2016 Porsche 911 Carrera S, real-world drive review

The new 911 Carrera S is powered by a new twin-turbo 3.0litre engine but is it actually better in the real world than the normally aspirated 911 it replaced? Let's find out

[@danny355]

Funny how you used to have to spend quite a lot of money to get a Porsche WITH a turbo and now you have to spend quite a lot of money to get a Porsche WITHOUT one

[@georgehrubec8542]

Love Harry's reviews. Unbiased , educated, classy. Great channel!

[@-DC-]

always a treat when you see a new harry video !

[@saegaema]

Harry, you never miss a trick when you review a car. It's as if it's the only car you've ever driven so you know the ins and outs. From the details of the instrumentation, to the throttle response (or lack thereof), what features you can turn on and turn off, you cover it all in a limited amount of time. As challenging as it was to hear your voice on occasion, this is a complete and useful a review of the new 911 as I've seen anywhere. Thank you for your work. (p.s., for now I'm sticking with the naturally aspirated engine. Can't give up that growl just yet.)

[@tmh44]

Great, honest review Harry; it's always a good day when one of your vids pops up :)

[@Rottensteam]

Daaaaamn Harry! Back at it again with the great videos!

[@Silverwarhawk]

+Rottensteam Stop stop stop, just stop it.

[@Rottensteam]

Silverwarhawk I can't! The internet cancer has spread to me!

[@JIMMYHIBBS1]

Great rounded review - that's what I love about your reviews - you get the real story, that I know I can trust - keep up the good work ...

[@abelhoul]

No drone footage , no overused music themes, no over edited scenes, no cheesy jokes, honest and simple review....my fav cars channel.

[@ageispolis6960]

Great review, very honest as always. However, I would strongly recommend investing in a microphone.

[@emrico]

+James Kastrounis you can get a really really good portable audio setup for less than 500 pounds..

[@DElle-li5xd]

An honest representation of the car’s noise is better?

[@kgarba9253]

Best auto related channel on YT. You're the man Harry!

[@sz027566]

This channel is a breath of fresh air in a world filled with car vloggers !

[@paulbailey5915]

Great review, plain and simple, not overdone. I drive a naturally aspirated 2015 991 GTS. It is absolutely amazing. The howl from the engine is intoxicating, nothing like it. With the engine sound from the rear, it just reminds you once again that you drive a 911. My only regret? My commute is only 10 miles! On the way home I take extended detours :-)

[@bicyclist2]

I love the silver with beautiful red leather interior colors of this car and the fact that it's got a proper manual trans. Thanks.

[@willywillywillywillywilly]

Man, when the brake lights are NOT engaged, the whole taillight setup is just really attractive looking to me. I like the new 3D shape and the illuminated running beam across the top edge. However, at 11:08 you can see the brake lights engaged, the design of which is in such dissonance with the rest of the taillight unit. Yes, the 4 beams on each side reflect Porsche's new company-wide 4-pointed Daytime Running Lights, but they don't fit in the 991.2's taillight design as a whole- ESPECIALLY while the top edge is illuminated due to the headlights being on. It really takes my appreciation of my one of absolute favorite design features down a notch.

[@mromar2724]

This guy is a class act. Love his reviews. Glad I was able to get a normally aspirated 3.4 991 before these TC engines hit the market and inflate the prices for previous engine cars. Loving every moment of it.

[@AngelInTheDesert]

Great stuff, as always Harry

[@albertelzinga6814]

Hi Harry You're my favourite reviewer by far and for this reason I'd like to see a lot more content from you. I'm not having a go here but simply love to see you review more (old and new) cars, more often!. Thanks for all your fantastic stuff so far (especially the Mille Millia, ...brilliant, that ride behind the motorbike).

[@Mechonomist]

So happy they gave you a manual.

[@d0718]

Best review out there. The car is amazing too. Dream daily driver, 4S with PDK in silver and brown interior

[@CraigHaldane]

I collected my new 911 S on Saturday. PDK, Sports Chrono etc etc etc . Wicked.. !

[@Tommyturtle-ft9gk]

I so enjoy your reviews Harry. Proper journalism, showing the new generation youtube car bloggers how a proper review is done.

[@TheMezzy712]

I'm surprised Porsche has NOT centred the rear wheel as it's slightly positioned to the front judging by the gaps in the arch. Reminds me of the old days when people swapped the shell of old 80's 911 with 964 or 993 models. Thank you Harry for an outstanding review.

