2020 Porsche 911 Carrera is available in 8 trim levels: the Carrera and Carrera S coupes along with their AWD and cabriolet variants. Each Porsche 911 Carrera trim packs a 3.0L twin-turbo flat-six engine. However, the power and torque delivered are of two types. The engine delivers 370 hp and 331 lb.-ft. of torque for the basic Carrera trims. Upgrading to the S trims grants you 420 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque to play around with. A premium of $12,000 upgrades the coupes to their convertible counterparts. This gives you the ability to take the roof down in under 12 seconds whilst moving at speeds up to 30 mph.

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There are just so many options one can choose for the Porsche 911 Carrera. While all the S models have more power and torque along with other feats, all cabriolets come with a convertible feature. Priced at $105,100, Carrera S provides the most value for money.

"If anyone ever asks you how much car $100,000 can buy, tell them to look no further than the 2020 Porsche 911. Objectively a strong performer and subjectively a joy to drive, it's worth every last penny." -Car and Driver

Engine and Transmission

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera makes use of a Twin-Turbocharged 3.0L Boxer 6-Cylinder engine. The drivetrain in all Porsche 911 Carrera trims is Rear-Wheel Drive. The power and torque delivered by the engine are different for Carrera base trims and Carrera S trims. For the former, the power and torque are 370 hp and 331 lb.-ft. While for the latter, the engine delivers 420 hp and 368 lb.-ft. of torque.

Almost all the cars for this price range offer higher power figures. For about $40,000 less you can get the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. It has a behemoth 797-horsepower V8, making it the most powerful production road-legal car currently available in the US. However, as the 911 Carrera goes on to prove, brute force is not everything.

Acceleration

Having a 4.2-second acceleration time for hitting the 60 mph mark is impressive. However, it is the slowest among the competition, led by Nissan GT-R with 2.9 seconds. The same feat is 3.5 seconds and 3.9 seconds for Audi TT RS and Mercedes-Benz AMG-GT, respectively.

Even though the Porsche 911 marginally underperforms when compared to its rivals in this segment, it would save you a lot of money long term as far as EPA taxes are concerned. Its tiny engine has lower emissions than other sports cars in this segment, which translates well into good mpg numbers as well. This makes the Porsche 911 Carrera the perfect combination of a comfortable cruiser and an exciting speedster.

Ride and Handling

Riding the Porsche 911 Carrera has always been a joy for the lovers of speed. Officially known as the Porsche Active Suspension Management, driver-adjustable adaptive dampers are available in all 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera trims. It offers two modes, Normal and Sport.

Moreover, Carrera offers brake-based torque vectoring and rear-wheel steering. These are excellent agility-enhancing options without losing control, even to the slightest. The one-of-its-kind power-steering system in 911 Carrera delivers a steady road feel. Also, the driver gets precise info on the situation of the front tires.

Braking

Porsche 911 Carrera features a well-balanced braking system. Both the front and the rear brakes are 13 inches. This is the smallest brake size in the competition but it is the 911's weight, or lack of it, that gets it the advantage. It stops dead from 60 mph within 96 feet, way before any other car in this segment. The brakes also have just the right travel and the compact dimensions of the car help greatly to keep it on a leash at all times.

The Merc and Audi might feature bigger brakes, but their immense weight spread over a long wheelbase diminish their braking performance. Even the mighty Godzilla fails to match up to the 911's braking performance, despite the fact that it is a track-bred supercar-killer with excellent AWD.

Obviously, fuel economy doesn't factor in purchasing high-performance cars to the likes of Porsche 911 Carrera. Nonetheless, having an above average economy is certainly better. The latest entry into the Porsche 911 Carrera delivers a 20 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on highways. Together, it delivers an impressive fuel economy of 23 mpg, which is far better than its contemporaries.

While the Mercedes-Benz AMG-GT and Nissan GT-R deliver a combined fuel economy of 18 mpg, Audi TT RS max out on 17 mpg.

"The 2020 Porsche 911 is supremely equipped for up to two people with exceptional materials and fit and finish." -The Car Connection

Seating and Comfort

The 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera ties with the Nissan GT-R in terms of passenger capacity, which is 4. Audi TT RS and Mercedes-Benz AMG-GT can accommodate only 2 persons. The Porsche 911 Carrera has a well-built and comfortable passenger volume of 70 ft. cube. This is much greater than the 50 ft. cube offered by R8. Nonetheless, Nissan GT-R and Mercedes-Benz AMG-GT offers more passenger volume of 79 and 86 ft. cube, respectively.

