As this is written, there’s a 2015-registered 911 Carrera 3.0 PDK with 28,000 miles and full Porsche service history advertised for £59,895. It’s an early example of the facelifted Porsche 911 launched in 2015. At close to £60,000, it’s not something you’d buy on a whim, although it’s certainly cheaper than it was new, when it would have cost £76,400.
Better still, like so many 911s, it’s not in standard trim. Instead, it has uprated wheels, a Bose sound system and the Sport Chrono package that takes the chassis, engine and transmission to new levels of responsiveness.
It’s a great example of the facelifted 991-series 911, whose most notable advance was the adoption of a 3.0-litre flat six engine fed by twin turbochargers. In standard Carrera trim, it produces 365bhp and has 20bhp and 44lb ft more than the naturally aspirated 3.4 that preceded it. The Carrera S uses the same engine but with bigger compressors to produce 414bhp and the same margins of improvement over its 3.8-litre forebear. If you find yourself poking around 2015-reg cars unsure whether you’re looking at pre- or post-facelift 911s, the latter have bigger engine grilles and extra vents to keep those big blowers cool.
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Of the two facelifted versions, the more powerful Carrera S is, naturally, the more thrilling and also the more numerous. New, it cost almost £86,000, or £10,000 more than the Carrera, but today that gap has narrowed to the point that you can snag a pukka 2016-reg Carrera S PDK with 25,000 miles and full Porsche service history for £62,500.
The car we’re thinking of has £20,000 of options fitted to it as well, including adaptive sports seats, interior carbon package, Sport Chrono, illuminated privacy glass… It’s a good example of how, when shopping for a 911, more than comparing prices, it pays to compare specifications, too.
