The 911 Carrera (997.1) is the rear-wheel-drive base 911 of the sixth generation, built for 2004–2008. It kept the 996's water-cooled 3.6-liter M96 flat-six and basic architecture, but reverted to round headlamps and a tightened-up interior that won back many of the buyers the 996 had lost. Drive goes through a standard six-speed manual or an optional five-speed Tiptronic S.

The engine is the thing to understand. The Carrera uses the M96/M97 family, so it still carries the water-cooled Carrera engine's defects: cylinder bore scoring — with no mileage at which the risk fully disappears — and a now-larger single-row IMS bearing that is much more reliable than the 996's but non-serviceable. The Mezger-engined Turbo and GT3 sidestep all of this; the Carrera does not, so buy one on condition and history.