The Porsche 911 enters its 992.2 phase of life, and with it comes subtle exterior updates, minor interior tweaks, and a massive jump in its starting price. It now costs at least $120k+ to walk into the world of a new 911. That’s wild, but I’m curious about what a base-model Porsche 911 can deliver. The funny thing is, of course, that even a base Porsche 911 never arrives with zero options on that window sticker.

The car I borrowed for a week shows up as a silver 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera. Carrera speak, when you don’t append an S to the name, means the car has a 388-hp 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six engine out back. Yes, all Porsche 911 models except for the wicked GT3 and GT3 variants (and yes, I’m counting the S/T) utilize forced induction. This Carrera features an 8-speed PDK gearbox, proper wheel drive, and the familiar fantastic looks found throughout the family tree.

I mentioned options, though, as this car has them even if it doesn’t look like it should. That silver paint? You’ll need to spend $2,980 for that. Like the Slate Grey/Chalk interior? It costs $4,960. The wonderful exhaust note you hear is courtesy of the $2,960 sport exhaust system, and the staggered wheel setup will run you $3,820. There are a few more items on said options list, and it all adds up to turn a $120,100 car (before the delivery fee of $1,995) into a $148,155 car.

Here’s the problem for me, beyond the price… I love it. This overpriced little asshole of a car has carved a 911-sized hole in my heart, and I love it. The power delivery occurs perfectly, while the amount of power offers up both a pleasant daily driver experience and an excellent dynamic adventure when called upon fully.

It definitely sucks how much all cars cost now. So it’s no surprise that Porsche can charge this much just to get your first whiff of the world of the 911. I wish this weren’t the case. Thankfully, if you can afford a Porsche-badged product, you should be happy to know that even this so-called base model delivers a driving experience designed to stir the soul.