1989 Porsche Carrera 4

Speed. You can feel it. Breathe it. And you can question it: How fast can the car go? What limits can it reach? How fast can I go? What are my limits?

On the ground, in many production automobiles, that limit is usually attained around 120 mph. And at that, for most cars (and most drivers), traveling at two miles per minute is testing the very mettle of their mechanical abilities.

For a select few automobiles, that boundary has been extended into the rarefied reaches of 150 mph; and, for an even more exclusive handful, velocities now teeter on the edge of 200 mph!

However, at this moment in time, on this road in the south of France, the speedometer needle is playing with the 160-mph line. The engine is turning at maximum revs. The exhaust note is as melodious in the cold morning air as the call of Ulysses'sirens, matched only in tone and intensity by the howl of air rushing over the car's rooftop and deflecting off the side mirrors. At this clip, the world passes by in a torrent of wind and color. Yet, at nearly three times the limit we're allowed to drive on American highways, I feel an uncanny sense of security behind the familiar wheel of Porsche's fabulous new Carrera 4.

It is here that the old and the new have come together in what appears to be perfect harmony--a synergy between man and machine that must be maintained to preserve the 911's traditional values, which are critically important to the purist loyalists of the Zuffenhausen breed.

This devotion to the "only true" Porsches--those with their air-cooled engines tucked neatly in the rear--is rewarded by this new Carrera 4, a car that represents a quarter-century of development, but is still, curiously, as much the same as it is different from the first 911, introduced in 1963.

At an international press conference in Saint-Paul de Vence, France, automotive journalists from around the world were gathered to hear what Porsche AG chairman, Heinz Branitzki, had to say about the long-awaited all. wheel-drive 911.

Aerodynamic Efficiency
While the styling changes that set the Carrera 4 apart from its 911 heritage are subtle at best (new bumpers and an integral rear wing hardly qualify as revolutionary), Porsche's most advanced design improvements go unseen; unless, of course, you slide underneath the car and look up. What you'll see is. . . nothing.

The most important part of aerodynamics is minimizing resistance to the flow of air over the body of the car. But, equally important, though seldom addressed, is the resistance to airflow from beneath. Thus, the Carrera 4 is the first road-going Porsche to offer a full-length belly pan, the underside almost totally enclosed by plastic and metal panels. The engine itself is encapsulated by a full pan, bordered on either side by molded plastic panels. Also fully enclosed is the exhaust system. Except for the wheels and outer perimeter of the suspension, every thing is concealed. While reducing exposed area, the panels also retain heat, so the functional air intakes in the front of the bumper are used to direct air through the sealed undercarriage to assist in cooling the transmission, engine and anti-lock brake system.

In their overall application, the undercarriage panels serve several purposes: Foremost are the obvious aerodynamic gains provided by a smooth unobstructed surface--in theory, a race car-proven ground effects design; moreover, the enclosure was designed to reduce the level of noise emanating from the engine compartment in compliance with European regulations, making the Carrera 4 noticeably quieter than previous 911s. In turn, this also reduces exterior road noise entering the passenger compartment, providing an uncommonly quiet interior environment. Not too quiet, of course: You still get a proper mixture of engine, transmission and exhaust sound, but fewer bumps and thumps invade from the pavement below.

With the Carrera 4 body design, Porsche has managed to establish a new generation of cars with enhanced aerodynamics and reduced interior decibel levels, while at the same time avoiding an attack on holy 911 standards. A compromise? Perhaps. But how else can the old and the new exist together in harmony?

With headphones attached, like U.N. delegates at a peace conference, we listened attentively to Branitzki's translated dialogue, the essence of which was condensed into one all-encompassing statement: This is not

Indeed so. However similar to previous 911s the Carrera 4 appears on the outside--traditional windshield, doors, roofline, fenders and trunk lid--beneath that familiar veneer lives a new 3.6-liter, 250-hp, twin-ignition engine, a fully independent coil-sprung suspension, an anti-lock brake system, power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering, and four-wheel drive. As much as it may visually resemble all 911s before it, 85 percent of the Carrera 4's components have no ties with the past!

