Porsche 911 Carrera 4
Porsche has unveiled its new four-wheel-drive 911 Carrera 4 and 4S at the Paris Motor Show
The latest members of the new Porsche 911 family have arrived. Four-wheel-drive Carrera 4 and 4S versions of the 911 Coupe and Cabriolet have been unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, ahead of going on sale in the UK in December.
They feature 22mm wider rear wheelarches and 10mm wider rear tyres than the Carrera 2. Plus, the tail-lights are now linked by an additional red light strip – the signature of 4WD 911s. Despite the wider track, the Carrera 4 is 65kg lighter than before, but 25kg heavier than the Carrera 2.
The engines, seven-speed gearboxes and suspension are carried over from the Carrera 2. This means the Carrera 4 gets a 345bhp 3.4-litre flat-six that slices three-tenths-of-a-second off the two-wheel-drive car’s 0-62mph time – so the Coupe completes the sprint in 4.5 seconds, while the cabrio does it in 4.7 seconds. Top speeds are 177mph and 175mph respectively.
Not surprisingly, the Carrera 4 isn’t as efficient as the equivalent rear-wheel-drive 911, although Porsche claims the new car is 16 per cent more economical than before. PDK models return 32.8mpg and emit 203g/km of CO2, while the automatic cabrio manages 32.3mpg and 205g/km.
The Carrera 4S Coupe and Cabriolet get a 3.8-litre 395bhp flat-six, and cover 0-62mph in 4.1 and 4.3 seconds respectively – four-tenths up on the Carrera 2.
Top speed for the S Coupe is 186mph, with the soft-top hitting 184mph. Porsche claims the 4S Coupe returns 31.0mpg and emits 215g/km of CO2, or 30.7mpg and 217g/km with the PDK auto.
Inside, the Carrera 4 has a new menu in the instrument cluster to tell the driver how power is being split between the wheels. Also making their debuts on the 911 are adaptive cruise control and an autobrake system on models with the optional PDK gearbox.
Porsche is offering an optional glass sunroof on all 911 Coupes, too, while the Sports Chrono pack helps match the revs on downshifts for smoother changes.
Prices for the 4WD 911 Coupes start at £77,924 for the Carrera 4, with the 4S from £87,959. Cabrios kick off from £86,583 for the Carrera 4 and £96,619 for the 4S.
