Loses only a little of the two-wheel-drive 911's thrills in return for impressive stability and reassurance
The ultimate all-season sports car, the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet. As you’d expect, one of the most telling exterior giveaways is its broader rump, which has grown by 22mm at each wheelarch (over the standard two-wheel-drive 911) to accommodate the wider rear track, yet only 50kg of weight has been added as a result of the four-wheel drive system.Both coupé and cabriolet versions have been launched together, and engines remain unchanged. Which means a 345bhp 3.4-litre six-cylinder boxer in the Carrera 4, and a 394bhp 3.8-litre in the 4S tested here. The seven-speed manual is standard across the range, but here our test car comes with the dual-clutch, seven-speed PDK, plus the optional Sport Chrono pack — which brings launch control and faster shifts, reducing 0-62mph time from 4.5 to 4.3sec.Adaptive dampers are standard in the C4S and come with a 10mm dropped ride height, and we’re also testing the optional Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control – an active anti-roll system – which drops the suspension by a further 10mm. The active four-wheel drive system is as advanced as you’d expect. Essentially an updated version of the system fitted to the 997 911 Turbo, it’s able to divert up to 100 per cent of the power to either axle in just 100 milliseconds to maximise traction. The higher-powered 4S also gets the torque vectoring system (an option on the standard Carrera 4), which allows power to be shuffled between either rear wheel, as well as either axle. Cars fitted with PDK get an electronic locking diff, whilst manual cars get a mechanical one, and both will brake an inside wheel to improve cornering ability.
Loses only a little of the two-wheel-drive 911's thrills in return for impressive stability and reassurance
The ultimate all-season sports car, the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet. As you’d expect, one of the most telling exterior giveaways is its broader rump, which has grown by 22mm at each wheelarch (over the standard two-wheel-drive 911) to accommodate the wider rear track, yet only 50kg of weight has been added as a result of the four-wheel drive system.Both coupé and cabriolet versions have been launched together, and engines remain unchanged. Which means a 345bhp 3.4-litre six-cylinder boxer in the Carrera 4, and a 394bhp 3.8-litre in the 4S tested here. The seven-speed manual is standard across the range, but here our test car comes with the dual-clutch, seven-speed PDK, plus the optional Sport Chrono pack — which brings launch control and faster shifts, reducing 0-62mph time from 4.5 to 4.3sec.Adaptive dampers are standard in the C4S and come with a 10mm dropped ride height, and we’re also testing the optional Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control – an active anti-roll system – which drops the suspension by a further 10mm. The active four-wheel drive system is as advanced as you’d expect. Essentially an updated version of the system fitted to the 997 911 Turbo, it’s able to divert up to 100 per cent of the power to either axle in just 100 milliseconds to maximise traction. The higher-powered 4S also gets the torque vectoring system (an option on the standard Carrera 4), which allows power to be shuffled between either rear wheel, as well as either axle. Cars fitted with PDK get an electronic locking diff, whilst manual cars get a mechanical one, and both will brake an inside wheel to improve cornering ability.