Porsche 911 Carrera 4S 991.1 vs Porsche Boxster S 981: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the 911 Carrera 4S hits 100 km/h in 4.44 s versus 4.94 s for the Boxster S. At this point, the 911 Carrera 4S leads by 0.50 s and sits roughly 6 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the 911 Carrera 4S is doing 153 km/h against 145 km/h for the Boxster S. The gap is 0.41 s. The gap remains stable from the start.

At 400 metres standing start, the 911 Carrera 4S crosses the line in 12.33 s versus 13.01 s. The 0.69 s gap represents roughly 34 m of track - a gap visible to the naked eye.

Past 400 metres, the 911 Carrera 4S continues to build its lead. At 600 metres, it runs at 217 km/h versus 202 km/h. At 1,000 metres, the 911 Carrera 4S finishes in 22.01 s versus 23.47 s, with a 1.46 s lead.

The 911 Carrera 4S features all-wheel drive (AWD) against the Boxster S’s RWD. At low speeds (0-30, 0-50, 0-80 km/h), AWD doubles the driven contact area: all four wheels transmit torque to the road, virtually eliminating wheelspin at launch. This traction advantage is decisive in the range where the motor delivers peak torque, before power and aerodynamics take over.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the 911 Carrera 4S is capped at 298 km/h, the Boxster S at 279 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (3.56 kg/hp vs 4.14 kg/hp) and transmission (Manual vs Unknown).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 7.23 seconds. The 0.50 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.