The big problem with the 2020 Porsche 992 911 Carrera 4S

I suspect that by the time MWS is done, the last review written, this site will be filled to the brim with 911s. They make so many, across so many years, and in so many flavors. I’m sure a majority will score high – there is no substitute, after all.

But I have to tell you that so far, I do not want one.

The 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Overview

In 1964, Porsche introduced the 911. They sold this car until 1989 when the 964 911 finally took over. Over the course of those 25 years, the car became iconic.

Why is happened is sort of a big duh. Sports cars of the time, like the C2 Corvette, were impractical, uncomfortable, unreliable, and not all that exciting to drive. The 911 added a back seat and an engine over the wheels that needed more traction, and it used Volkswagen Beetle parts so production costs were kept down.

It’s not a revolutionary concept. Porsche simply did it first.

But this isn’t 1964 anymore, is it? Mid-engine cars are actually the preferred layout – Porsche themselves admitted as such with the Cayman. The flat-six engine isn’t the answer, otherwise more than just Porsche would make it. And the shape of cars has changed. If BMW can make an M3 with a gigantic grill become a success, why is Porsche stuck making this over and over again *points at 992*?

All of this is a digression, I suppose. The current 992 came out in 2020, and this 4S model gets really close to offering a Turbo experience without the Turbo badge. It’s really good.

But then it better be – this car costs an eye-watering $192,160, with some $60,000 in options tacked on. No matter how good it is, it’s hard to justify spending that amount on something that isn’t a GT3.

Let’ try to pull the price and performance apart.

Performance Score: 9. Fast that makes you Furious

You’ll read this part and probably go, “What’s wrong with it, you dummy?”. Nothing. It’s perfect.

And it’s boring.

Engine

Don’t like the motor. Nope. Come at me, bro.

First, this 911 is very fast, but it’s not $200,000 fast. 3.4 seconds to sixty is very good, but an M5 CS does it in 2.8. Big gap.

You know the MWS deal – it’s not about numbers, but feel. And I don’t like how the 3-liter flat-six feels. It’s gruff – you need to grab it by the back of the neck and wring it out, but it’s not a particularly enjoyable event. The sound is flat-six, but wouldn’t you rather have the Corvette Z06’s engine singing behind you? It’s not even close.

BMW builds a better turbo motor too – smoother, faster, more enjoyable. Maybe leaving the base models as naturally aspirated would have helped (think Cayman GTS), but as it stands, it’s not an exotic motor, and thus not a special experience. What if we put the S58 from the M4 CS in here? Now we’re talkin’.

Transmission

In 2020 when the 992 first arrived, a seven-speed manual was an option. But this year, Porsche said nein – you can no longer have ze manual! So unless you get a GT3 RS, you’re currently out of luck. They say it’ll come back to all 911s in 2027.

Doesn’t matter though, because this one has the wonderful eight-speed Doppelkupplung, Porsche-speak for their dual-clutch transmission.

It remains the best automatic transmission you can buy, and its quick reflexes in either automatic or manual mode are snap-your-neck fast. Shifter shape is weird – you gotta finger it to get it going. Awkward if you’re on a first date.

Anyway, the manual is also the best of its kind, making this a very difficult choice on the used market. For what it’s worth, adding a stick might bring along a dose of personality, something this 911 needs more of.

Chassis and Steering

The 992 eschews the front struts of old, and in its place is a double wishbone setup that greatly improves the front-end stability and response of the car. I loved it on the GT3, and it’s the same thing here. It makes such a difference that I would not even consider a 991.

With a normal and Sport mode, the car has a real dual personality. Leave it alone, and the 4S feels calm, composed, and…boring. I get it, we do want our sports car to be comfy, but if you leave the 4S in that mode, you might as well get a Panamera.

Sport mode stiffens the responses and makes the chassis more willing to play – I’d never take it out of here, even if the ride becomes rough. This car does include PASM, Porsche’s sport suspension that lowers the car 10mm. Feels like a must-have.

The 992 adds optional four-wheel steering, and it’s imperceptible in the way it operates. Low speeds make the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to help maneuvers, while highway speeds make them turn in the same direction for stability. The same perfect steering feel and response remains – really every car should steer like this.

All this adds up to a technically proficient sports car that I can find no flaws with. Add a lightweight chassis by modern standards, and the issues with this basic 992 aren’t in the chassis.

Brakes

We speak of options that are out of control, but if you’re going to spend, spend where it matters. The optional carbon ceramic brakes on this 911 are an $8,970 option, yet well worth it.

First, if you plan on keeping this car street bound and never turn a wheel on a track, they should last a lifetime. But they also work so well, with a progressive and firm pedal feel that gives you confidence to go faster. Of course they won’t fade either, adding an extra element of safety.

Lifestyle Score: 4. Need coffee

2+2 cars don’t really exist anymore. If they design something modern like a BRZ, it’s usually with a modicum of practicality in mind. In the 911, we’re stuck with the shape.

