Matt Farah Takes A 997 Carrera 2S For A One Take
It’s bone stock, it’s got low miles, it’s priced right in the market, and it’s fantastic to drive
If you've been around the car world of the internet for any reasonable amount of time, you're bound to have seen one of Matt's one-take videos at this point. While he has a trend of taking modified cars for a run on a canyon road, this particular video features a completely stock 997.1 generation Carrera S. The 997 generation is perhaps one of the best 911 generations ever built (debatable), and provides an excellent balance between driving comfort and driving dynamics. The 997 is the perfect size for driving most roads, and the steering is about as close to perfection as you can get. Matt does mention one of the downfalls of the 997 Carrera, and that is the shifter. He mentions potentially swapping the shifter out for a GT3-shifter, which is tighter and crisper. This is both 100% possible, and also 100% recommended by myself as well. Even on a bone-stock car, an OEM short shifter comes highly recommended.
The early 997s are priced pretty darn well in the market right now, fetching somewhere in the high thirties to low forties depending on options and specification. While I would personally enjoy a 987 Cayman of the same generation for a little bit less money slightly more, if you desire something 911 shaped and with vestigial rear seats, its hard to go wrong with one of these. Matt does mention the IMS issue in his video, which I would argue is highly overblown and is a low-percentage failure, it is worth doing the research and deciding if its a gamble you're willing to take. I would advise a 997, go test drive one, you'll fall in love.
