Which cars are we talking about? The hard-top 911 Carrera 4 and 4S Coupe, plus the open-top 911 Carrera 4 and 4S
Cabriolets, in total four models.
The new Carreras deliver a great deal more performance than their all-wheel drive predecessors, from larger, more finely tuned engines, to more resistant brakes and more dynamic handling characteristics.
Available for the first time with two engines, the standard unit being Porsche's recently upgraded 325-horsepower 3.6-litre six-cylinder boxer that powers the regular rear-wheel drive 2005 911 Carrera, zipping the sprightly coupe to 100 km/h in only 5.0 seconds and on to a top speed of 280 km/h (174 mph). The enhanced engine is not just incrimentally quicker, but smoother too.
The same goes for the six-speed manual gearbox, a big improvement over the
outgoing transmission. The five-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission also remains among the best in its class, this side of a sequential manual such as BMW's SMG, Ferrari's F1, Maserati's Cambiacorsa, and highest rated of them all, Volkswagen-Audi's DSG.
The second engine to be fitted to Carrera 4S (C4S) and C4S Cabriloet models, boasts 355-horsepower via a 3.8-litre flat-six, enough to push either car to 100 km/h in a mere 4.7 seconds and keep the momentum going to a terminal velocity of 288 km/h (179 mph) - slightly less in the convertible. The upgraded engine displays a stunning improvement over the base engine, feeling more like a Turbo than a naturally aspirated horizontally opposed six, albeit with more immediate throttle response.
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| New hard-top 911 Carrera 4 and 4S Coupes, plus the open-top 911 Carrera4 and 4S Cabriolets have now arrived at Porsche retailers.(Photo: Porsche Canadaa) |
The new Carreras deliver a great deal more performance than their all-wheel drive predecessors, from larger, more finely tuned engines, to more resistant brakes and more dynamic handling characteristics.
Available for the first time with two engines, the standard unit being Porsche's recently upgraded 325-horsepower 3.6-litre six-cylinder boxer that powers the regular rear-wheel drive 2005 911 Carrera, zipping the sprightly coupe to 100 km/h in only 5.0 seconds and on to a top speed of 280 km/h (174 mph). The enhanced engine is not just incrimentally quicker, but smoother too.
The same goes for the six-speed manual gearbox, a big improvement over the
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| The all-wheel drive system is more or less carryover from the 996 C4S. (Photo: Porsche Canada) |
The second engine to be fitted to Carrera 4S (C4S) and C4S Cabriloet models, boasts 355-horsepower via a 3.8-litre flat-six, enough to push either car to 100 km/h in a mere 4.7 seconds and keep the momentum going to a terminal velocity of 288 km/h (179 mph) - slightly less in the convertible. The upgraded engine displays a stunning improvement over the base engine, feeling more like a Turbo than a naturally aspirated horizontally opposed six, albeit with more immediate throttle response.