Lighter, faster, more agile: the new 911 Carrera to the power of 4
Tuesday 28 August 2012, 10:08PM
By European Motors Limited
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The new Porsche 911 Carrera 4 blends the excellent performance and efficiency of the new generation of the 911 Carrera with the dynamic benefits of the latest version of the active allwheel drive system PTM (Porsche Traction Management).
The typical Porsche all-wheel drive with rear-focused layout in this latest 911 version guarantees maximum vehicle dynamics on a wide variety of road surfaces and in all weather conditions.
The new all-wheel drive 911 is available in four variants – as the 911 Carrera 4 and 911 Carrera 4S in
both Coupé and Cabriolet body styles. They sport the same traits as the rear-wheel drive versions:
their lightweight body design, suspension, engines and gearboxes are identical; the only exception
being modifications related to the all-wheel drive.
Despite a higher level of engine and driving performance, all four models consume significantly less
fuel than the models they replace – up to 16 per cent, in fact. Additionally, the new 911 Carrera 4 is up
to 65 kg lighter.
The most distinct identifying feature of the 911 with all-wheel drive is still the wide rear body: compared
to the two-wheel drive 911 Carrera models, the extended rear wheel arches combine to produce
a body that is 44 mm wider at the rear, and the rear tyres are also 10 mm wider. The traditional red
light band that connects the two tail lights has also taken on a new look.
Porsche Intelligent Performance: high levels of driving performance, low fuel consumption
The C4 models have a 7-speed manual gearbox as standard with the Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK)
gearbox available as an option. The 911 Carrera 4 Coupé with 257 kW sprints from zero to 100 km/h
in as little as 4.5 seconds (Cabriolet: 4.7 secs) and has a top speed of up to 285 km/h (Cabriolet: 282
km/h). Fuel consumption with PDK is 8.6 L/100 kms (CO2 203 g/km) for the Coupé and 8.7 L/100 kms
(CO2 205 g/km) for the Cabriolet.
The Coupé and Cabriolet of the 911 Carrera 4S each have a 3.8-litre rear-mounted boxer engine producing 294 kW; enabling acceleration to 100 km/h in 4.1 secs (Cabriolet: 4.3 secs) and a top speed of
299 km/h (Cabriolet: 296 km/h). Fuel consumption with PDK is 9.1 L/100 kms (CO2 215 g/km) for the
Coupé and 9.2 L/100 kms (CO2 217 g/km) for the Cabriolet.
New: all-wheel drive indicator, Porsche Active Safe, sliding glass sunroof, extended Sport
Chrono pack
In the new 911 Carrera 4, a new menu in the instrument cluster informs the driver how the PTM allwheel
drive is currently distributing engine power. Additionally, with the debut of the 911 Carrera allwheel
drive models Porsche is introducing optional Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) to the range, which
controls distance to traffic ahead and vehicle speed.
When ordered with PDK, the ACC system adds the safety function Porsche Active Safe (PAS), which
helps to prevent front-end collisions. In addition, Porsche offers a new sliding glass sunroof as an optional for the 911 Carrera Coupé. Driving 911 cars with a manual gearbox and Sport Chrono pack can now be even sportier: In Sport Plus mode, the system automatically double-declutches (blips the engine) during downshifts.
The new all-wheel drive models replace a very successful previous generation, of which a total of
about 24,000 units were sold since 2008.
This represents a 34 per cent share of total sales of second generation 997 models. This previous
generation launched with one of the greatest development steps in powertrain technology that the 911
with all-wheel drive ever made: new were the engines with direct petrol injection, Porsche Doppelkupplung
(PDK) gearbox and electronically controlled Porsche Traction Management (PTM). In July 2011,
Porsche crowned the all-wheel drive model series with the 911 Carrera 4 GTS, whose 3.8-litre engine
was boosted to 300 kW.
World premiere at the Paris International Motor Show
The new Porsche 911 Carrera with all-wheel drive will make its first public appearance at the 2012
Paris International Motor Show in late September.
New Zealand deliveries will commence in the first quarter of 2013 with local specification and pricing
to be announced shortly.