Infotainment System

The infotainment system integrated with the Porsche 911 Carrera is almost monochromatic and chic. It blends in effortlessly with other controls on the dashboard. While navigating the several available menus are easy, the display performance is somewhat snippy at times. The 2017 iteration of the Carrera introduced the simplified on-screen menu and on-screen shortcuts, which are now enhanced.

Cargo Capacity

Cargo capacity isn't much of a concern in sports cars. For Porsche 911 Carrera, it is merely 5.1 cube ft. This is less than the competition, where Mercedes-Benz AMG-GT has the most of 10.1 cube ft. Audi TT RS and Nissan GT-R offer a cargo volume of 8.0 and 8.8 cubes ft., respectively.

Interior Features

The interior of the Carrera is specifically designed to allow the passengers to enjoy the coupe's powerful performance. And with each iteration, it keeps on getting better and better. The inside of the 2020 avatar of the legendary sports car features:

• Several new two-tone seat options, including Black and Chalk with Guards Red stitching
• Greater customization with Porsche's Exclusive program
• Enhanced interior air filter
• A new page in the instrument digital readout, displaying cabin air circulation

"The 2020 Porsche 911’s performance is perfect, regardless of model." -The Car Connection

The Porsche 911 Carrera flaunts to have the lightest build, with a total curb weight of 3153 lbs. This is over 500 lbs. less than the Mercedes-Benz AMG-GT and even lesser than that of Audi TT RS and Nissan GT-R. Dimension-wise, Carrera has 177.1 inches, 71.2 inches and 50.9 inches of length, width and height, respectively. The length and width of Carrera are less than that of AMG-GT and GT-R but greater than that of the sleek Audi TT RS.

Exterior Features

The Porsche 911 offers a great amount of variation in Carrera and Carrera S trims, however, the iconic shape remains the same. Enduring an entire half-century is something remarkable that the Carrera body styling has achieved. It is actually a mesh of coupe, convertible and Targa body styles. New to the exterior of the 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera is:

• A unique graphic on the side

• Front lip spoiler and gray exterior mirror caps

• 20-inch wheels option

• A new white hue, dubbed Chalk available for $3150

Safety and reliability are of the essence to any sports car, to which the Porsche 911 Carrera is no exception. In addition to having 4-wheel ABS, the 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera comes with 4-wheel disc brakes. Brakes assist and electronic stability control are also available in addition to the DRL (Daytime Running Lights).

Additionally, the racing coupe has auto-leveling headlights, blind-spot monitor and lane departure warning system as important safety measures.

Safety Features

• Driver Front and Side Airbags
• Passenger Front and Side Airbags
• 4-Wheel ABS
• 4-Wheel Disc Brakes
• Emergency Brake Assist
• Electronic Stability Control
• Daytime Running Lights
• Integrated Turn Signal Mirrors
• Traction Control
• Blind Spot Monitor
• Auto-Leveling Headlights
• Lane Departure Warning

Porsche 911 Carrera vs Audi TT RS

Audi TT RS is one of the economic racing car options, priced at $64,900. However, it is worth that money especially because of its powerful 2.5L FSI engine that delivers 540 hp of power and 398 lb.-ft. of torque. The 0-60 MPH acceleration time is also impressive at 3.5 seconds. Moreover, it makes a quarter-mile distance in just 10.9 seconds, best than any other racing coupe.

Porsche 911 Carrera vs Mercedes-Benz AMG-GT

Mercedes-Benz AMG-GT is capable to deliver 469 hp of solid power and 465 lb.-ft. of torque. All thanks to the Handcrafted AMG 4.0L V8 bi-turbo engine. Acceleration time of 3.9 seconds from 0-60 MPH isn't impressive and CO2 emission value of 9.8 is not also good. However, it has a great ground clearance of 4.9 inches, about 0.6 inches more than that of the 911 Porsche Carrera.

The 2020 Porsche Carrera remains largely unchanged. Unlike the Ferarri belief of redesign, Porsche believes in evolving their present lineup and perfecting their craft of automaking with each iteration. As the years have passed the 911 series has come a long way since its birth in 1963 and the 2020 911 sets the benchmark for sports cars. One of the lightest and most fuel-efficient cars the Porsche is a great option for both serious and casual petrolheads alike.