There is more than a hint of what lies beneath the Carrera 4's comely exterior if one notices the trappings this car has gleaned from Porsche's quarter-million-dollar 4wd 959. At both ends the bumpers have a similar appearance, the front with the 959's functional air intakes At the rear, the overstated whale-tail has been replaced by a subtle, integrally-mounted wing, which rises up out of the engine cover to apply the necessary downforce at speeds above 50 mph. Underneath, the Carrera 4 is virtually sealed by a full-length belly pan, which reduces both the amount of noise emanating from the car and the admission of road noise into the passenger compartment

With the Carrera 4, Porsche has given us a glimpse of its future. While there will be only a traditional coupe at first, starting this September the all" wheel-drive system will also be available on Targa and Cabrio models. One top Porsche official hints that all 911 models will have four-wheel drive within the next few years. Yes, a Turbo Carrera 4 will be in the showrooms sometime in the near future! (And, after that, how about 1992's twin-turbo 4wd "965'with about 370 hp, a top speed of 175 mph and bodywork based on the 959 supercar.)

A further sign of the changing times will be an optional automatic transmission in the 1990 model year. While some might decry an auto-shifter in such a car as profane, know it will be far removed from the old Sportmatic setup. It will also make the Carrera 4 even more practical for city dwellers who desire the elan of 911 ownership but are loath to deal with endless gear shifts in the daily commute.

For the present, however, the 1500 Carrera 4s that will be for sale in this country during the first half of 1989, and priced at a hefty $70,000 apiece, will all be coupes equipped with the five-speed manual gearbox. (Suffer!)

At its worst, this is the best Porsche ever. At its best, it is one of the most thoroughly competent road-going cars in the world--comfortable, easy to drive and practical enough to undertake even mundane motoring tasks. From the perspective behind the wheel, there are many changes, yet it still seems as though there have been few changes. The all-new chassis and 4wd system have moved the shifter further back so that it falls more readily at hand. The old red and blue heater and vent levers have become more easily understood rotary dials, relocated from the tunnel to the dashboard. And the instruments, while appearing the same, are back lit for improved night reading and feature an array of electronic systems readouts (which display momentarily when the engine starts). Otherwise, the interior has barely changed from the car's ancestral layout. You'll find the same doors, seats and steering wheel, the same dash" board, even the same quirky placement of the ignition switch to the left of the steering column. The floor pedals, too, remain in their upside" down position.

If these characteristics seem to display a thread-worn theme, they do. And, these are really the only negative aspects of the Carrera 4. With so many mechanical improvements, one has to question Porsche's reticence to update the 911's interior. Porsche has at hand one of the most ergonomically efficient driver environments of all time, in the 928, and a similar approach could certainly be adapted for the 911. But, this does not appear to be on the horizon.

Enough tradition bashing. Conversely, there are some things that should never change. Light the engine and there is that same air-cooled, six cylinder rumble from behind. Tease the throttle and the whine is music to a Porsche owner's ears.

Play it.

Push the pedal and the Carrera 4 consumes zero to 60 in five and a half seconds. At the upper reaches of 150 mph, the driver can sense that the four driven wheels are firmly in touch with the road, that the power-assist steering is ever so intricately precise, and that the anti-lock disc brakes can scrub off speed with unfaltering reliability in an instant.

At the heart of the Carrera 4 is an all-wheel-drive system which, surprisingly, was not derived from the 959, but utilizes an entirely new and less costly design. It divides torque through a mechanical center differential, delivering 31 percent of the drive force to the front wheels and 69 percent to the rear, under normal driving conditions. When needed, the system automatic" ally directs more power to the wheels offering the best traction. In practice, you can't tell when it's working, except for the indicator light on the dash. (Plus, if it weren't, you'd be eating the side of the road.)

Porsche hasn't exactly rewritten the laws of physics here, but let's say they've tampered with a few precepts.

