The 997-generation 911 Carrera family is spreading quickly.
At launch, there were the
Carrera and Carrera S. In December, we brought you the first details of the
Cabriolet versions, available as either Carrera or Carrera S. Now you can have a Carrera or Carrera S with four-wheel drive, as a Cabriolet or coupe. Which to choose?!
The new Carrera 4 models are differentiated from their rear-wheel drive siblings by an increase in width of 44mm. The four-wheel drive hardware consists of a permanent four-wheel drive set-up via a viscous multi-plate clutch that delivers anywhere between 5 and 40% of the engine's torque to the front wheels, ensuring that the 911's legendary traction is available no matter what the weather, though note that the bias is still firmly to the rear.
Performance is more or less unchanged from the two-wheel drive cars, with the Carrera 4 hitting 62mph from rest in 5.1 seconds (5.3 for the Cabriolet) and 175mph. The 355bhp Carrera 4 S manages the sprint to 62mph in 4.8 seconds, which is identical to the regular Carrera S, with the Cabriolet version only a tenth of a second behind. All versions have a top speed between 175mph and 180mph.
The four-wheel drive 911s go on sale in the UK on October 22, after the cars' debut at the
Frankfurt Show. The prices are as follows:
- Porsche 911 Carrera 4: £62,930
- Porsche 911 Carrera 4S: £69,900
- Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet: £69,900
- Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet: £76,880
Shane O' Donoghue - 11 Jul 2005