2005 Porsche 911 Carrera POV Drive - The Base is Better Than You Thought (Binaural Audio) 

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“Any 911 is better than no 911” This man speaking nothing but truths.

After seeing this video I picked up a 997.1 C2 manual with 26k miles, absolutely no regrets!

Even when the car were revving, the subtitles says "music" :)

It may be a cheap option for a 911... still looks and sounds good to me lol.

Just bought a base 997.1, and it’s nimble, fast and a blast to drive .. oh and you can actually see out of it…. Sold my 07 Aston Martin Vantage (while she was running perfect) at more than I paid, and I’m glad I did….. this is far more fun to drive

That sound

Everytime i search up my favorite car no matter what, i always get vids from tedward!

This is my reasonably attainable “dream car”.

Also, you will now compare every comparable car in this price bracket to the 997. And they will all let you down like it or not!

Just found your channel a few weeks ago and subscribed! Love your content. Thanks for showcasing a base Carrera 997. I have an 05 Cab myself. I love the driving experience. The 997 is the perfect mix of analog and new school. I often have folks that can't believe my car is 15 years old. The team really nailed the design. I have found the M96 has just the right amount of power I need. Honestly in this car, its just the entire package that just works so well. Again, thanks for a great review.

This thing looks like a blast! Thank you for the fun review. Love the off color points about this car. 😆 lol 😆 hilarious.

I like the wiper and I love the car. Definitely one of these in my future:)

You definitely sold me. Still want yours more. I am an old car guy.

That thing sounds ace

Great video and thank you!

Watching this today and laughing about a 25-30k 997. Talk about doubling your investment if you bought it when this was made

Sweet car

Great video. Problem is now I need to go out and spend 30k!!

About the same price and straight line performance as a new V6 Camaro 1LE. Think I'd rather get the Camaro, with it's track focused package and reliability.

Great review, also I feel like that will be the Porsche for me. Also what is the yearly maintenance cost or avg on one?

Nice car these carrera like the new tailigths, what brand are they ?

S or GT3? What about the 400hp GTS?

Thank you for making this video specifically for me at this exact point right now here currently in my life today.

I have base 997.1 C2. Even after 4 years, every time I drive it it's better than I remembered. Pure driving joy.

The sound alone makes these old NA 911s great

GT3’s have become way too common. Everyone wants one, but all they ever really need is a GTS AT MOST. A base Carrera is a lovely car. Underrated.

No Porsche is "base" in my opinion ❤

Never driven one but I've heard that the 3.6 is a sweeter revving engine than the 3.8

I have a black-on-black .2 base model, 6-speed manual, and I love it. Virtually no one puts out videos on the base trim cars, so thank you. It's a superb sports car, loads of speed and nimble. And to me, the black cluster looks both serious and beautiful. So easy to get caught up with upgrades. I drove an S2000 for twelve years before pulling the trigger on the 911, and I feel the base was upgrade enough.

finally someone who shakes their shoes before entering the car

I don’t think you can get a better drivers car for the money right now than a 997 Carrera or Carrera S.

I'm glad you made this video. I've always advocated for buying a base level car for cheap rather than spending 3-4x more on the performance version. You get 85% of the same car but for 30% of the price!

Great video. I think the 997 is one of the best looking water cooled 911s.

Great video. I intentionally purchased a 997.1 C2 earlier this year after test driving 996 C4S, 997.1 C4S and a 997.2 C2S. There's something very charming and pure about a base Carrera that gets diluted by the more powerful engines, PASMs, AWD and sport modes in the higher trim 911s.

Can we talk about to how good that paintwork is for a 15 year old car! Good job whoever detailed it.

Over the past 40 years, I’ve owned a 1977 924, 1986 944, 2016 Cayman, now a 2018 911 Carrera........all base models, all manuals. For some perspective, I raced motorcycles for fifteen years and tracked Porsches for eight years. I can tell you this.........as an everyday driver (which all of mine have been), the base model Porsche is the best. Most people just have to have the “S” and, as nice as it is, it’s really overkill for daily use. Nice video.

Well done...great review. I have owned three 997's (one "S") and was happy to hear the "S" hype squelched....it is too often overstated. Any 911 is an awesome car compared to most other cars out there for the money.

A 911 does not need a sound system nor bluetooth - I would not even answer my phone, I'd just be listening to that symphony coming from the engine 🎶

I’ve never actually been in a 911 but by the video that 3.6 sounds damn well identical to the 3.2 in my 986 Boxster S. Damn that makes me happy.