Our first opportunity to drive the Carrera 4, in the south of France, allowed us to open it up and experience firsthand what this car has to offer. Cruising along tree-lined country roads on the outskirts of Saint-Paul de Vence, we pressed the car into corners at speeds that would have exposed us to the dreaded and perilous 911 oversteer--where the tail comes around, requiring deft counter steer and provoking a great deal of adrenaline, often followed by a solemn oath never to do that again! Knowing this, it was at first confounding to drive a 911 with neutral handling, even, when pushed harder into a turn, one with a slight tendency toward understeer! Though contrary to past experience, it was nonetheless so. The Carrera 4 does not feel like a 911 in the classic sense but more like an Audi Quattro Coupe with better balance.

With this improved level of responsiveness comes an element of what we'll call Carrera Euphoria, which beckons you to press the car even deeper into turns. To our surprise and relief, if you err (as we did) and lift in a curve (a normal, often regrettable reaction when you realize there isn't enough road, and which we also did), everything works as advertised: The dynamically-controlled all-wheel drive instantly redistributes torque to keep the car in shape. The Carrera 4 held the line, and we swore that terrible oath. . .

One improvement that almost goes unnoticed is Porsche's new power" assisted steering, which manages to enhance the car's handling without taking away any of that wonderful feed. back that 911s have always provided. What has been erased from the steering is the tendency for the wheel to be wrenched from your hands when en" countering a bump in the middle of a turn. You no longer have to manhandle the car in corners. The power assist handles the counterforce; you handle the car. Another 911 tradition shed, perhaps, but one that will not be missed.

Porsche has set itself apart from all of the rest with the Carrera 4: A car that can comfortably seat two, carry enough luggage and manage itself in the daily grind without the foibles of more temperamental European road machines. A car that is equally adept cruising the Autobahn at 160 mph, or idling in freeway traffic at 8:15 in the morning.

Promise Fulfilled
Applied evolution makes the 1995 Carrera 4

By Scott Dahlquist
Photos by the author

Porsche chose Vellberg Castle, in the beautiful Swabian countryside northeast of Stuttgart, for the introduction of its new C4 because of the demanding twists of the regions' country roads. And the castle proved to be perfect headquarters for exploring the pleasures of Porsche's most highly evolved production sports car.

We all know the C4's family tree. When the 959 was introduced in 1984, it created a bittersweet feeling among American car freaks, knowing there was such an incredible piece of machinery out there, but we would never get to see the supercar running on public roads in the U.S. Driving one would remain pure fantasy.

The 959 served two purposes (including making us crazy with envy): It became a Gruppe B homologation special, which dominated its class until the class itself became defunct, and it was a proving ground for a highly sophisticated 4WD chassis. At nearly the same time, Porsche planners were working on their first high-volume production 4WD model, which would debut in 1988. Six years later, the next evolutionary step in Porsche's technological progress arrives-the 1995 911 Carrera 4.

It is a natural instinct for engineers to improve on a successful concept. Given the six years of customer feedback, failure or success of engineering tests, and that particular form of natural selection, which is played out on the track, it was expected that a good thing would get better. The result is an all-wheel-drive 911 that would make Dr. Porsche proud-and, which affirms the heart -of Mr. Darwin's theory.

The most impressive aspect of the C4's all-new chassis is how light and effortless it feels, which was apparent while we maneuvered through the tight confines of the 16dh century castle's square.

After negotiating the C4 out through the castle gates, complete with spiked drawbridge, we made our way through small village streets. The C4 offered no feeling of binding on tight turns, and the steering wheel remained light. It was hard to detect that we were in anything other than a production two-wheel-drive C2. In fact, that was Porsche's design goal for the new all-wheel-drive system: rear-wheel-drive handling, ride and feel but with the superior grip of a 4WD chassis.

Porsche achieved this fantastic, lightness of feeling with refinements in two areas: First, the new 4WD system's 105 lb is a dramatic improvement from the previous system's 330 lb; second, there's a 50 percent reduction of mechanical friction, accomplished primarily by changing from an electro-hydraulic coupling clutch to a viscous coupling unit. Located at the transmission output in front of the rear axle, it distributes torque between the axles in response to wheel slip. If the rear wheels start to slip, the clutch increases torque to the front wheels. Entirely maintenance free, the clutch responds to throttle input, RPM and temperature differences to vary torque values to each axle in such a way as to be virtually transparent to the driver.

