Porsche has lifted the wraps on its fifth generation 911 Carrera 4 ahead of a planned public premiere at the Paris motor show at the end of September.
To be offered in four distinct models, the new four-wheel drive 911 is planned to reach the UK in December at a starting price of £77,924 for the base Carrera 4 coupe, rising to £96,619 for the more powerful Carrera 4S cabriolet.
Holding true to tradition, the new 911 Carrera 4 sports a widened body, with the rear side panels extending out 22mm beyond those of the standard rear-wheel drive Porsche 911 Carrera in a move that allows the fitment of wider rear wheels and tyres. Further distinguishing features include a traditional red reflector panel between the tail lamps.
The new Carrera 4, which is up to 65kg lighter than its predecessor, runs the latest 3.4-litre version of Porsche’s classic horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine delivering 345bhp.
Equipped with an optional seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, it can hit 62mph from rest in 4.5sec in coupe guise, with the heavier cabriolet requiring 4.7sec. Top speeds are 177mph and 175mph respectively.
The Carrera 4S gets a more powerful 3.8-litre engine with 395bhp. It propels the coupe to 62mph in 4.1sec, and the cabriolet in 4.3sec. Top speeds are put at 186mph and 184mph.
Economy is said to have improved 16 per cent over its predecessor in the Carrera 4, up to 32.8mpg in the 4 coupe and 31.0mpg in the 4S coupe.
Among the features brought to the new car is a display showing the real time drive split between the front and rear wheels.
With the introduction of the new Carrera 4, Porsche has also announced that all 911 models will now come with optional radar controlled adaptive cruise control.