[@1SaG]

The sad bit about this whole downsizing malarkey is that they're only trying to "beat" the current emissions-standards - which doesn't necessarily mean they're actually making cars more economical or green. When you look at the claimed consumption figures these days and how far off they usually are from what you can achieve in the real world, it's quite clear that fuel-consumption testing-cycles need to change. Back in the 1980s, we in Germany were still using the old DIN-consumption cycle which yielded results *much* closer to what you would get in the real world. But I guess the car-industry would fight the (re-)implementation of more realistic consumption-cycles with everything they got, simply because those would force them to publish much less flattering mpg/l/100km figures in their ads. I'm probably nitpicking but the one thing I don't like about this 991 is the placement of the exhausts. Reminds me of a Mk 5 and 6 Golf R(32) or a Beetle - neither of which I want to be reminded of when looking at a 911. Plus it just doesn't fit the Porsche's overall looks and makes the rear seem narrower than it is. Well, that and the fact that the 991 looks too big for my taste. The proportions are still pretty much perfect, but when you see the car with an average-size driver in it, it just looks a bit off to me. This is especially noticeable to me when you put it next to a G-model or even a 997.

[@bighands69]

The environmental movement that governments have adapted is nothing more than politics and new ways to tax people because no matter how much money many of these governments have they never seem to have enough.

[@wmjotos]

Great review as usual. 991 with turbo chargers and 718 with a flat four, jeez. Porsche just made me save a whole lot of money by keeping my 997.2

[@jezza6938]

Such a great channel Harry. You're certainly up there in the top 3 best KZbin review productions, your detail and genuine passion for cars is unrivalled. Keep it coming!

[@marklaw4435]

Great review Harry. Your opinion/views on the new Turbo motors, are exactly as I suspected. It is a real shame, that all the worlds Thoroughbred cars, will soon All be Turbo Powered.

[@PaddyMcQueen]

I want a 993/996 so bad ! Drove a 996 Carrera last wendnesday with PSE... what a blast !

[@JurisKankalis]

Any reviews of this guy deserve a thumbs up even before watching. Then - a bottle of beer and enjoyment. Thanks!

[@JurisKankalis]

...actually if I could take 0,25 of that 1,0 like back, that would be for not praising Porsche for the efforts with manual boxes. There are three m'frers - Aston, GM and Porsche with 7 speed manuals, and by god - let them live.

[@fwjorge]

It's always a party when Harry uploads!

[@markr5132]

What a great and honest review from a classy respectful gentleman. I loveed the "sounds pretty nine eleveny" comment as well. So refreshing after listening to so many career or wanta-be career hyperactive journalists not being them selves. p.s. Harry, you need to update your microphone system for the driving part as we can barely hear you.

[@joolspirog]

I imagine it was a trade off with road noise Vs Exhaust note. At least not using hifi to make the exhaust note

[@geethsan1567]

"if you got kids precisely of the right size..." Lol this made me laugh

[@SebastianPetitti]

I've got a 991.2 S and this is bang on. However where as some people buy 911 after 911 I doubt I will again. I like it, but dont love it

[@ARC480]

One of the best reviews I've seen on the 991.2 No replacement for the NA

[@GregWallis]

As usual, Harry, a very engaging and intelligent review.

[@soubido]

Exactly how I would spec mine: "911" on the back and the twin central sport exhaust. Beautiful!

[@waveman1500]

Thanks so much for these videos Harry! It's great to see a real review of supercars from a genuine owner/collector and enthusiast. Your channel combined with Jay Leno's Garage gives two very different viewpoints.

[@AtypicalDriver]

This made me feel better about my 991.1S.

[@clubracer6]

Best review I have seen in about this car.

[@castiguir]

Hands down, Harry is my favorite host for this format of car show. Keep them coming!

[@crimson888]

Harry, I honestly think you have some of the best car reviews on KZbin - honest and very informative..thanks for doing another great review.

[@THEfromkentucky]

I'm really surprised by the amount of road noise in the cabin.

[@awesometurtlegaming2161]

My dad has a 991 911 (but not the new one) and it's so loud. We have to have the radio really loud to hear it.

[@tomforrest7814]

+fromkentucky same actually you would think a German sports car would be very quite and refined

[@nikb6528]

Saving weight means there's less isolation and those tires are humongous!

[@VirusTornado]

+fromkentucky The rear tires are very very wide for a car of its size. There is indeed a lot of road noise. My dad has a 991.1 911 and there's noticeable road noise. But why would you be surprised? It's a very low car, very sporting, and it's one of those cars that makes you want to drive. I literally would go out for a drive in my dad's 991, and all the engine noise and crackles and the perfect steering makes me want to drive more. I've never felt that in any other car.