I have the 997.1 with the cold air intake kit installed. The engine has this metallic howl that’s so addicting. Base model Porsche’s are already excellent no need to go for the higher models unless you’re trying to go 200mph. This car is a sub 5 second 0 to 60 car. 325hp for around 3,000lb. It’s not slow. It’s actually faster 0 to 60 with a Tiptronic. Also if you’re trying to buy a used Porsche get the black color. Black doesn’t show age as much.

Your opinion on the “base” Carrera is spot on. Plenty of HP and much easier to afford. No way I can tell the difference unless tracking or racing. More important than buying the “S” is finding a 911 with manual transmission, sport exhaust. 👌🏽

I'm addicted to your content. Keep It coming!

Hell ya brother! Btw Ted you shift gears like a GOD!

These Porsche driving talks are amazing, also the sound of the car! :)

Notification squad where you at haha

A base Carrera with sport chrono & PASM is 90% of the driving experience of the S. The larger displacement, bigger brakes, and 20mm lower suspension in the C2S really do make a noticeable difference. But is it worth the $10-15k premium you see for the C2S? Well, I thought so, so I bought one. But the base Carrera is, as you said, a hell of a lot of car for ~$30k

Remember the base model is always the benchmark for that year, the other cars are just upgraded versions of an already perfect car. So the base is never lesser because its the starting point of greatness they then build upon. What makes 911 cars so special from a performance standpoint is the way they are put together. They don't always need monster hp or tq to be effective. The gearing, drivetrain, power to weight ratio, and how energy is translated within its design, allows for far more impressive performance than what you would think going in. Base Carreras from any year are still more fun to drive than most any other cars, and they look great doing it. Would I take this over my current e92 M3....YES.

I love my 2006 911 Carerra.. no S.. its solid, handling is amazing and is fast as hell.. no complaints.. and oh yeah.. paid $38k for it.. it had under 40,000 miles.

Honestly, I find the early 2000s entertainment screen a lot cooler than the ones we have nowadays. It reminds me of the days when those things were cool.

The 997 and 987 are honestly the best sports cars you can buy today. A complete analog driving experience that no new car and match and they're not old enough to feel like vintage relics that you can't drive hard. Only thing that base Carerra needs is an exhaust (and possibly a nice short throw shifter to tighten up the gate just a touch )

Did Tedward and theradbrad go to the same school? Both great commentators on RU-vid. What county is that accent?

I’m a 997.1 non-S & I love it! Thanks for the great review

“You won’t win any drag races”. You sure? 😁

Great review! I’m going to pull the trigger on a 997.1/2 next year, and have been watching reviews for the past 12 months. Yours is definitely among the best... Great POV, excellent audio, and good commentary! Now subbed, keep up the good work!

Here comes a hot take watch analogy! Confirm with your watch buddy lol. Boxster/Cayman = Tudor Black Bay. Base 911 = Datejust. 911S = Submariner. GT3 = Daytona. You don't need the Sub or the Daytona for sure. The base is plenty iconic.

This is gorgeous

Thank you for this video. I had recently come to the conclusion that sometime in the next year or two I will own a 911. This perspective makes it certainly more attainable.

A suggestion: next time you prepare a video when driving into the sun, please consider turning on the car's lights so viewers can see the gauges. Liked your willingness to acknowledge your change in opinion: respect for that. Regards, David

I like the wiper, too

You know it’s gonna be a good day when tedward uploads!

Ugh just sold my 997.1 C4S. I need another now!

Now if I could figure out how to buckle up my little munchkins in the back, I'm good to go on this. 😅

My exact car (minus the lobsters)! People never believe how good it is. Bought it at 19k miles, currently at 30k!

Honestly after getting a good headset, I've gotta say that I really appreciate the use of binaural audio. I didn't realize how much it contributes to the viewing experience.

I agree that the driving experience of the base is very close to the S, the best reason to go for the S is that it's much easier to find higher specs on an S. Certainly in the UK it's very rare to find a base car with PASM and sport chrono like the car you drove in this video. The S often has the nicer steering wheel, full leather (which is very nice) and electric seats too. Plus I much prefer the white dials, but each to their own. One other thing to bear in mind is the interior colour. The grey plastic in the centre console etc doesn't really look great with the black interior, it looks cheap and old fashioned. I think a stone grey interior is much the best option because it goes much better with the plastics used around the car.

You say “you won’t win any drag races” but 0-60 in about 5 seconds is nothing to be scoffed at and beats 95% of what’s on the road. The Porsche puts its power down so well off the line they you’ll often take cars with more power up to 60.

Same with the Cayman and Cayman S. The base is A LOT of fun!!! You wouldn’t believe it.

I was watching, and I thought the area you were driving in looked strangely familiar. Then I noticed you were close to where I live! Cool!!

