Porsche has a million different variants of its iconic 911, so you’ll be forgiven for not immediately knowing where each of them sits in the lineup. The 911 Carrera S is basically one step above the base model, bringing more standard power and luxury, but not quite as much of either as a GTS, and about half as much of both versus a Turbo. With the GTS recently moving to a hybrid powertrain making 532 horsepower, there’s room to give the S a little bit more. The new S is basically a re-do of the old GTS, which makes this whole thing about as clear as mud.
The new S still has its familiar 3-liter twin-turbocharged flat six engine, now boosted to 480 ponies (up from 450). To achieve this power, Porsche installed larger turbos and improved the efficiency of the car’s intercoolers. Visually the car has gained a “911 Turbo-based design” giving the 911 Carrera S a wider fender flare and more aggressive-looking bumpers. With improved grip and more power, the new Carrera S frons from 0-60 in 3.1 seconds (when equipped with the Sport Chrono package) and running on to 191 miles per hour.
From a performance perspective, the new 911 Carrera S also gets updated suspension damping with “optimized hydraulics more responsive and improve ride refinement” according to Porsche. You’ll also get the larger 408mm front brake rotors and 380mm rears that were reserved for the previous-generation GTS model. There’s no mention of a manual transmission for the S, and the only transmission option at the moment is an 8-speed PDK.
The new Carrera S gets a lot more standard features which were previously costly options. For starters, all Carrera S models come standard with Porsche Sport Exhaust, way more leather-wrapped surfaces in the interior. The Carrera S also comes standard as a two-seater, but you can option the rear seats free of charge if you need something on your 911 to be useless.
All of this “more” comes with a cost, especially from Porsche. The outgoing 911 Carrera S price ballooned up to a $114,400 MSRP last year, but for the 2025 model year it’s going to start at $148,395 for the coupe and $161,595 for a cabriolet. Those prices do not include a $1,995 delivery fee. I guess since the GTS has moved up in power and price, it only makes sense the S follow suit. I guess Porsche figures if you dorks are going to pay ADM to get your boring silver Carrera S anyway, they might as well get a piece of that money pie. If you want to order one now, Porsche says these will start delivering to customers in the spring.
