre facelift 3.8. If your budget is low 20's you'll struggle to get a later car I think.

Phil 997 · 8 Jun 2017

Interesting Question OP
I brought a totally bog standard lowish spec gen1 3.6 in very good condition (advantage being hardly anyone buys a 3.6 if they intend to thrash the car so you get a nice driven carefully car) and by the time I had finished if was faster than a 3.8 gen1

Brakes, fitted braded brake lines big improvement in stopping as no softening on hard braking
Suspension, lowered on techart springs and spaced so it didnt matter that the 3.6 started life 10mm higher than an S this combined with no PASM gave a very nice ride
fitted semi solid engine mounts so the car sat flat and low into bends no movement from the hung engine in the rear.
power, fitted GT3 throttlebody /plem , sports induction , remap, 4" underdrive pulley. this added the power while also getting rid of the flat spots that are in the rev range of both the 3.6 and 3.8 so a smooth linear power delivery.
sound, the car had std exhaust to be honest the PSE isnt much better without a tweak. fitted a topgear valvetronic exhaust X51 stainless headers and 200 cell big bore cats. this reduced weight increased gas exit and added more power and a much better exhaust note that could be turned on or off like PSE but controllable unlike PSE without mods .
Yes if I had done all this to a 3.8 it would nave been faster than doing it to a 3.6 but by choosing a 3.6 I started with a potentially less of a hard life car. and as you say they are cheaper with a stronger engine than the S in GEN 1 form .
I sold it a couple of weeks ago after owning for 4 years and adding 50k miles for 3k more than I paid for it. the mods that I didnt remove and add to my new car cost about 6k so I had 4 years fun and enjoyment of doing this project for 3k added to this the 3k of servicing and repairs over that time. so for £125 a month I enjoyed huge grin 911 ownership with only fuel and tax/ins to add to that.
As you might be able to guess I am all in favour of buying a 3.6 and adding the bits you want the interior metal trim is volcano grey not galvarno silver but that can be changed though ebay for less than £100 the dials are black not silver/white again very easy to change as are adding the twin tips to the exhaust , you can do as much or as little as you want to personalise the car.
I will post a pic of the car as I brought it and a pic of the car as I sold it after 4 years and only sold it because I fell for a aqua gen2 lol. very spontaneous purchase , hope that helps with your thoughts any questions feel free to ask.
but as you can see you can do anything to these cars and have a load of fun doing it :grin: :thumb:

askgeez · 8 Jun 2017

What's your budget mate ?? :dont know:

A good gen2 non S can be had for reasonable money, and as pointed out, is quicker than a gen 1 "S". :?:

James M-S · 8 Jun 2017

I'm more than happy with my gen2 3.6. It has Xenons and the red brakes. It's plenty fast enough and fun enough for me.

I don't think a 3.8 corners any faster than a 3.6, and that's where the fun is... if I wanted simply pull your face off acceleration, I'd get another motorbike.

Gen1 vs Gen2 was way more important to me than 3.6 or 3.8.

You can find decent Gen2 c2 manuals for £35k from decent Indys.

997 Carrera vs Carrera S

New member

Sao Paulo

Nordschleife

Mugello

Singapore

Barcelona

Nordschleife

Magny-Cours

New member

Mexico City

Nordschleife

Montreal

Le Mans

Attachments

Albert Park

Barcelona

Similar threads

Porsche Model Range

Porsche 911

Porsche Hypercars

Other Current Porsche Model

Porsche Legacy Models

Forum statistics