Porsche is finally facing heat from the competition and has decided to act towards it. No, it’s not some fancy, high-end model this time. In fact, Porsche is making its base strong and is looking to increase volumes with this model. The company from Stuttgart has introduced new ‘base trims’ for the 911 Carrera and the Cabriolet. These models are detuned versions of the current 911 Carrera S and 4S, and cost a lot less than them. Did Porsche come up with this idea because of the 2020 Corvette C8 hype?

There Is Barely Any Difference When Compared To The Higher ‘S’ Models

The introduction of the eighth-gen 911 Carrera Coupe and 911 Carrera Cabriolet comes almost a year after the 911 Carrera S and the Carrera 4S made their debut at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. Talking about these new models, they are very similar to the current entry-level 911 Carrera S and 4S. On the outside, everything is the same, except for the single exhaust rectangular tips on either side and the missing ‘S’ badge. So, that would make it even more similar to the higher S models. The other change, visually, is the smaller set of wheels. The new 911 Carrera twins feature 19-inch wheels at the front, wrapped in 235/40 ZR tires, and 20-inch wheels at the back, shod in 295/35 ZR tires. On the inside, the new 911 Carrera comes with a 10.9-inch touchscreen display and assistance systems such as the Porsche Wet Mode that ensures even safer handling.

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera specifications

The 20202 Porsche 911 Carerra Has New Turbos but the Same Engine

The biggest changes come in terms of the drivetrain specs. The 2019 Porsche 911 Carrera and Cabriolet are powered by the same 3.0-liter, six-cylinder, boxer engine that comes with new turbochargers. This engine is tuned to generate 379 horses and 331 pound-feet of torque. This is 20 horses more than the outgoing models. Power is sent to the wheels via an eight-speed automatic PDK transmission with paddle shifters. There is no manual gearbox, unfortunately. With this state of tune, the 911 Carrera sprints to 60 mph from a standstill in four seconds, before topping out at 182 miles per hour. Porsche offers an optional Sport Chrono Package, wherein the 0-60 mph figure drops down by 0.2 seconds to 3.8 seconds. The 911 Carrera Cabriolet, on the other hand, is 0.2 seconds slower than the 911 Carrera Coupe in standard form, and when equipped with the optional Sport Chrono Package. The speed also drops down to 180 mph, which is not a big difference in the real-world.

Is it Worth it to Buy a 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera or Should I Go for the Carerra S?

Porsche has equipped these two new models with Porsche Active Suspension Management, just like the higher 911 Carrera S and 4S models. oming to the pricing, the eighth-gen 911 Carrera starts at $97,400, while the convertible starts at $110,200. When compared to the S models, they are roughly $16,000 cheaper. This is significant savings I’d say, unless you really want the extra horses from the S models. If you don’t plan to take it to the track, the standard 911 Carrera twins should be just as fun to drive as the higher S models.

Final Thoughts

If you are hell-bent on getting a Porsche, it makes sense. But if you are open to switching brands, why not go for the new 2020 Corvette C8? With a starting price around $60,000, the Corvette C8 offers more bang for the buck in all sense. You’ll have to compromise with the handling to a large extent as Porsche’s handling is absolutely unmatched. But almost $40,000 for additional horses – 495 ponies on the Corvette C8 – sounds very tempting. The 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera and 911 Carrera Cabriolet are available to order now, but they will be reaching the showrooms only in the first quarter of 2020. Will Porsche 911 Carrera’s sales be affected by its new mid-engined rival from the Corvette stable? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera vs 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8

Further Reading

The 2020 Porsche 911 is Faster and More Powerful Than Ever Before

Read our full speculative review on the 2020 Porsche 911

Read our full review of the base, 2017 Porsche 911