[@TheDutchMitchell]

+VirusTornado I might not have a dad with a Porsche, but I definitely know how the feeling of just wanting to drive for hours feels like..sports cars really do give you that feeling. I'd never buy a dull feelingless car

[@seinsmeld13]

Thanks for this. The 911 S may be my next car. It will either be this or a Cayman S or GTS. Cheers from a Canadian fan.

[@Nemoticon]

+david dykeman I think the Cayman is a beautiful car... but the 911 is just so complete and multi-talented. A friend of mine had the first Cayman S and as much as he loved it, the serious lack of storage space killed it for him. It's gotta be the 911S right? xD

[@VirusTornado]

+david dykeman 911 S, Cayman S, and Cayman GTS have quite the price difference. Do you want a car for the weekend or daily?

[@harrysgarage]

+VirusTornado There's zero storage space for a bag/coat in Cayman, if you have a passenger. Living with a car where both you and the passenger have to put coats, bags, stuff in a boot every time you use it, soon drives you nuts in my experience..

[@seinsmeld13]

Harry's garage This will be a weekend/weekday car that will be driven 30,000 km per year as it will be parked from Halloween until April 1st as I'm in Canada. It won't be driven in the cold/winter.

[@seinsmeld13]

Rogue Qall Storage space is not an issue. I have a Boxster S now which is great for space. If I need more space I always have my GTI or S3.

[@raymondarcher7552]

I'm not a Porsche fan but since harry reviewing it, I'm watching it :)

[@altern8ive]

great commentary and insight as always harry, might want to relocate the camera next time though so the speed isn't visible ;)

[@teamces]

Not able to view any engine from a standing point is very tragic and agree 100% on the steering wheel. Thanks for sharing and love the videos.

[@Terraceview]

Finally someone who speaks honest about that laggy little engine. I felt the same, but it seems that most reviewers are either paid off, or to them, Porsche can never do something wrong. My favourite is still the 993 Carrera to be honest, I always loved the NA Porsche's.

[@jiriskala]

Doing a Porsche review in a Maserati sweater.

[@ChuckTay23]

Come on mate lol

[@allenbercero3661]

i eat kfc takeout at mcdonalds

[@MrTruth111]

Maserati sweater is good, we want an unbiased review:)

[@RdeLeonFerRODO]

Legend

[@charleseverett288]

He is Harry Metcalfe...He can do a review wearing just his underwear...even then it's going to be to the point... !

[@Trenchluv]

great job Harry !appreciate the review . consider from your production standpoint a microphone either a directional one or wireless .sometimes it is a little hard to understand you when watching on mobile

[@akihelin8391]

+Trenchluv I actually liked microphone settings because it really shows how much cabin noise 911 makes. All other 911 reviews have directional ones and you get feeling that 911 is quiet car. Keep up the good work Harry!

[@X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X]

Great video - thank you! I'd love to see your review of the current Jaguar XJ standing in the background. I cannot really get to grip with the "new Jaguars".

[@leonardoluc6362]

Harry the Maserati sweater must be a freebie as Porsche gives nothing away LOL

[@EVILSPAWN1003]

The grey tachometer is actually the original,the one you get unless you spec it with a black one which is a £0 option. But you have to remember to check the box.

[@williammorris3334]

Very old review but even today you’re still among the best and most knowledgeable and a true enthusiast, tied with Chris for top reviewers. I’d like to get a 991.1 CS or C4S if the decent prices can hold on a year or two more. I live in the States, so nationally there is a huge selection and some very well maintained higher mileage examples with good service history. Thanks Harry and cross your fingers for me!

[@daveybaby10]

Great video as always Harry,lovely to see places I drive most days too,ps avoid burford it's a nightmare lately!!

[@chronodiver300]

Red interior looks awesome.

[@drfubars]

Hi, great vid. As an FYI in the video Harry mentioned that the Carrera R would have a 7 speed manual. However, the R has a specifically designed 6 speed.

[@Dansullivan123]

Theres something beautiful about a rear spoiler that pops up! Love that shot.

[@1fujimonk]

Harry, I'm a big fan of yours! As a hard core motorist living abroad, thank you for your continuous involvement. Some constructive criticism if I may; the background noises during your driving recordings are simply dreadful. It's hard to concentrate on your helpful comments with all the background rattling. Perhaps, a less sensitive microphone would be much more interesting to your devoted listeners. Having said this, I find your videos very helpful and highly interesting.

[@TechItOut]

Is it me or is there a lot of road noise in there, Tyre noise in particular.

