First look: Double-clutch for Porsche Carrera 4 too

HAVING staged the global launch of its facelifted 997-series Carrera coupe and cabriolet earlier this month, it was only a matter of time before Porsche revealed upgraded all-wheel drive Carrera 4 versions of its hard and soft-topped 911 sports car flagship.

However, the emergence of the updated Carrera 4 - which comes with the same redesigned 3.6 and 3.8-litre flat-six engines, mated to Porsche’s highly anticipated new double-clutch auto – just a week after the rear-drive Carrera 2 launch in Germany has caught many experts by surprise.

While the MY2009 911 C2 models officially go on sale in Australia on September 20, the Carrera 4 coupe and cabriolet hit local showrooms just over a month later on October 25.

As with the C2, pricing is yet to be announced and may be delayed due to pending Luxury Car Tax changes, but expect them to be at least $10,000 higher than currently, which Porsche says represents the superior engine and transmission technology and increased level of standard specification.

The outgoing 911 Carrera 4 Coupe is priced from $216,400 – about $15,000 more than its C2 equivalent - while the cabriolet costs $236,600. The 3.8-litre Carrera 4S-badged variants currently add about $27,000 to their pricetags.

In addition to the C2’s subtle styling and thorough mechanical revisions, the C4 versions gain the newer electronically-controlled all-wheel drive system from the 997 911 Turbo, which in turn inherited the technology from Porsche’s Cayenne SUV.

Modified for use in the C4, the new electronic Porsche Traction Management system replaces the viscous multi-plate clutch AWD system currently used, and is claimed to “combine the driving satisfaction so typical of Porsche with an even higher standard of driving stability, traction and agile handling”.

Fitted as standard with a mechanical rear axle differential, the new AWD system joins a host of updates already introduced for the 997 C2’s midlife facelift, which increase performance and driveability while reducing fuel consumption.

Heading the list are completely renewed and direct injection-equipped iterations of the 911’s 3.6 and 3.8-litre six-cylinder boxer engines, which mirror the changes seen in the C2.

That means the standard C4 3.6 coupe delivers 15kW more at 254kW and, when fitted with the optional new Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) automated manual transmission, returns reduced fuel consumption of just 10.1L/100km (0.3L/100km more than the facelifted C2.

Meantime, the peak power output of the C4S coupe and cabriolet’s 3.8-litre flat six rises by 22kW to 383kW, yet the PDK-equipped Carrera 4S Cabriolet now returns just 10.7L/100km.

According to Porsche, depending on the model, the C4 offers up to 8.5 per cent more power and up to 12.9 per cent greater fuel economy than before, while lowering CO2 emissions by up to 15.4 per cent.

Turning the traditional transmission hierarchy on its head, PDK versions of the new 911 are not only cleaner and more frugal than versions with the carryover six-speed manual, but also quicker – chiefly because the seven-speed ZF-developed electro-hydraulic double-clutch robotised manual is more efficient than both the standard manual and the five-speed Tiptronic S auto it finally replaces.

Like their rear-drive siblings, both C4 bodystyles now gain bi-Xenon headlights as standard, comprising LED daytime running lights and, as a new option, Dynamic Bending Lights. LED technology is also featured in the tail-lights, between which is a new reflector panel.

Inside the MY2009 C4, which continues to be 44mm wider at its rear-end compared with the C2, is a larger new touch-screen monitor, while the upgraded Porsche Communications Management (PCM) system is now Bluetooth, USB and iPod compatible.

Read more:

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