By no mere coincidence, we were about to get a first-hand demonstration on this theory. We followed pace notes that led us through several sleepy burgs and twisting valleys. Then, as we made our way up the main Strasse of a small village, two young boys caught sight of our yellow Carrera 4 and darted through traffic on their bicycles to keep up with us. They escorted us as we turned on the road out of town and noticed a number of cars parked in a line at the entrance to a quarry. The townspeople were literally swarming to see rally hero Walter Rohrl give the American journalists a lesson on the finer points of working a C4.

Herr Rohrl was genuinely excited to demonstrate the limits of the new C4, explaining that this was the finest 4WD chassis he has ever driven. "I have over one million miles in different 4WD systems during the last 14 years. I know every system, and I have never driven one like this before."

At one point, after a hot lap over the impromptu track carved in the quarry's floor, Herr Rohrl stopped the car, revved the motor to about 3500 rpm, popped the clutch and sent us into a controlled, power induced oversteer slide. He did this to demonstrate the torque balance between the front and rear wheels-normally 31 percent in the front and 69 percent in the rear. From this base setting the system varies torque split depending on road conditions-which became obvious through a slow turn on the quarry course. As Rohrl accelerated out of the corner, the rear would break loose. But, the C4 kept pulling as hard as it would under perfect road conditions. More torque was being applied to the front wheels, the wheels with the grip, and the rears reduced their ineffective spinning Very efficient. Very smooth. Augmenting the new clutch is what Porsche calls a Dynamic Driving Differential System, which regulates torque split between the rear wheels. We were able to slide the car with the throttle at will because of this setup, which adjusts the rear differential to provide 35 percent lockup when accelerating and 40 percent lockup when decelerating. During deceleration, the 40 percent lock creates a force which translates into an understeering chassis-in fact, nearly twice as much tendency to understeer as during acceleration. So, if you happen to oversteer a tight curve, or suddenly lift in one, the car responds with barely noticeable push or understeer.

During acceleration, however, the "DDD" provides agile, corner-hugging handling that assures the pilot he can aggressively attack any corner at a high entry speed, usually progressing from light understeer up to a neutral cornering behavior.

Further complementing the viscous clutch and the rear DDD is the Automatic Brake Differential. The ABD uses data from the ABS sensors to determine slip at individual wheels. Once a slip is detected, the ABD then applies the appropriate braking force to ensure maximum traction.

It all works like this: If wheel slip occurs, the first function of the 4WD system is to apply the differential lock; if traction loss continues, then ABD kicks in, transferring torque from the slipping wheel to the "hooked up" wheel." ABD is best utilized in rainy or snowy conditions and functions up to speeds of 70 km/h, or 44 mph.

These three new features-the viscous clutch, the Dynamic Driving Differential lock for the rear axle and the Automatic Brake Differential-work in conjunction to provide absolutely impressive handling characteristics, as aptly demonstrated by Rohrl.

Having acquainted us with the Carrera 4's handling in an extreme fashion, Porsche felt confident enough to set us loose on the open Swabian roads. Our pace notes took us through more beautiful countryside, but we were getting anxious. We wanted blurred countryside! Just as anxiety was building to tolerance limits, there appeared a sight that would make any car enthusiast's hear palpitate-an Autobahn sign, a simple, universally understood illustration of two highway lanes tapering into the distance. For those who are initiated, this "icon" can be interpreted as the tunnel vision effect that kicks in when you're exploring the upper reaches of a Porsche's limits.

Anxiety pangs continued to grow as we merged on the Autobahn behind a line of slow-moving diesel trucks. Once our Carrera 4 squeaked past the trucks, however, it was a quick 3rd to 2nd downshift and then a hard acceleration run to the top of 6th.

The first several kilometers were comprised of a sweeping bend, and the chassis felt wonderfully stable. At about 200 km/h (125 mph) the only twitchy aspect of the car was the windshield wipers. At this point, we remarked how remarkably quiet the car was at high speed.

Compared to the old Carrera 4, chassis noise from the new system is much reduced (credit 50 percent less mechanical friction). As our velocity increased, we noticed the absence of the road and wind noise that once plagued the 911 and Carreras, which allowed us to bask in the wide open mechanical symphony of the normally aspirated 3.Gliter engine singing out from behind us.