[@shouldigetit]

Great video Harry! Just found your channel and now I'm going to binge watch more of your videos. Excited to drive the 991.2 in a few weeks myself!

[@slavkogojkovic1551]

i like your comment about chrono package Harry. great reviews, going through your channel whole evening.

[@pingwong117]

Porsche never changes. 240 quids to match the key colour with the car body's colour Jesus

[@vp8392]

Apple of car world.

[@pingwong117]

At least Lamborghini and Audi do it in a more modest way, Porsche just wanna grab every penny that they can.

[@Speednote10]

+Melvin Wong They do it because they can. If no one would add any options on their Porsche's because they were too expensive then they would have to lower the prices, but that's not the case. I don't know how you can justify the cost though as a customer when it costs probably £200 less to do it at an independent paintshop, or £230 less if you do it yourself...

[@Alby911]

+Melvin Wong - If you can afford a Porsche, you can afford an overpriced key colour. The choice is up to you, they're not putting a gun to your head.

[@BertoniBertone]

+bongmistt Frankly, if you've got any taste you'd pay 240 quid to avoid having a key in the colour of the car. That you have to pay and willing shell out the money..... says more about the reasons others would have NOT to have a beer with you than anything else..... Luckily, you can choose to keep the money in your pocket.....and retain some self-esteem.

[@DrezMedia]

I never did like the red interior either but it's an iconic Porsche 911 mainstay from way back, you either seem to get the tan, the red or the black interior and not much else.

[@Mile-long-list]

nice video Harry! please make more, your views and commentary are just awesome!!

[@carlitoxb110]

I really appreciate this review coming from you 👍🏾

[@E34Benzin]

The fact that a modern supercar comes with a 7 speed manual is very cool. I don't see the need for the PDK, even though it is a great transmission.

[@MartinIrwin]

Agree, except a 911 isn’t a supercar.

[@GrotrianSeiler]

My favorite channel, regardless of the subject. Thank you Harry. Always top-notch.

[@hbakez9765]

Maserati jumper whilst driving a Porsche... Harry don't give a damn! lol

[@heins6157]

I can't wait for the 2016 Porsche Turbo Turbo LOL!!!!!

[@emyrilhan]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha

[@Jack-bf6hv]

Did they ever do a turbo bodied non Turbo turbo?

[@shoeyh5169]

Great video as usual. The problem with still having the 'option' of being able to purchase a naturally aspirated car in the form of a GT3, R etc is that for regular ppl like myself you can no longer buy them new! My Porsche dealership has told me on no uncertain terms that the next GT3 will only be available to those who have bought 30+ cars!! Having rung around I understand this is the new norm which is a real shame

[@djphineart]

The cult of Porsche has finally come home to roost. No Marque elicits such on-line worship and conservatism. So when the whole Porsche cult threw its hands up and said the 911 is dead after the manual box was deleted it is no surprise VAG now want to RINSE the cult. Good luck in the queue with all the speculators and noobs for the 911R

[@boxsterviper]

brutally honest and accurate review by Harry. Always appreciate it!

[@obi-wankenobi7160]

I think you were right Harry, the base carerra is the peach in the bunch because of its smaller turbo chargers and higher transient response. I love mine! It also weighs a bit less than the S

[@johnschoeneman542]

Fabulous critic Harry..couldn't ask for more..Thank You Sir A1 !

[@frouwoulou]

what a tastefully exterior specced example ! thank you harry

[@chronos4573]

I'm considering a new 911, but one thing I noticed is that the road noise intruded to the point it was louder than your narrative I was listening too and that was listening with my good ear. I like that zip cardigan by the way.

[@VikramSudera]

great review harry, thank you. I have currently pre-ordered the new 991.2 C2 GTS. I previously owned a 997.1 C2S. I too have doubts about the noise and character of the car changing. Unfortunatley there are no GTS available for test drive, so I am still waiting a little anxiously.

[@fhkazm]

Great review Harry. Appreciate your perspective on the turbo lag under 3000 RPM. Looking forward to your review of the Carrera and how it compares to the Carrera S.

[@ryanpatterson9526]

I really enjoy your videos, Harry! They really give me a feel for the cars.

[@christosmichaelides322]

Greatly Admired your work at Evo Magazine, which I continue to read fanatically. End of an era when you finally left. Would be very interested to see a review of the 991.2 'Vanilla' Carrera as I am interested in one. Keep up the tremendously Good Work.

[@ericbarnett3445]

From the gear shift to the air vents to the headlight switch, all I can say is that I'm glad that VW put the same ones in my GTI...

