Used 2015 Porsche 911

After half a century in existence, the Porsche 911’s profile is iconic and its handling has set the benchmark for a legion of rivals that range from the venerable Chevrolet Corvette to up-and-comers like the Jaguar F-Type. Over the years, Porsche has taken evolutionary vs. revolutionary steps, gradually increasing the capability and civility of this rear-engine coupe and convertible. The approach has paid off, with today’s 911 boasting exceptional performance and refinement. Now encompassing nearly 20 models, the 2015 Porsche 911 selection spans from the "base" $85,000 rear-wheel-drive Carrera coupe to the nearly $200,000 Turbo S all-wheel-drive cabriolet. There are a dizzying amount of 911s to keep track of, so here’s a breakdown of models and their base prices. No matter which you choose, you’ll get an iconic sports car with power and provenance.

Porsche 911 Carrera, starting at $85,295
This "base" 911 is still a world-class sports car. Powered by a 350-horsepower 3.4-liter flat-6 engine, it can hit 0-60 mph in as little as 4.2 seconds.

Porsche 911 Carrera 4, starting at $92,025
The "4" represents all-wheel drive, which enhances traction. Otherwise this model uses the same powertrain as the base Carrera.

Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, starting at $97,195
All the goodness of the Carrera coupe, but in open-air convertible form.

Porsche 911 Carrera S, starting at $99,895
The "S" signifies more power and a larger 6-cylinder engine, in this case 400 horsepower from 3.8 liters.

Porsche 911 Targa 4, starting at $102,595
The Targa has a sophisticated system that automatically tucks the mid-portion of the roof behind the fixed-glass rear window. This base Targa comes with all-wheel drive and the 350-horsepower, 3.4-liter engine.

Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet, starting at $103,925
This 911 marries all-wheel drive for confidence in all seasons, and a convertible top to drop when those seasons are ripe for naturally breezy motoring.

Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, starting at $106,625
This 911 coupe adds all-wheel-drive performance to the additional power of the Carrera S.

Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet, starting at $111,795
The more-powerful Carrera S in rear-wheel-drive, convertible form.

Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, starting at $115,195
The newest member of the 911 family extracts yet more horsepower – 430 – from the naturally-aspirated 3.8-liter engine and boasts other performance hardware.

Porsche 911 Targa 4S, starting at $117,195
This Targa variant boasts the more powerful 3.8-liter 6-cylinder of the S models and all-wheel drive.

Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet, starting at $118,525
The extra horsepower of the S models, the all-wheel-drive system of the 4, and the soft-top convertible of a Porsche 911 Cabriolet, all wrapped in one vehicle.

Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS, starting at $121,895
This 911 model adds all-wheel drive to the more potent, 430-horsepower 3.8-liter engine.

Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet, starting at $127,095
Rear-wheel-drive GTS performance meets open-top cruising in this 911 variant.

Porsche 911 GT3, starting at $131,395
Made for the racetrack – but legal on the street – the GT3 boasts a 475-horsepower naturally aspirated 3.8-liter engine, track-ready chassis, and high-performance hardware. This is a hard-core 911 for those who’d take the Nurburgring over Rodeo Drive.

Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, starting at $133,795
All-wheel-drive traction, GTS power and a convertible top make this new 911 another standout.

Porsche 911 Turbo, starting at $152,095
With one magic word – "turbo" – the 911 becomes a supercar. Applied to its 3.8-liter 6-cylinder, the 911 Turbo unleashes 520 horsepower and grants 0-60 mph blasts in as little as three seconds flat. All-wheel drive and a PDK automatic transmission are standard.

Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet, starting at $163,995
All the joys of the 911 Turbo, in sun-worshipping form. Better hang on to your hat.

Porsche 911 Turbo S, starting at $183,695
Currently the most powerful 911, the Turbo S packs 560 glorious horsepower. Needless to say, its performance must be experienced to be believed.

Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet, starting at $195,595
The most powerful 911, now playing in open-air form. Also the most-expensive model in the 2015 911 lineup. Need we say more?

Hanging an engine over the rear axle creates a weight-and-balance reality no designer would choose today. The engine-aft layout has always enabled rear-wheel-drive (RWD) 911s to change direction eagerly but at the risk of spinning off the road if ham-handled. With each new platform, Porsche has sought to retain the benefits yet further control the liabilities of the unique layout. In the latest 911, the result is a quick, responsive and communicative car, but one that is also stable and confidence-inspiring. While the Porsche’s race-ready engineering enables euphoric blasts up freeway onramps and down curvy roads, just as joyous is the 911’s everyday comfort. The “base” Carrera engine’s 350 horsepower is plenty strong, but for even more, you can up your horsepower to 400 (Carrera S), 430 (GTS) 520 (Turbo), or 560 (Turbo S). The 911’s 7-speed manual gearbox (not available on Turbo models) works beautifully but we prefer Porsche’s spectacular 7-speed twin-clutch PDK automatic transmission. Targa models aim to blend the best of coupes and cabriolets, but we found compromise in its niggling rattles.

The 911’s 4-place cockpit remains a low-slung exercise in luxury, sophistication and comfort – at least for the pilot and lucky front-seat passenger. The 911’s tiny rear seats are suitable for only the briefest of trips with adults. Just fold them and use the space as a storage shelf, which you’ll probably need to do anyway since the front trunk only accommodates 4.7 cubic feet of cargo (4.4 in Carrera 4 and 4S models). The optional 18-way sport front seats are supremely comfortable and supportive, and a tilt-and-slide sunroof improves headroom. Controls for audio, climate and navigation are small but easy to figure out. And don’t forget: The ignition’s on the left.

