2009 Porsche Carrera 4S Manual



Carrera What is it?
It’s the 911 for those who relish the power, grip and all-round conquering ability that the C4S provides.

Is it all you’d expect it to be?
It’s late in the evening; the roads are greasy and have just had a fresh dusting of rain. It’s comforting, then, to see the wide hipped Carrera 4S residing in the staff car park.

Porsche’s new-generation C4S features the all-singing, all dancing electronic four-wheel drive system from the 911 Turbo, replacing the previous generation’s all-wheel drive system with its viscous coupling clutch. Thus, ‘Porsche’s Traction Management will feed exactly the right share of engine power to the front wheels under all driving conditions by way of a multiple-plate clutch’. Nice.

What this essentially means is there’s bucket loads of grip and you’d have to be doing something insanely stupid, or perhaps driven across an Exxon Valdez scale oil-spill to steer your way into a ditch. Planted; that’s how this 997 feels, regardless of cornering speed. But it’s when you drive the most basic, cheapest and arguably the best of the generation 2 997 range, the Carrera 2, that you wonder if the four-wheel drive model is really necessary.

It’s nice to have the added reassurance that four-wheel drive supplies at the back of your mind, but it really only reveals its merits when you’re blasting a long at more than a fair lick. Plus, all that fancy four-wheel drive technology means in the slower corners, it’s noticeably more num at the front than its two-wheel drive sibling. In all honesty, however, this is a terrific 911.

The 3.8-litre flat-six engine is a gem, though perhaps slightly too muted. Having the larger capacity powerplant at the rear, however, endows the 4S with a striking turn of pace and its deceleration is equally impressive.

Does the 4S warrant its premium?
If you’re after the ultimate four-wheel drive 911 from the generation two range, then yes, the 4S fits the bill. It does exactly what you’d expect it to do in the manner you’d anticipate. And if the extra premium commanded by the S doesn’t present a problem, we can’t see why you’d chose to ignore it.

Specification
911 C4S Manual
Engine: 3,800cc, flat-six water cooled
Max Power: 380bhp @6500rpm
Max Torque: 310lb ft @4,600rpm-6000rpm
Weight: 1480kg
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Top speed: 184mph
0-60mph: 4.7 seconds
Base Price: £73,146


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