My $136,000 Porsche 911 Carrera S loaner had $21,200 in options — here's each one, and whether it was worth it

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S_62
2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Kristen Lee/Business Insider

  • Porsche is famous for offering an extensive menu of options on its cars.

  • I tested a 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S recently and in addition to its $113,300 starting price, it had $21,190 in options.

  • Some were worth it. Others were definitely not.

  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Besides offering great driver's cars, Porsche is also known for its extensive list of optional features. You could easily buy a whole car with how much you can spend on options alone.

There are appearance options. There are performance options. There are tech options. There are options for things you wouldn't even think are optional, like changing the fuel cap to look like it was finished in aluminum or something called the "Rear Lid Grille Vertical Slat Inlays in Exterior Color."

I tested a 2020 911 Carrera S recently and loved it. You can read the full review here. The car's base hardware — its engine, transmission, steering, brakes — were all wonderful to behold. But since press cars are also an ungoverned medium through which automakers can really flex on journalists with options, this one was spec'd quite handsomely.

The car's base price was $113,300, but its total MSRP wound up being $135,840. That means it had $21,190 worth of options onboard, since delivery, processing, and handling cost $1,350. With the money that went toward options alone here, you could buy an entire 2020 Nissan Versa, which starts at $14,830, and then some.

What options were there, you ask? How much were they? Which of them were worth it and which weren't?

Keep scrolling to find out.

GT Silver Metallic paint: $830

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S_43
2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Kristen Lee/Business Insider

It's a very pretty paint, but not my favorite for a 911. I'd prefer a nice yellow or dark, forest green.

Leather interior in Black/Bordeaux Red: $4,260

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S_68
2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Kristen Lee/Business Insider

Now, this I dig. The two-tone leather is a beautiful touch and goes marvelously with the otherwise dull black interior.

Rear-axle steering: $2,090

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S_34
2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Kristen Lee/Business Insider

Rear-wheel steering is cool because it makes the car's turn-in tighter. It also makes navigating around constrained situations like parking lots easier. The way it works is the rear wheels can turn by a few degrees to help with handling and maneuverability.

Wheels painted in Satin Platinum: $1,290

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S_52
2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Kristen Lee/Business Insider

Thirteen-hundred bucks to paint some wheels? Pass.

Front-axle lift system: $2,770

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S_69
2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Kristen Lee/Business Insider

With a push of this button, the nose of the 911 will lift approximately 1.6 inches so you can drive over steep curbs without scraping. It's especially helpful if you live in a place that has a lot of uneven terrain.

Here's a video of it in action.

Seat ventilation: $840

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S_70
2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Kristen Lee/Business Insider

Ventilated seats are great for when the car gets warm inside and you need some additional airflow between you and the seat back. Sticking to the leather is unpleasant for everyone.

Bose surround-sound system: $1,600

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S_71
2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Kristen Lee/Business Insider

Why would you need this when you've got a nice engine and exhaust note to listen to!?

"911 Carrera S" logo in High Gloss Black: $350

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S_6
2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Kristen Lee/Business Insider

Sure, I guess? But $350 to paint some letters black? Probably not worth it. What I do like is that the model name uses two different fonts to spell out.

"Porsche" logo painted in High Gloss Black: $300

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S_73
2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Kristen Lee/Business Insider

I cannot believe painting the model name black and painting the automaker name black are two separate transactions. Just make them one transaction and charge $300! But as someone who likes as a little visible branding as possible, I do appreciate "Porsche" being painted black here. It hides the lettering better.

Adaptive sport seats plus (18-way) with memory package: $3,470

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S_74
2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Kristen Lee/Business Insider

The sport seats are nice; they help hold you in place under more aggressive cornering. I would like to point out, however, that the memory package — where you can pre-program your seat preference and save it to the seat settings — is only available on the driver's side. Other cars have it for the passenger seat, too. Here, it was just on the driver's seat.

Amber side markers: $0

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S_78
2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Kristen Lee/Business Insider

They look nice and they're free. Why not?

Ornamental Porsche crest: $0

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S_40
2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Kristen Lee/Business Insider

Sure!

No sunroof: $0

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S_29
2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Kristen Lee/Business Insider

I hate sunroofs. I don't use them and they make the ceiling of the car lower. Sunroof-delete forever!

Sport Package i.c.w. manual transmission and PASM sport suspension: $3,390

2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S_75
2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Kristen Lee/Business Insider

Since the manual transmission automatically comes with the Sport Chrono package (driver-selectable drive modes and the dashboard stopwatch), Porsche included the additional Sport Package, which includes the sport exhaust system and the Porsche Active Suspension Management performance suspension system. PASM also lowers the car by 10 millimeters.

This one I could do without.

The 911 was already lovely with the manual and the Sport Chrono package. I'd get that with the sport exhaust system, which makes the car louder, and that's it. I didn't like how PASM and the lowering made the car feel; it made the ride quality far too harsh.

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