“The more things change, the more they stay the same,” goes a well-worn saying. For the literati among you, the adage is attributed to Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, who coined it in his journal Les Guêpes in 1849. Of course, he actually wrote “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.” Either way, some 26 years later, one Ferdinand Porsche, whose namesake sports cars are universally agreed upon to be among the best ever offered, was born.
The 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera keeps up its iconic mix of performance and luxury.
In a direct reflection of that credo, Herr Dr. Porsche’s most notable creation has benefited from a philosophy of evolution to morph into one of the most uniquely revolutionary automobiles in history. Here, I’m referring to Dr. Porsche’s iconic Volkswagen Type 1, which is affectionately known as the “Beetle.” That model has today morphed into one of the most fantastic grand touring sports cars ever created, the newly updated 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera.
Granted, every 911 ever crafted has been significantly more capable than that original Beetle. Still, the basic concepts underpinning both cars are the same. Each can claim good aerodynamics, light weight, and a powertrain configuration in which the engine is mounted in the rear.
Powertrains and Fuel Economy
Regarding the engine, the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera I sampled was powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged DOHC flat 6-cylinder engine. Employing direct fuel injection, an aluminum crankcase and heads, and integrated dry-sump lubrication, the powerplant is capable of generating 388 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 331 lb-ft of torque from 2,000 to 5,000 rpm. Porsche’s 8-speed dual clutch automated manual transmission feeds its output to the rear wheels.
According to the folks at the EPA, whose job it is to tell us these things, one can expect to see 18 mpg in the city, 25 on the highway and 21 overall — as long as you keep the 911 in the “normal” drive mode. Dial things up to Sport or Sport+ and unleash the full ferocity of the twin turbocharged flat 6 and predictably, those numbers will contract significantly. Still, I managed to eke out 20 mpg overall, according to the Carrera’s trip computer.
The 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera I sampled was powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged DOHC flat 6-cylinder engine.
Interior Accommodations
One of the most remarkable aspects of the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera is how well it inhabits the role of luxurious grand tourer. The Carrera’s interior accommodations are straight up first cabin all the way (well, mostly — I’ll come back to that in a bit).
Sumptuous materials upholstering an interior architecture that at once thoughtful, tasteful and unabashedly contemporary, give the 2025 Porsche Carrera’s passenger compartment an unmistakable aura of class and sophistication.
The passenger compartment of “my” 911 featured a full leather interior treatment, with seats swathed in two-tone Bordeaux Red and black hides. The suppleness of the leather was such that I ran my hands over it every time I got in the car to see if it was still that soft, or if it was engaging in selective retention (I was not).
By the way, the 911 can now be had as a strictly two-seat proposition, as buyers can now choose to eschew fitment of the vestigial rear jump seats for the first time in the history of the base model. This makes a huge difference in carpool situations in which four-seat cars must have at least three passengers to qualify.
Meanwhile, the 911’s rear seats were too small to transport three full-grown adults in comfort. Yes, one could make it work in a pinch, but I’d really rather not. While I’m on the subject of comfort, the Porsche’s 18-way adaptive sport seats offered outstanding comfort and support, as well as more than adequate leg, hip and shoulder room.
The 911 gets a 10.9-inch infotainment display, within which the operation of ancillary features can be managed.
Other changes for the 992.2 version of the venerable sports coupe include a fully digital dash for the first time ever. There is also now an engine start/stop button located on the left side of the steering wheel, where it belongs in a Porsche.
Comfort, Convenience & Safety Tech
As mundane as this might seem, one of the coolest (no pun intended) things about the Carrera for me was the chilled center console storage bin, with its integrated smartphone charging pad.
If you’ve ever had your phone overheated by one of those inductive charging devices, you’ll understand exactly what I mean. Every manufacturer out there would do well to crib off of Porsche in this regard.
As I mentioned before, the 911’s instrument panel is now a strictly digital affair. The good news is that it can be configured to mimic the five-dial layout of all previous 911 models, albeit with different readouts. What’s more, the tachometer can be rotated to display the 7,500 RPM redline at the top. The 911 also gets a 10.9-inch infotainment display, within which the operation of ancillary features can be managed. Happily, the HVAC and basic audio system controls are physical switches and dials — as the automotive gods always intended them to be.
The passenger compartment of “my” 911 featured a full leather interior treatment, with seats swathed in two-tone Bordeaux Red and black hides.
Apple CarPlay mirroring is standard and can be displayed in the instrument cluster if you’d like. Spotify and Apple music can be used natively, without pairing a phone. The new 911 will also stream video. In other words, this is a 21st century grand touring luxury car writ large.
Driving Impressions
My first half hour in the 2025 Carrera was spent in bumper-to-bumper commute traffic. While the situation had the potential to induce mind-bending frustration, it actually gave me an opportunity to experience an aspect of the 911’s personality I may have otherwise overlooked. The 992.2 Carrera can be an amazingly docile car when circumstances dictate.
Yes, the Porsche is capable of sprinting from zero to 60 mph in just over three seconds. Yes, the 911 is capable of running 12-second quarter miles. And yes, the Carrera has a top speed of 183 miles per hour (I’m told) — and yet, the 992.2 does not goad you into driving that way.
Ride quality was both smooth and supple. Noise levels in the “Normal” driving mode were just aggressive enough to hint at the Carrera’s performance potential, but I didn’t have to crank the audio system to hear my preferred medium of entertainment over it. And the luxury quotient was just high enough to foster patience in that situation. I know I’ve alluded to this several times previously, and I will say it once again. This is a luxurious grand touring sports car of the first order.
However, crank that drive mode dial into either of the sport settings, flip the switch on the dash to give the sport exhaust system permission to announce its presence to the world, and the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera delivers one o
Simply put, this luxurious GT car proved itself to also be one of the finest sports cars money can buy.
f the greatest sports car experiences you will ever know.
Throttle response was sharper than a Samurai’s Katana. The steering was so communicative, I’d have sworn the Porsche was a sentient being. And the eight-speed dual clutch transmission conducted itself with both abject obedience and near clairvoyance. There was also far more grip and braking potential than anyone would ever need on public roads.
The Bottom Line
Simply put, this luxurious GT car proved itself to also be one of the finest sports cars money can buy. And oh HELL yes, I liked it! Let’s put it this way — I love my wife, I really do — but not like the way I loved that 911. Pricing for the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera starts at $120,100. Price as tested for the model with which I spent one of the shortest weeks of my life was $144,445.
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