Even nearing terminal velocity, the C4 was still comfortable and controllable, unlike last year's 3.6 Turbo (on the Carrera 2 chassis), which was very intimidating to drive at high speeds. The 3.6 felt like it might twitch out of control at any time, like hitting the flash point of a disaster. Well, that old flash point theory that stigmatized many previous 91 ls is gone.

This Carrera 4 is extremely stable-the sort of stable that makes it possible to change lanes at high speed in an emergency maneuver without losing directional stability, without even breaking a sweat.

The engineering that makes this Carrera 4 so outstanding at high speed was also applied to the brakes, which have been developed to levels unknown even on race tracks a few years ago. A hydraulic brake booster and ABS is matched to the 4WD system's technology. And that braking power is definitely needed. Closing speeds on the Autobahn are sometimes in excess of 90 to 100 mph and, like here in the U.S., not everyone pays attention to their own driving. The four piston, four-wheel Bosch disc brakes add a critical element to high- performance driving. In conjunction with the ABS system (which we, thankfully, never utilized), trail braking and late braking from high speeds became as fun and controllable as hard acceleration.

Perhaps the most significant new development is the Carrera 4's reduced price. By streamlining production, Porsche has been able to reduce the suggested retail price of the Carrera 4 by $12,550 to $65,900. The Carrera 4 Cabriolet is priced at $74,200, a reduction of $12,050. The price may vary when ordering options like larger wheels and tires: 7Jxl7-in. with 205/50ZR17 in front and 9JX17 with 255/40 ZR17 in the rear.

The evolution of this particular species has proven that the strong get stronger in the automobile kingdom.

We are already anticipating the next evolutionary step, what will surely be "King of the Beasts," the Carrera 4 Turbo.

Carerra 4S
From european car 12/95
Bigger is often not better, but in the case of tires and brakes, we generally prefer to engineer large into our performance formula.

The advantages wrought by this formula are visually apparent. The tires appear as though their width should be measured in meters, and the brake calipers are painted brightly to boast of their muscular design. They deliver the attributes of seemingly endless grip and stopping power and make this new 911 model a sensible choice from the '96 lineup.

Porsche's remarkable all-wheel drive system makes the most of the 18-in. wheels and tires, and the six-speed transmission provides a gear for every nee--from painting the blacktop with rubber stripes--to making the dash from Munich to Bayreuth in less than a CD of music.

Then there's that unmistakable stance; aggressive, brutish even. So what if its look of boastful defiance isn't backed up by the ultra-wow 400bhp twin-turbo powerplant of its near identical sibling. So what if it can't get over 168 mph (270 km/h) and struggles from -0-60 mph in 5.2 sec when the Turbo takes a mere 4.4 sec for the same dash. The latest 3.6-liter engine's improvements more than make up for any disappointment a buyer might feel over inability to afford the Turbo's hundred and five grand sticker. Now, $73,000, the C4's price, isn't peanuts in anyone's zoo, but is 120 bhp or so worth $27,000 when you can get most of the Turbo's other goodies in the C4S?

You don't get the Turbo's fixed tail, for one, and I can't decide if the extendable spoiler of the standard Carrera doesn't look just a bit wimpy when it's deployed, frame as it is by the wide hips, yet I was very thankful for its contribution to high-speed stability. I explored that realm during a particularly satisfying Sunday morning black down an all but deserted autobahn. The car rarely dropped below 220 km/h for the entire period, yet the only gauge which registered an effect was the fuel needle. The C4S's EPA highway estimate of 23 mpg was, of course, severely compromised by that sort of driving, and few Germans are now willing to engage in such frivolity when they're paying about $4.50 per gallon for the good stuff. Still, an occasional BMW (older 5-series mostly), Audi (new A4s everywhere making good use of the left lane) and Opel (Calibra drivers have gotten very aggressive) challenged the Porsche and I joined for a few instants the parade of lesser machinery in the slow lane. It's a real treat dealing with smoking Trabants-rolling chicanes.