First Drive: 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera (992.2) in Thailand - Based, And Predictably Brilliant

The Porsche 911 has always stood as the quintessential driver’s sports car, balancing performance, usability, and prestige like no other. For 2025, Porsche has ushered in a mid-cycle refresh for the 992-generation— dubbed the 992.2 — and, though it might not grab headlines initially, the heart of the update might be new ‘based’ 911 Carrera.

And if you're familiar with this word from the Gen Z lexicon, it's easy to see how the 911 fits it like a glove - it's unapologetic, it's unconventional, it's direct, and it's authentic. 

We recently had the pleasure of being some of the first in the region to sample the new 992.2 model, which launched in Malaysia back in April, in two variants at opposite ends of the Carrera spectrum. With the backdrop of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, famed for its more temperate weather, lush landscape, and some of the best twisty backroads in the word, we had some seat time to contrast that baseline 911 Carrera as well as the new, much more powerful, and somewhat controversial Carrera GTS with its T-Hybrid powertrain.

Back to more humble ‘vanilla’ Carrera. Traditionally, this variant of 911 has never been a slouch, especially in the right hands, but with this latest revision, the word “baseline” might finally be obsolete. This car is not just better than ever; it’s redefining what a base model can be, and pushing the upper limits of how much the average driver with average talent can handle. Spoiler alert: all told, I think I had more fun in this than the GTS. Sorry, Porsche….

Can’t Argue With Evolution

Visually, any mid-cycle refresh of the 911 does little to shout about its changes, but it’s gotten more difficult than ever to tell it apart from its 992.1 forebear. As you’d expect, it’s still unmistakably a 911, and that’s by design. Subtle updates to the bumpers, integrated lighting that does away with separate front turn indicator cutouts, and updated wheel designs mark this generation’s evolution, and you’d need to be a much bigger Porsche nut than I am to notice the changes at first glance, especially on the move. However, underneath the skin is where the real story unfolds.

The new Carrera might not carry the capital-T “Turbo” badge, but don’t let that fool you—this car packs turbocharged credentials that trace their roots back to the previous GTS. With new, larger turbochargers (increased from 45 mm to 48 mm on the turbine side and 49 mm to 55 mm on the compressor side) and a beefier intercooler borrowed from the full fat 911 Turbo, the 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six now produces 394PS and 450Nm of torque. It’s a modest gain on paper, but the impact on the road is anything but minor.

The performance gains are immediate and meaningful. The 2025 911 Carrera sprints from 0 to 100km/h in a blistering 3.9 seconds and feels every bit as rapid as that claim, which is the same sprint time as Porsche’s past top rung supercar, the V10-powered Carrera GT; assuming, of course, you sprung for the Sport Chrono package that adds in launch control.

Yes, naturally, is it quicker in a straight line, but the Carrera is sharper through the corners too. Thanks to chassis tweaks and revised damper tuning, the updated car feels more organically connected to the rubber meeting the road than the aforementioned GTS, at least when it comes to those relatively narrow B-roads around Chiang Mai. The more powerful car will definitely pull far away, but the Carrera driver might be having more fun.

Dynamic Magic

Steering remains a Porsche hallmark despite it being electrically assisted since the 991, and the 992.2 Carrera continues the tradition of providing telepathic feedback. Changes to the damper programming help the front end feel more settled, eliminating some of the lightness you might have previously felt over broken pavement.

The car now feels like it digs in better, especially on the kind of twisty, imperfect roads that’s so common in our part of the world. Ride comfort, even in Sport or Sport Plus has also improved—the suspension flattens bumps and highway expansion joints with more composure without becoming overly soft.

Porsche has struck an ideal balance here: more compliant over daily road imperfections, yet still razor-sharp when you want to go hard, regardless of drive mode.

Wearing optional staggered 20- and 21-inch Carrera S wheels in this gold-like Neodyme finish, the test car we sampled should’ve suffered on rougher roads, especially as we exited the ‘Old City’ portion of Chiang Mai and some of its scattered cobble stone streets, but the chassis tweaks have helped offset any overt harshness. The fact that it almost felt as comfortable/uncomfortable as a Golf R (with DCC in Sport) is a testament to Porsche’s obsessive attention finely tuned calibration.

‘Everyday Supercar’ Is A Cliché, And 100% True

The Carrera’s powertrain is paired exclusively with an eight-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission. And while a manual is unavailable on the base model and only comes back into play in the Carrera T, the PDK here is arguably the best automatic gearbox in any sports car today.

