4 SURE - 911 Carrera 4
- All wheel drive doesn't just give Porsche's newest 911 extra stability and safety - it also boosts driver involvement. Peter Robinson reports.
Your fingers convey the information the instant you turn the wheel. The steering is heavier, meatier, less sensitive. Not much, but enough of a difference to be immediately discernible to hands acquainted with the rear-drive Carrera.
The distinctions grew the longer we played with the Carrera 4 on the wonderfully demanding roads surrounding Porsche's Weissach proving ground. A bit more steering lock, a sense of mild understeer in a second-gear hairpin. Extra steering effort as increasing lateral forces amplify steering loads through a fourth-gear sweeper. A fraction less self-centring. Finally - and prepare for the ongoing arguments - a perception that this steering is actually more involving than that of the Carrera 2.
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It takes no more than a couple of corners to fall in love with the C4. It's a normal 911, only better. More stable, especially at the high speeds the Carrera so quickly attains, less nervous in strong crosswinds, and even more consistent in its dynamics. At first it seems slightly less agile, because wheel movements are bigger, but experience reveals that its handling is actually more neutral, less oversteery.
Experimentation with the PSM reveals that the C4 responds to a smooth driving style and minimises the need for driver reactions, making it more relaxing to drive than the C2, not least a very high speeds on the autobahn.
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All the driver understands is that the nose is less prone to pushing wide. The engine management system is set up so that if you lift off suddenly in a bend, a degree of torque is maintained to smooth out the weight transfer and reduce the car's reactions. It all makes for a supercar that is as failsafe as any, yet remains fun to drive quickly, the electronics doing their job so unobtrusive that most drivers won't even notice, unless they attack corners with arms flailing. Even then, it's effectively impossible to throw the C4 off balance, though not even the C4 can defy the laws of physics.
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The choice between C2 and C4 remains as complex as ever. The C4 is undoubtedly the more talented car, exuding an invincible air that many will find irresistible.
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