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Which Porsche Do You Actually Buy? — Part Two

Which Porsche Do You Actually Buy? — Part Two

P-Car Talk Podcast Mar 12, 2026 43 min
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About this episode

Dive into the nuances of choosing the right Porsche for daily driving under $100k, focusing on the 991 generation. The hosts discuss the appeal of the naturally aspirated 991.1 Carrera S with its 3.8L flat-six engine, highlighting its balance of power, weight, and reliability. They also explore the transition to the 991.2 turbocharged models, explaining changes in engine displacement, emissions, and production efficiencies. The conversation touches on value retention, driving dynamics, and practical daily usability, offering insights for enthusiasts weighing modern tech against classic Porsche character.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Car

Porsche 911

"...So we're moving forward 911, 991.2, not 2.1, excuse me, Carrera S. So that goes from the 3.4 liter to 3.8 liter. Still NA flat six. Now you're getting a horsepower bump at 400 horsepower..."

The Porsche 911 Carrera S (991.2) is a sports car made from 2016 to 2019. It has a bigger 3.8-liter engine that’s not turbocharged, making it more powerful and fun to drive before Porsche started using turbo engines.

Term

naturally aspirated (NA) flat-six engine

"...So that goes from the 3.4 liter to 3.8 liter. Still NA flat six. Now you're getting a horsepower bump at 400 horsepower..."

A naturally aspirated flat-six engine is a type of car engine with six cylinders lying flat. It doesn’t use extra devices like turbos to push air in, so it gives power in a smooth and natural way.

Concept

last naturally aspirated 911 before turbocharged engines

"...This is the if you don't remember, these are the variants that right before they went to dot two and went to three liter turbocharged. These are the last of the NA's. And again, these started in 2012, with the end of their run was 16. So the 12 to 16 was their run. And then the three liter turbo comes in and 17..."

The 991.2 Carrera S was the last Porsche 911 made with an engine that doesn’t use a turbo. After 2017, Porsche started using turbo engines which help the car go faster and use fuel better.

Term

horsepower

"they're the 3.8 liter NA 400 horsepower... you get about 30 horsepower bumps... 996 turbo stock one back in the day 420... 997 GT three 415 horsepower."

Horsepower tells you how strong a car's engine is and how much power it can make to help the car go fast.

Term

aluminum chassis

"and the 991 variant, when they switch from the 997, they went to an aluminum chassis in the 991. So they were able to shave a lot of weight because they went to the aluminum chassis with that because they are a bigger car visually and on pep on paper, but they are just as light."

An aluminum chassis means the car's frame is made from a light metal called aluminum, which helps the car be lighter and faster.

Term

tuning

"these are NA motors, but you could tune this thing 1500 bucks, get your softronics tuned, you get about 30 horsepower bumps."

Tuning means changing a car's engine settings or parts to make it more powerful or work better.

Car

Porsche 996 Turbo

"you get about 30 horsepower bumps. So you're at 430, which is to remind people 996 turbo stock one back in the day 420."

The Porsche 996 Turbo is a fast version of the 996 Porsche 911 that uses turbochargers to make more power from its engine.

Car

Porsche 997 GT3

"I know my my car 997 GT three 415 horsepower. So this has more horsepower and about the same weight."

The Porsche 997 GT3 is a sporty version of the 997 Porsche 911 made for racing and fast driving, with a powerful engine that doesn't use turbochargers.

Part

electric steering

"And you got electric steering. This is their first generation for electric steering. That's, that's a little different."

Electric steering uses an electric motor to help you turn the steering wheel instead of the old hydraulic system. It can save fuel and make steering easier at low speeds.

Term

PDK

"of the best PDKs in a lot of people's opinion. Yeah. And they're really robust. They're just,"

PDK is a special type of transmission made by Porsche that changes gears really fast and smoothly. It helps the car drive better and makes shifting easier.

Concept

deferred maintenance

"long as you know deferred maintenance on it and didn't have some catastrophic accident with it"

Deferred maintenance means putting off fixing or checking your car when you should, which can cause problems later.

Term

engine displacement

"So if you're not familiar, displacement goes down. They're all three liters, at least the ones that we're talking about."

Engine displacement is how much space the engine's cylinders take up, which helps decide how powerful the engine is.

Concept

emissions regulations

"Because in the EU, there for a little bit, they were chasing this. And then the EU changed again. So that's why this changed more. But like they were changing basically, you need to have a lower displacement engine. Yeah, for emissions, for emission purposes,"

Emissions regulations are rules that cars have to follow to keep the air clean by making less smoke and pollution.

Car

Porsche Cayman

"...e talking about tunability before with the turbo Caymans and all that stuff. We're back. Basically, these..."

The Porsche Cayman is a small sports car made by Porsche. It is designed to be fast and handle well, with the engine placed in the middle of the car for good balance. People like to make changes to it to improve its performance.

Term

torque

"So the S variant, basically the exact same thing, 3 liter flat, flat 6, 420 horsepower, 368 foot pounds of torque,"

Torque is the force that helps the car start moving and speed up quickly. More torque means the car feels stronger when you press the gas.

Part

turbocharger

"I don't think it's worth that price bump to go get a little bit bigger of a turbo, especially when there's they respond both cars respond very well to tuning. I mean, yes, the turbo is a little bit bigger,"

A turbocharger helps the engine make more power by pushing extra air inside. Bigger turbos can make the car faster but might take a little longer to start working.

