Porsche have launched the 4 and 4S versions of the new turboed 911 line.
The new 911 range has been blown, and we’ve already seen the 911 Carrera and Carrera S coupé and cabriolet. Now, Porsche have introduced the 4 and 4S all-wheel-drive versions, and also brought in the new Targa, which, as always, is only offered with all-wheel-drive.
Visually, the new 911 range gets the 3D-design tail-lamps and the vertically-slatted rear engine cover. The 4 models also get a new light strip, and a rear wing which arches outward by 44 mm. Inside, the drive-mode selector is not behind the steering wheel and that means more buttons are available on the centre console to do other things.
The new 911 Carrera 4 and Targa 4 are powered by the same, all-new 3.0-litre BiTurbo flat-six making 370 PS and 450 Nm, with the S getting a tuned-up version with 420 PS and 500 Nm; each 20 PS and 60 Nm more than their respective predecessors. The seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) twin-clutch automatic transmission drives all four wheels in the case of the 4 models.
We drove the 911 Targa 4S a few months ago, and were impressed by its all-round usability and charming character. Being a naturally-aspirated flat-six still endowed it with commendable flexibility and reassuring power delivery. The new turbo-sixes should be even more sprightly, although purists will look upon them as the plague for a few aeons before real-world situations begin to throw some sense up.
The entire new turbocharged-without-‘turbo’-badges range will make its way to India soon, with a marginal rise in prices expected. Pricing in the UK is as follows:
Carrera 4: £81,398 (Rs 81.4 lakh)
Carrera 4 Cabriolet: £90,240 (Rs 90.2 lakh)
Carrera 4S: £90,843 (Rs 90.8 lakh)
Carrera 4S Cabriolet: £99,684 (Rs 99.6 lakh)
Targa 4: £90,240 (Rs 90.2 lakh)
Targa 4S: £99,684 (Rs 99.6 lakh)
Story: Jim Gorde