So what do we get? A back seat small enough that anyone too old to be strapped into a car seat won’t be going with you. A frunk that’s fine for food shopping but really not much else. Of course, no trunk like a Cayman might offer. Fine.

In the front row, skip the carbon fiber bucket option so you can have these Adaptive Sport seats (they adjust 18 ways). They are more comfortable, still look good, and won’t have you walking like Edgar the alien from Men in Black after your drive. However, you still need to fork over $3,470.

Elsewhere inside, it’s pretty spartan. The cup holders are hidden in the dash, and like the BMW E92 offer minimal support for big cups. Plus it’s like, far from the driver. Come on Porsche, I need my morning coffee!

Fuel Economy: 5. Stuck in a corner

As I write this review in early September, Porsche has stopped taking orders for the ICE-powered Cayman and Boxster.

What I’m about to say is controversial and for a million reasons not feasible, but Porsche killed the wrong sports car. The Cayman is the better packaged car of the two, and one of the few mid-engine sports cars left (well, not any more I guess). It already has the motor in the right place.

Instead we have the 911 solider on. It gets 20 combined MPG, and that’s very nice all things considered. You actually don’t pay any price for adding four-wheel drive or an “S” badge – all 911s with a PDK get the same mileage (manuals are a little worse). Thank the car’s relatively light 3,487-pound curb weight, because overall it’s tuned aggressively. 

Features and Comfort: 7. More of the same

You know that scene in Back to the Future, where Marty’s mom kisses him?

“When I kiss you, it’s like I’m kissing…my brother.”

That’s the 992 911 – when I sit inside, it’s like I’m sitting inside…an Audi.

Hope you like brown

You can’t get an Audi this nice inside. No, wait – I lied. You can get an Audi even nicer than this, and it’s at a store with a bull on the front of it.

The 911 suffers from the same issue as most other modern cars – they all look the same inside. Some things, like the 911-specific dial layout, are a nice touch. But for the most part you could be in any Porsche. I know the Corvette isn’t nearly as nice inside, but it sure doesn’t look like any other Chevy in there either.

But what’s here is really nice. And really expensive. This is Club Leather in Truffle Brown ($5,340, please). The roof is all Alcantara ($1,360), but the sun visors are not included ($590). Night vision ($2,540) is probably something you can skip. Why is Surround View a $1,430 option on a car costing over $120k? How about door sills in Dark Silver Aluminum ($900)? Yes, this is a fully-loaded 4S example, but some of the things here should be standard. I find it insulting.

The leather is butter soft though, and everything is so precise to the touch, like you’re inside a wrist watch. Porsche gets it too – the dash might be digital, but the tach is still a good ol’ fashioned dial. The infotainment works well and is nicely integrated. No BMW Times Square overload here.

As a final nod to nostalgia, the ignition remains on the left of the steering wheel. Grab the key knob looking thing and give it a twist. So satisfying. 

Hips do lie

For the 992, Porsche has decreed that all 911s will now have Turbo hips. Good news if you are buying a base Carrera, but everyone else is going to let out a collective sigh. One less thing to differentiate.

Painted Gentian Blue Metallic ($550), it’s a very pretty shade that’s available on any Porsche, if such things bother you. But the outside is just as egregiously priced as the inside – that paint is the cheapest option. From a carbon fiber roof to RS Spyder Design wheels, everything is à la carte and thus overpriced.

But if you don’t spend at least a little, you might regret it. LED Matrix headlights, a front-axle lift system (a must-have, in this author’s opinion), window trim in high-gloss black…bring money. It’s hard to say no.

Other sport cars to consider

• 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
• 2025 BMW M4 CS
• 2023 Porsche 911 GT3
• 2018 Porsche 911 Turbo S
• 2024 Lexus RC-F Track Edition

The 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S isn’t enough because it’s too much

A sports car is like a bikini. Not practical, usually not cheap, and purchased because you think you look good in one. And anything you can buy that makes you feel good about yourself is precious – life is hard. Enjoy yourself.

So I can’t fault anyone for buying a 911.

Perhaps you’ve grown up always admiring one too. But the target has moved now – you don’t want a 911, you want a GT3. Everything else is a consolation prize. Now this 911 Carrera 4S is a helluva consolations prize to be sure, but one that costs nearly $200,000.

Relish the perfectly balanced chassis, the gruff tug of that flat-six, and the feedback of perfect steering and brakes. Enjoy the fact that nothing should make you grumpy for daily duties, something far too few 911 owners participate in. But the 992 is cold. Clinical. Stuck in some of its 1964 ways. 

Love the car for what it is – one of the best sports cars on the planet. It probably always will be. But it isn’t the best sports car.

I’m afraid for what these now cost, the 911 needs to be.

Thank you Scott for always bringing the best Porsches!