Term

turbo boost

"And then going back again, till we talked about turbo boost, this this thing starts developing power on the low end,"

Turbo boost is the extra push of air the turbo gives the engine to help it go faster and stronger.

Term

tune

"that I feel with a tune. This is the most bang for the buck in the group that we've talked about, to be honest with you."

Tuning means changing the car's settings to make it faster or work better.

Term

PCM (Porsche Communication Management)

"like now the tech between dot one and dot two is a little bit better. The PCM and dot two is much better. Yeah, like that's when Apple CarPlay starts to show up in dot twos."

PCM is the system in Porsche cars that helps you use the radio, maps, and connect your phone.

Term

Apple CarPlay

"Yeah, like that's when Apple CarPlay starts to show up in dot twos. So if that's important to you, that's where you want to be at,"

Apple CarPlay lets you use your iPhone on the car's screen to get directions, make calls, or listen to music.

Term

NA (naturally aspirated)

"you're like, okay, well, hey, I want the NA because that's what's important to me, but I really hate the tech."

NA means the engine gets air naturally without using a turbo or supercharger. This usually means the car feels smooth when you press the gas.

Car

Porsche 911 Carrera

"I just think, again, we use this all the time, but it's the best bang for the buck with a tune. And I just, I mean, you do the delta. Let's say you get into, let's just call it 80 for argument's sake, on a 991.2 Carrera."

The Porsche 911 Carrera is a popular sports car made by Porsche. The 991.2 is a newer version made between 2016 and 2019 with turbocharged engines and updated technology.

Term

sports chrono

"Maybe has sports seats because like you can get one, it has sports chrono, it has a mini base."

Sports Chrono is a special package you can get on some Porsches that adds features to make the car feel sportier and lets you time your driving.

Term

sports seats

"Maybe has sports seats because like you can get one, it has sports chrono, it has a mini base. Because I've looked at a lot of them and a lot of them are actually pretty well-specced, at least from creature comfort wise. I feel like because that car was, it was an expensive car when it was new. Like it was above, obviously, 100 grand. So people were speccing them, you know, they weren't minding spending a little bit more because they knew they were getting more out of the car, meaning like, oh, I have potential to tune if I want. So I'm not worried about engine-wise, but like, I feel like a lot more people focused on interior. Yeah, I want these seats. Yeah, I want sports seats. Yeah, I want sports seats. I want to be ventilated. I want this. I want sports"

Sports seats are special car seats that hold you better when you drive fast or take turns. They help keep you in place so you don't slide around.

Term

PDLS

"chrono. I want a slick top or I want a sunroof. You know, whatever. I want PDLS. I don't want PDLS. I want PASM. I don't want PASM."

PDLS is a special headlight system in Porsche cars that helps you see better around corners by moving the lights as you turn the steering wheel.

Term

PASM

"I want PDLS. I don't want PDLS. I want PASM. I don't want PASM. So there's a slick option. There's not just sunroofs everywhere."

PASM is a system in Porsche cars that changes how soft or firm the suspension feels depending on the road and how you drive, making the ride smoother or sportier.

Car

Porsche Cayenne

"... same, same, right? You mean the sunroof and the Cayenne, the GT3 and the other day. I mean, just exactly...."

The Porsche Cayenne is a larger car made by Porsche that can carry more people and stuff. It is like a mix between a fast car and a family car. It is comfortable and can drive well on different roads.

Car

Ford Explorer

"...sunroofs in all my cars. I'll get that like 1992 Explorer, like where it's just cut and that's, you know, i..."

The Ford Explorer is a big car made by Ford that can carry many people and things. It is used by families and for everyday driving. Older models like the one from 1992 are simpler but might need more care.

Car

911 9911 Carrera

"You know, we talked about four liter boxters. We've talked about two and a half liter boxters. We in Caymans and 991.1 Carrera NAs turbo cars. So now of all the cars, we've discussed what their powers are, where their current market is on the ask for them. Where are you at if you are in a"

The Porsche 911 is a famous sports car made by Porsche. It has a unique design with the engine placed at the back. It is built to be very fast and fun to drive.

Car

Cayman Gtss

"... pretty good price. They weren't even looking at Cayman GTSs, they were kind of looking at 911s, but they're l..."

The Cayman is a sports car made by Porsche. It is smaller and less expensive than some other Porsche cars but still very fast and fun to drive. People sometimes compare it to other Porsche models when deciding what to buy.

Term

center locks

"I'm going to go center locks. I'm going to upgrade to center locks. Make things real difficult. Just very unpractical right away."

Center locks are a way to attach wheels using one big nut instead of many small ones. This makes changing wheels faster, especially in racing.

Car

Porsche 718

"So I feel like they're close enough, meaning like obviously we did the 718 turbos and then and then the NAs and then we did the 911s and the 991.2s and the N.1s with NAs and turbos."

The Porsche 718 is a sports car with the engine placed in the middle of the car. This helps it drive very smoothly and handle well.

Term

mid engine

"So, you know, main question is, are you, do you have to have a mid engine car? If the answer is yes, then that makes all of the 911s go away, right?"

Mid engine means the car's engine is placed in the middle, behind the seats. This helps the car drive better and feel more balanced.

Car

Porsche Boxster

"...ink it really turns into, I don't think I'm going Boxster because I don't really want to convert for the r..."

The Porsche Boxster is a small sports car made by Porsche that has a roof you can open or close. It is designed to be fun to drive and easy to handle. It is similar to another Porsche car called the Cayman but with a roof you can take down.

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