Anybody who has been on a road trip knows that good tunes played on a superb car stereo are a must. Porsche's audio system is up to the task, other than an amusing "PORSCHE" script that appears on the LED readout when you press the power button (just in case you forget what you're driving). The console features CD compartments allowing you keep your favorites easily accessible for the dash mounted CD player. While this system works, an in dash stacker would prove more effective. A GPS system is optional, which could be useful when traveling.
That said, I taken this particular journey too many times to be wanting for directions. Leaving Vancouver the sky was azure blue without a cloud, making the initial leg of our journey most enjoyable. The highway winds like an asp from Horseshoe Bay to picturesque Lions Bay. It's near impossible to pass the stream of snow bound sport utilities safely, causing us to compensate a spirited drive for sensational scenery. Occasionally the opportunity came to execute a safe pass. It seemed as if all that was needed was the very thought of acceleration for the Porsche's big 300 horsepower six-cylinder to ignite like an inter-ballistic missile.
The C4's tremendous grip and able manners transformed an otherwise hair-raising roadway, with countless hairpin corners and undulating dips and crests, into a cruise down Main Street. It was almost anticlimactic. The Porsche quickly left behind mere 'mortal' machines in a wake of whining gears, thrashing pistons and roaring exhaust. Its ability to track cleanly over virtually any road surface makes it almost possible to forget the acrobatics needed to keep earlier 911's on the road at speed. Adding to its stability, Porsche shod the C4 with Michelin's very effective Pilot Alpine snow tires.