Porsche 911 Carrera 2013 Review

If you buy a Porsche 911 you want the phat one. That would be all-wheel-drive Carrera 4 models with the rear flanks flared by 22mm a side to house a wider track and 10mm bigger rubber. The C4 and C4S account for 85 per cent of 911 Carrera sales. They’re sexy, swift and - in less than ideal conditions - more surefooted than their rear-drive counterparts.

VALUE

The C4 coupe costs $255,400 for a 3.4-litre flat-six engine with 257kW/390Nm matched to a seven-speed manual. The 3.8-litre 294kW/440Nm S model starts at $289,400 for the manual, while the cabriolet C4 and C4S are $280,900 and $315,000 respectively.

Only 20 per cent of buyers go for the traditional shifter even though it now rev-matches, or blips, on downshifts in Sports mode. Most stump up another $5950 for the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Standard gear across the range includes an auto-deploying rear spoiler, bi-xenon headlamps, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, satnav, cruise control (adaptive is an option) and a seven-inch touchscreen. S models add six-piston front brakes, a rear diff lock and active suspension with a 10mm lower ride height.

TECHNOLOGY

A digital display of how the torque transfer system is feed front and rear axles now features on the instrument panel. It’d be handy in the real-world but on the newly resurfaced Phillip Island layout, most of the momentum was achieved down back.

Until things get way untidy or you’re accelerating off the line, the C4 and C4S have been engineered to behave like rear-drivers. All transmission s include an auto stop/start setting and the dual-clutch auto adds a coasting function. 

DESIGN

The wide-bodied 911 fuses form and function into one of the most distinctive and desirable shapes in automotive history.  The heftier rear is an elongated power bulge reflecting the improved grip that comes from a wider track. The grippy leather seats are classic, pampered Porsche and while there’s a bunch of switches to learn, the important ones are below the shifter. Cabriolet owners can raise or lower the soft-top hood in 13 seconds at speeds up to 50km/h.

SAFETY

Spending $250,000 to throw a relatively low-volume car at a wall doesn’t appeal to EuroNCAP or ANCAP, so the 911 doesn’t have an official score. What it does have is Swiss-watch steering, the mechanical grip of an octopus and a beefy set of brakes overseeing a smart software suite.

DRIVING

There’s a directness to driving a Porsche that that isn’t hurt by the reassurance there’s all-paw grip to help hang on to the black stuff. It’s a dance on wheels and pedals as driver inputs initiate a chain reaction of changes to the vehicle’s poise and pace. They’re transmitted back through the spot-on electric steering, the seat of the pants and the rising pitch of the tyre whine.

It’s an engaging driver’s car, pure and simple, and will continue to obsess designers and drivers alike. Yes there are quicker cars for the price but performance is more than sprint times. The C4S officially hits 100km/h in 4.1 seconds. It doesn’t need to slow down for much beyond hairpin turns after that. The engine was built to rev and it demands track days to see anything close to its potential.

VERDICT

The 911 has engineered performance into a pedigree with more repute than most European royalty. This generation of the C4 range upholds that tradition with aplomb. Unlike royalty, it is still entirely relevant to modern life.

FACTOID

A skid-pan exercise with the C4 and C4S models had to be abandoned after the all-paw cars found too much traction to slide on the wet concrete, even with the stability management software switched off.

Porsche 911 C4, C4S

Price: from $255,400-$315,000
Warranty: 3 years/unlimited km
Resale: 64 per cent (three years, Glass’s Guide)
Service Interval: 12 months/15,000km
Engines: 3.4-litre flat six, 257kW/390Nm; 3.8-litre flat six 294kW/440Nm
Transmission: 7-speed manual, AWD
Dimensions: 4.49m (L), 1.85m (W), 1.3m (H)
Weight: 1430kg-1515kg
Spare: Tyre inflation kit
Thirst: 9.3L/100km (98 RON), 219g/km CO2 to 10.0L/100km (98RON), 236g/km CO2