The new 911 has a new option box: the Carrera S Powerkit

Porsche, like so many luxury and sportscar manufacturers, is no stranger to the options list. And while some of them – contrast stitching and yellow seatbelt, for instance – are the preserve of the poseur, some of them are worth ticking.

One contender for ‘boxes you should probably tick’ is the new Carrera S Powerkit, which is probably the single biggest change you can make to the performance and character of the Carrera S.

It takes the regular Carrera S – itself no slouch – and jacks up the power by almost 30bhp, thanks to new turbos, revised engine mapping and a centre-exit sports exhaust. The final result of this goodness is a total of 444bhp, which is, as the Porschephiles among you may already be aware, exactly as much power as the Carrera GTS.

The pack also includes dynamic engine mounts, which use adaptive dampers to keep the engine’s connection with the 911 comfortably soft at low speeds, and responsive at high speeds. There’s an uprated brake cooling system, too, which we presume is there in case you want to venture on a track.

So, what’s the cost for all this magnificence? Well, it’s £7,172, which isn’t nothing. But, considering that a pair of sport bucket seats is £2,500 and Porsche still makes you shell out £245 for a rear wiper, spending £7,200 for a complete car transformation seems like a pretty good deal to us.

At least it would, were it not for the Carrera GTS. As of mid-March 2017, the base Carrera S runs to £87,335, where the GTS is £95,795. Adding the Powerkit takes the Carrera S up to £94,507 – it’s still less than the GTS, but who’s going to turn down another £1,200 investment, especially when you get the GTS body style, active suspension, special centre-lock wheels, an Alcantara interior and electrically folding door mirrors?