[@simons5793]

First video of yours I'm watching. But i must say I really like your style of review cheers!

[@davidtaylor1482]

A very diplomatic review Harry, I can understand why. Keep up the good work, great film as always, I really look forward to your films, cheers

[@lomate1963]

Great review Harry ,love that charlbury road 👍🏻👍🏻

[@andyolson8982]

Great video Harry! I appreciate the quality you put out over the quantity

[@nafnaf0]

Excellent review. I hope you get to drive a base 991.2 Carrera to compare to. I agree with your thinking that that might be the one to get

[@__PHIL__]

I'm not in the market to buy a 911, or any car just yet, but your review gives a nice insight on what ownership (in terms of driving it regularly) is like. Although, I'd definitely go easy on the red interior if I ever do find myself buying one.

[@TheBowerbird]

Your videos always, always bring great enjoyment to my day. The insight you bring into explaining and talking about cars is very unique. Thanks for what you do, and looking forward to the next one!

[@vtakdan85]

I love your unbiased reviews, great job Harry! Your videos are awesome.

[@pjvenda]

Interesting that 3rd gear on a 997 Carrera S revs up to about 100mph too, so not too different gearing. Your description of a 911 as a 'precision instrument' really nails it on the head -- and it's great to know that Porsche have tried to keep it that way and that the faults in these car are visible because other 911s exist to compare it to. Cheers, Pedro.

[@jak493]

Hey Harry, I have just bought this actual car, I can;t believe it's one you sat in! Hope you didn't abuse it too much

[@astronmr20]

How's it doing?

[@Prelude2333]

The best review of this car to date, well done Harry. You also pointed three of the biggest lies in today's cars spec - max torque rpm, fuel consumption and CO2 numbers. Car makers usually quote max torque at 1700rpm or so for turbo cars, which is complete horse shi*. They might see it on their engine dyno with an impossible high load, but in real world it is never bellow 2500-2800rpm or in other words - turbo lag. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are also a lot higher than stated, because official figures are extracted from a highly artificial test where the engine is mostly off boost, so again real world numbers differ a lot :)

[@mmmbilly]

Looking at Harry's House always makes me feel like a failure in life.

[@billandyeng]

Keep in mind he's not just another journalist. He FOUNDED Evo and is well known and respected within the car community, so much so that he's an advisor to Jaguar Land Rover. Now does that make you feel any better? LOL

[@gaycha6589]

Inherited well...

[@BobbyDazzler888]

billandyeng and a successful farmer

[@vulekv93]

well he probably inherited the god damn house and shit load of land around it... you don't make this kind of money in a lifetime...

[@BobbyDazzler888]

vule you sure can, however wisdom takes a lifetime. It’s 2018, maybe starting out as a farmer in the u.k. might not be an option, think outside the box.

[@JohnDavis-jp9hr]

That 911 is beautiful the interior is amazing. You're going somewhere sitting still. That car says somebody

[@mrdavidafischer]

Harry -- great vids as always, and a refreshingly critical review of the new 991 engine. Tell me: Do you have a production assistant helping you with filming?

[@judas2610]

Love it when a new Harry Metcalfe video is posted! Thanks!

[@davidwli1]

Fantastic, detailed analysis on the new engine characteristics

[@videomidget]

Great review as always Harry. I see why Porsche is doing this, and I don't blame them for trying to get their fleet emissions lower, but it's a shame that the only NA flat six that's left is one that the majority of enthusiasts will never be able to buy due to the cost. I hate to think how much the 911 R will be if you don't have a build slot, even the GT3 and GT3 RS aren't really depreciating at all.

[@DennisBerkhout1]

Thanks Harry! Great review as always. It seems to be a lovely car. The lack of throttle response is a bit of a disappointment but you gain a lot of comfort thanks to the turbo's. As an everyday GT car it is hard to beat I imagine. But I do understand that a 911 should be a sportscar at heart and for that reason this S-model might not be a winner for 911 enthusiasts.

[@rowheim]

Nice video review!

[@foesfly3047]

It’s silly when people knock the switch to turbos on all models, because of delayed throttle response. I gladly gave up 0.04 second ‘throttle lag’ in exchange for much stronger acceleration from that moment on. And for those who argue, NA car exhausts ‘sound better’, I like the sound of an engine that accelerates with authority. I suppose they also complain about electric steering because they prefer bumps in the road to decide where the steering wheel points, rather than the driver’s hands. The steering of the 991.2 is perfect for pointing the front wheels where You want them to.