It’s docile in traffic, lightning-quick when you’re pushing it hard, and smart enough to always be in the right gear without second-guessing. With launch control engaged, performance becomes brutally consistent. The Sport Chrono bundle also includes sharper drive modes, a Sport Stability Management setting, and the Sport Response button that temporarily cranks up everything to its max potential - or so says Porsche, as we never needed to turn it on.

In day-to-day life, we imagine this 911 is as tame or wild as you want it to be. In Normal mode, the car quietly handles commutes, with the transmission favouring early upshifts and minimal fuss. But twist the drive mode selector into Sport or Sport Plus, and the Carrera transforms.

The engine roars to attention as if it’s gotten an adrenaline shot, especially with the optional sport exhaust system engaged, delivering a uniquely Porsche (and seemingly un-turbocharged) shriek as the revs build climbs frantically to the redline. It’s not GT3 raw, but it’s thrilling and memorable in its own right.

Cabin Comfort & Tech Encroachment

Stepping inside the 992.2 Carrera, and you’ll find an interior that blends luxury and minimalism in equal measure - for better or worse. Porsche has refined the cabin further for 2025, though not without some contention.

Most notably, the beloved analogue tachometer is gone, replaced by a new 12.6-inch curved digital cluster similar to what we’ve seen in the Taycan. It’s customisable and functional—you can still opt for a traditional gauge layout—but its digitisation signals a shift toward modernity that some purists may resist, myself included.

Otherwise, the controls and layout are familiar and ergonomically excellent, with physical buttons thankfully assigned for most of the critical functions, including the ever-useful and now-standard front axle lift system.

The physical HVAC controls remains wonderfully tactile, simple and effective, and the 10.9-inch infotainment screen is snappy, slick and intuitive. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supported, of course, making it a breeze to load up that familiar interface and zone out everything else the screens might throw up.

The standard seats in black leather with 4-way adjustment are some of the best in the business, placing you right in the action while providing both driver and passenger great support as well as decent comfort without robbing either of feedback from that talkative chassis. That being said, you could also splurge for the Adaptive Sport Seats Plus with a ridiculous 18-way motorised adjustment, at the cost of well, the cost, and weight.

While these upgrades can quickly add up, they could also make the Carrera feel every bit the luxury sports car it should be—and one you’ll relish driving every single day.

An Ascending Baseline Of Porsche Prices

There’s no question that the 911, with every successive improvement, becomes even more of the consummate sports car. The one major caveat? Price. The base MSRP for the 2025 911 Carrera in Malaysia now starts at RM1,430,000. The test car we drove, which was kindly lent in from Porsche Thailand, with nearly RM210,000 in optional extras, rang up to THB 13,506,000, or roughly RM1.775 million.

That’s deep into stock standard Carrera S territory and brushing against the Carrera T, which still offers the USP of a manual gearbox for those who crave a more visceral driving experience and extra involvement. And yet, the 2025 Carrera feels worth it. The blend of pace, polish, and usability is unmatched. It may be the most ‘based’ 911, but there’s nothing basic about how it drives or makes you feel.

Is The 911 Carrera (Still) The Stuff Of Dreams?

How does Porsche keep up this streak in consistency of improvement? It’s almost an unblemished record of iterative brilliance. The bottom line is, if you’re the type of person who has long dreamed of owning a 911, the 2025 Carrera offers the most compelling case yet.

It captures everything that makes the 911 great—sharp dynamics, daily usability, timeless styling—and delivers it in a package that, while not cheap, offers true sports car excellence. It’s iconic, highly capable, highly involving, battle hardened, and feels anything but fragile.

It’s the ‘trophy’ car that wants to be a beater. And if you’re a little self conscious about getting the the ‘based’ variant, and you 100% shouldn’t be, you can tick the ‘Deletion of Model Designation’ option for a delightful cost of RM0.

Most of all, this is a 911 that shatters expectations for a baseline Carrera. It’s quicker than some recent S and T variants, more refined, and better equipped as standard. It might not have the headline-grabbing performance figures of a GT3 or Turbo S, but in the real world, it’s more than fast enough to keep pace with anyone’s talent —and is far more liveable.

Yes, the price keeps climbing. Yes, the analogue touches are fading. But Porsche still knows how to build a car that connects driver to machine in a way few others can, despite many many attempts to dethrone it. In the world of modern sports cars, the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera 992.2 is a masterclass—and still very much a dream worth chasing. Just make sure you’ve budgeted for some choice optional extras.

Most unexpectedly, as impressive as the new GTS is, I have no problem admitting that it’s probably too fast and full-on for me. And even if I had a blank cheque at my disposal, I’d much rather pocket the extra cash to meticulously spec up my ideal 911 Carrera. It’s not baseline. It’s based.