BEHIND THE WHEEL: Porsche 911 Carrera 4S
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 16, 2013
On the first day of Lunar New Year, I was presented with the keys to a Carrera 4S. Ahh~ another 911, the car that has been around for half a century where there is no need for more introduction. The last 911 I drove was a 355 horsepower Carrera S with Tiptronic, PASM and sports exhaust. This one though has 2 more drives, 30 more horsepower together with PDK instead of the older automatic box.
I have been looking forward to photographing the Carrera 4S a lot but first, some driving. I oozed off in it slowly to keep the owner happy however moments later, I could not bear the itch any longer but to activate sports exhaust. Even though an arguably louder, less costly option can be had aftermarket, I would like the Porsche Sports Exhaust (PSE) that came from the factory.
PRO
Inspires real confidence
Raw 911 emotions
Sports exhaust system
CON
Rear wheel drive's even more fun
SPECIFICATION
3.8-litre flat-6
385hp 420Nm
7-speed PDK
0-100 km/h: 4.5s (4.3s Sport Plus)
Top speed: 295 km/h
From RM 930,000
What I love most about New Year holidays is that most people have left for their hometown and it may be the only time where anyone could drive fast in the day. The 4S can go fast and it shows on its speedometer but it does not feel that way because the four-wheel-drive gives that illusion. It isn't demanding yet rewarding at the same time which is something that can only be explained as Porsche magic.
Just about anyone could drive this Carrera fast. Push it hard in the corners it would understeer, just give it a second for the front end to hook up then apply throttle and the corner is all yours to take. Having Sports Plus mode activated, PDK shifts more ferociously, traction control is backed down and stiffens the damping. Despite that, be it on rougher road surfaces or going over potholes the ride on this Carrera is never jarring. It is nothing less than properly composed, civilised even for its passenger although things can be different being on passive dampers.
The quad exhausts might be a tad expensive to buy but the way they expel noise is worth every single dime. I then went to my favourite drag strip to find out how soon it can get from 0 to 100km/h with launch control. According to an app called Dynolicious, it did it in 5.8 seconds which is a whole 1.5 seconds slower than Porsche's claim. To be fair, I've got a passenger who weighs 60 kilograms and that street we were on has some elevation. The Carrera 4S does the straights very well by sending all of its 385 horsepowers to the ground with its foolproof all-wheel drive layout. We could have done that all day but it is better to make a move after a few launches before the police pay a visit.
" Within the first 5 minutes, Carrera and I
was going rather too well "
At speeds of about 200 kilometre an hour (on a track, of course), the Carrera 4S does not intimidate the person behind the wheel and it does not require much to drive fast. Although it did not scare me, I'm not too sure about the person who sat next to me. A thing that is very characterful in the 997 generation of 911s is that that steering is full of chatter. It is communicative to the driver giving all the information needed translated from the ground and further amplified in the corners translated from the engine hanging out far behind. This is a defining trait of this Porsche 911 that might no longer be felt in generations to come.
In short, it goes fast, it turns well. The only thing that is a little bothersome is that it might be difficult to convince people that this is a fast car because of its cute face. That aside, the Carrera can be an everyday car that can do both, grand touring and sports car stuff. It will give you sufficient comfort in a world that's filled with traffic and still do naught to a 160 in fewer than 10 seconds when traffic loosens up.
Surely I would recommend anyone to get the 911 as their first sports car but the Cayman and Boxster too are attractive in a value for money proposition. While the Cayenne or the Panamera can come alongside after having yourself a coupe. No question Porsche's people carriers are the best driving cars in their class but let's remind ourselves of what the company is best at making are sports cars.
As for this Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, it is a keeping and a future classic in the making. Throughout the three years that it has been with us, nothing broke and the only thing it needed replacing were the tyres. It is a very missed car over here at The CWO.