Porsche 911 showcases class with turbo engine

FOLLOWING confirmation that turbocharged engine will be fitted to its 911 Carrera and Carrera S models, Porsche has said the engine will be doing duty in the four-wheel-drive versions

With fundamental details unchanged from the two-wheel-drive applications, the Carrera 4 has 370 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque, with the Carrera 4S receiving a mild boost to 420 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque, and increase of 20 horsepower over the previous.

Fuel economy improves by up to 12 percent,PDK and manual transmissions will both be offered, although there is official acceleration figures for the dual-clutch version only.

Porsche claims the Carrera 4 will dispatch the zero-to-60-mph sprint in 3.9 seconds (0.3 second quicker than before) with the Carrera 4S’s 3.6-second time representing a 0.3-second improvement. The Cabriolet S and the Targa 4 both have 3.8-second zero-to-60-mph times. Top speeds range from 178 mph to 189 mph.

The four-wheel-drive versions keep 1.7-inch-wider bodywork and, like the Carrera and Carrera S, are now available with the option of a dynamic-mode switch on the steering wheel that will cycle among Normal, Sport, Sport Plus, and Individual modes—plus the full battery of dynamic systems and options.

A new one for the turbocharged engine is “Sport Response,” a button that presets the powertrain for maximum acceleration by selecting the lowest gear and adjusting the engine management “for even more spontaneous response for a short time.”

The four-wheel-drive system still uses an electrohydraulic clutch to split torque between front and rear axles, but this has been given faster responses. All turbocharged Carreras sit 0.4 inch lower and have PASM (switchable dampers) as standard, and the S also gains the option of active rear steering as already fitted to the 911 Turbo and GT3.