Coupe stand-off. 6 very different alternatives to the Porsche 911 Carrera
We all love the Carrera Coupe, but what other options do we have?
The car in question, the Porsche 911 Carrerra Coupe - £77,800
www.carbuyer.co.uk
Arguably the ultimate sports car. A car that on paper shouldn't be very good due to the position of it's engine, but in reality is an absolute track weapon and a joy to live with. The Carrera comes in many variations. I've picked the cheapest option for arguments sake. The more expensive Carrera is priced at an eye watering £101.000 for the Carrera 4S Cabriolet.
3.0L Flat-6 twin-turbocharged engine.
346HP.
0-60 - 4.6 secs.
Top speed - 183MPH.
The rivals
Porsche are one of the top dogs when it comes to making the fast Coupe. I explore the options, most of which are considerably cheaper but with similar power outputs:
1. Jaguar F-Type Coupe - £64,000
www.jaguar.co.uk
3.0L Supercharged V6.
380HP.
0-60 - 5.3 seconds.
Top speed - 171MPH.
I've gone for the F-Type R-Dynamic Coupe as it's a good happy-medium between the base model and the more expensive 'R' and 'SVR' models which are priced at a whopping £92.000 and £112.500 respectively.
2. Mercedes C43 4Matic Coupe - £47,600
www.carmagazine.co.uk
3.0L Twin-Turbocharged V6.
390HP.
0-60 - 4.7 seconds.
Top Speed - 155MPH.
The 'baby C63' manages to churn out a decent power output whilst retaining Mercedes' high standards of comfort and interior quality. The C43 comes with a 9-speed automatic gearbox and 4Matic all-wheel drive.
3. BMW M2 - £46,430
www.evo.co.uk
3.0L Straight-six turbocharged engine.
365HP.
0-60 - 4.3 seconds.
Top speed - 155MPH.
The M2 is one of the best performance 'Beemers' to date. It is essentially a hardcore version of the M235i. The M2 incorporates all that BMW's 'M' division strive for; power, comfort and tail-happy track sliding.
4. Audi TT RS - £50,160
www.autocar.co.uk
2.5L In-line 5 cylinder engine.
400HP.
0-60 - 3.7 seconds.
Top speed - 174MPH.
With it's instant delivery of Torque and it's Quattro all wheel drive system, the TT RS is quicker off the line than a Jack Russell on caffeine. Audi have gone and made one powerful TT here.
5. Ford Mustang - £35,995
www.autoexpress.co.uk
5.0L V8.
416HP.
0-60 - 4.8 seconds.
Top speed - 155MPH.
Hear me out. I know it's a big, bulky muscle car but it's pretty much on the mark in terms of performance compared to the Porsche. The Mustang has a bigger and more brutish engine, but it also has a clever suspension set-up meaning it can actually corner quite well. As value for money goes, you can't get much better than a Mustang.
6. Lexus RC F - £55,400
www.autocar.co.uk
5.0L V8.
471HP.
0-60 - 4.5 seconds.
Top speed - 168MPH.
The RC F is an often forgotten car. Although it's very powerful, it weighs almost 2 tonnes meaning it won't corner as neatly as the 911, but that raw V8 will make you grin like a madman instead.
Verdict
If I had to pick I would go for the M2, but believe me it would be a very difficult choice!
Please let me know what car you would pick!
Thanks for reading,
Louis - The Three Cylinders.
Images courtesy of: www.autocar.co.uk, www.evo.co.uk, www.carmagazine.co.uk, www.jaguar.co.uk, www.carbuyer.co.uk, www.driving.co.uk and www.autoexpress.co.uk.
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Comments (117)
No Evora on that list?
That’s a very good shout!
I would take an F-Type without even thinking to blink my eye.
Something tells me you like the F-Type? 😎
Oh have I revealed it? Sorry.
There’s a reason they say nothing comes close to a Porsche 911. Super quick, practical everyday, great to look at and reliable. Hence why I bought one.
Love the colour! But my point was there is cheaper, more practical alternatives out there that offer the same levels of performance.
Thanks. However, having driven quite a few of the alternatives on the list, the 911 is much more visceral to drive. This even includes the Cayman/Boxster. Probably because the 911 has such a rich history, and even though it still looks the...
Read moreYou missed the more obvious choice, Cayman GTS
I’m not putting another Porsche as an alternative!
The cayman gt4 or cayman s are also venerable alternatives
Yeah that’s true mate