The 7th-generation platform that underlies the 2015 911 preserves the car’s unmistakable appearance even though its roof is lower, the length and wheelbase have increased considerably, and detailing, fascias and lighting have been freshened. The car looks both sleeker and more muscular. Casual observers may find it difficult to distinguish the new 911 Turbo from its Carrera-badged counterparts, but the differences are actually quite dramatic. For instance, the 911 Turbo and higher-performing Turbo S variants are slightly longer and wider than a “wide-body” Carrera 4S. Targa models use an innovative power-operated system that lifts the entire rear glass roof to swallow the fabric-skinned fore section. It’s impressive to watch in action, but the Targa is noisy on the road.

OPTIONS, OPTIONS, OPTIONS
Good news/bad news: There’s an arm’s-length list of options for the 2015 Porsche 911, from speed-squashing carbon-ceramic brakes to an ear-popping Burmester audio system. Even the seatbelt pillars can be upgraded. The flipside of all this automotive candy? The thousands – or tens of thousands – it can add to the bottom line.

PDK TWIN-CLUTCH TRANSMISSION
Porsche’s delightful 7-speed PDK transmission can operate automatically or be shifted manually using either the shift lever or steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. This is simply the model of sporting, manually shifted automatics, changing ratios more cleanly and quickly than a human-operated stick and pedal.

In base form as the Carrera coupe or cabriolet, the 2015 Porsche 911 includes 4-way power front seats with manual fore/aft adjustment, partial leather upholstery, a faux-suede headliner, bi-xenon headlights (xenon illumination for the low and high beam), dual-zone climate control, 19-inch wheels, and a 7-inch LCD navigation display and 9-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system with a USB input and Bluetooth phone connectivity. The 911 Carrera 4 and Turbo models offer all-wheel drive (AWD) as standard fare. In terms of safety, every 911 includes eight airbags, a wide array of electronic stability aids, and high-performance brakes comprising 4-piston calipers and 13-inch ventilated rotors.

As we’ve mentioned, there is a vast list of options available for the 2015 Porsche 911, in both individual and packaged forms. Among them are ventilated front seats, a 12-speaker Burmester audiophile system, ceramic-composite brakes, Porsche’s Active Suspension Management, and the Sport Chrono package with its launch-control programming (PDK transmission only) and overboost function (Turbo models only). For the enthusiast who desires the best of both worlds, we recommend Porsche’s Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) that essentially eliminates body roll through a multitude of sensors and hydraulic motors while also providing a more compliant ride in normal driving conditions.

All 2015 Porsche 911 models use a flat-6 engine in one of two sizes. The smaller is a naturally aspirated 3.4-liter that makes a robust 350 horsepower. Most 911s employ a 3.8-liter, available as a naturally aspirated engine in Carrera S, GTS and the GT3 models, or turbocharged in Turbo variants. Power ranges from the aforementioned 350 horsepower in Carrera, Carrera 4 and Targa 4 models to a neck-snapping 560 in the Turbo S. (An even larger, naturally aspirated 4.0-liter making 500 horsepower will arrive next model year in the track-oriented 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS.) Any of the engines can be paired with Porsche’s excellent 7-speed PDK twin-clutch automatic transmission. The Carrera’s manual alternative is the 7-speed gearbox Porsche introduced for the 2012 model year.

3.4-liter flat-6 (911 Carrera and Carrera 4)
350 horsepower @ 7,400 rpm
287 lb-ft of torque @ 5,600 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/27 mpg (RWD manual, coupe & cabriolet), 20/28 mpg (RWD automatic, coupe), 21/28 mpg (RWD automatic, cabriolet), 19/27 mpg (AWD manual, coupe), 20/28 mpg (AWD automatic, coupe), 19/26 (AWD manual, cabriolet), 20/27 mpg (AWD automatic, cabriolet), 18/26 mpg (AWD manual, Targa), 19/26 mpg (AWD automatic, Targa)

3.8-liter flat-6 (911 Carrera S and Carrera 4S)
400 horsepower @ 7,400 rpm
325 lb-ft of torque @ 5,600 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/27 mpg (RWD manual and automatic, coupe & convertible), 18/26 mpg (AWD manual, coupe & cabriolet), 19/26 mpg (AWD automatic, coupe & cabriolet), 18/25 mpg (AWD manual, Targa), 18/26 mpg (AWD automatic, Targa)

3.8-liter flat-6 (911 Carrera GTS and Carrera 4 GTS)
430 horsepower @ 7,500 rpm
325 lb-ft of torque @ 5,750
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/26 mpg (RWD & AWD manual, coupe) 19/26 (RWD & AWD automatic, coupe), 18/25 mpg (RWD manual, cabriolet), 19/26 (RWD automatic, cabriolet), 18/25 mpg (AWD manual and automatic, cabriolet)

3.8-liter flat-6 (911 GT3)
475 horsepower @ 8,250 rpm
325 lb-ft of torque @ 5,600 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/20 mpg (RWD automatic, coupe)

3.8-liter turbocharged flat-6 (911 Turbo)
520 horsepower @ 6,000-6,500 rpm
487 lb-ft of torque @ 1,950-5,000 rpm (524 lb-ft with overboost)
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/24 mpg (AWD automatic, coupe & cabriolet)

3.8-liter turbocharged flat-6 (911 Turbo S)
560 horsepower @ 6,500-6,750 rpm
516 lb-ft of torque @ 2,100-4,250 rpm (553 lb-ft with overboost)
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/24 mpg (AWD automatic, coupe & cabriolet)