In march when Covid bottomed out our economy the 996 and 997 dropped within my means. This would become to be the first Porsche I have owned. I looked at both the 996 and the 997.1 Carrera. I ended up striking a deal on a 01' 996 for $20K usd. 34k original miles, black exterior, grey interior, 6sp manual coupe with over 20K in options. Honestly there was little difference in performance, IMO, between the 2 cars. I'll admit one does look a little nicer then the other but that did not justify and extra 10K for what felt like a very similar driving car. I think your review is spot on for the 997.1. AWD did not appeal to me. Turbo did not appeal to me. The NA engines are easy to work on and cheaper to maintain. Plus it's my favorite childhood car. Thanks Need for Speed on PS1!

I have a 2005 3.6 911 Carrera, 4.8sec 0 to 60, top speed about 180 mph. They are fast enough for most. My friend has a 997.2 GT3 RS, I know who has the best value.

Even today this Porsche is soo good looking

I know this is old but you were talking about ppl looking at these are prob looking at e92 m3s…. Im actually wanting to get rid of my e90 m3 for one of these 😅

I love the 911!!. Owned a 79 SC 1997- 2003 great car. Bought a 99 996 Carrera 46k miles, like new and what a machine for the $. I really enjoy your video, keep up the good work. Ron in Tacoma

The whole S thing in Porsches is overstated. The base cars are like 90% the same experience.

Any 911 is a great 911... love my 992.. here's a video I made for it.. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Q6L3bz_H1GQ.html

Same is true of the 991 generation. I love my 991.1 c2 so much.

Awesome. After buying my first Porsche, a 991, I want to buy more 911's. It's crazy. My M3 never gave me that feeling.

In my opinion, the standard 997.1 Carrera with the 3.6 engine and standard exhaust system has the best sound of the modern porsches. It is pure and you can really hear the intake flaps opening at 4,500 rpm. Gets me every time.

I had A 240sx and 300zx ... you need the rear wipers ⚡️⚡️💨💨💨💨

One of best videos, pure facts, sound and no nonsense. You know how to drive 911, the engine enjoyed rewing over 4K when accelerating. I subscribe right away.

I’ll take my slightly uglier interior plastic and an extra 10k ;)

Up to 2006/2007 you still had some IMS bearing issues. They fixed the issue after 2007.

I’ve hopped out of my 996 Targa, base engine, into my dad’s 997 C2S and my butt dyno really can’t tell the acceleration difference. They’re both great.

Tedward, this might seems like a strange comparison, but for a family with two young kids, would you go with this 911 or a GR Corolla? Need a good, fun family mountain car.

IMO the base Carrera's got a charm of their own, that the upper trims lack...it's probably that exact simplicity. It's like driving your daily commuter, something you bought just to go to & from work every day, do groceries, etc...simple, no frills, no fancy gadgets, nothing. Just a nice _combonation_ of engine, transmission, brakes, chassis & tires. Sure, being a Porsche it does have gadgets, PASM, Chrono Package, etc...but it's still relatively simple compared to the rest of the lineup, so... Fun fact: I like the 997.1 steering wheel design better than the 997.2, specially the first ones, with the "paddle shift" buttons on the front instead of behind the steering.

5,500rpm and up is where the fun is. I don't now why, it changes the exhaust note - variable timing maybe, but it's fun!

I have one of these in seal gray and with different wheels. If you're looking for a 997.1, I'd say buy the best condition car you can find and don't worry about S vs non-S.

Uhhh....I don’t think I am wrong, but those are not 997.2 rear lights which have a slightly different lower edge line. But this car is quick as I have driven a few..

Some good paint and Tyres and a spoiler it would look better than a modern 911.

Pretty cool car. I even prefer the old Porsche to the new one. The old Porsches were still sport cars. Today they build grand coupes in my opinion.

Any Porsche is better than Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, etc. Sports Car Wise I’m going Porsche 911!

My 2006 base Carrera is the best car I've ever owned. Dependable as a daily, and fun as hell to drive!

Please don't pad slap your brakes, get new rotors (or get the resurfaced at least if you can, tho you can't do that with slotted/drilled rotors). The pads new a fresh surface to mate to so they can work effectively and not make a bunch of noise

i always loved this one, its simple and you can have fun with it.

You and I have very different definitions of cheap. Unfortunately these are like 40-50k now.

My dad bought a 2009 Porsche carrereara 4 911 soft top and did not tell me so I was going into my garage to get my skateboard and I saw it I freaked out

I know I’m super late but does anybody know if there were convertible options for the 911 Carrera?

You definitely stop faster with bigger brakes and more pistons in the callipers.

I feel like you guys in the US really have a MUCH higher standard when it comes to a car's horsepower. I often drive a 987 Cayman S - so 295hp - and it's moooore than enough, especially given the gearing. Maxing out 3rd gear gets you into illegal territory on the motorway already...