rear axle, the control arm is an aluminum casting and the torsion bar has been replaced by coil spring. lb combat the additional weight of the 4wd system on the front axle, Porsche’s excellent power steering is standard on the Carrera 4.

Increased performance and the higher weight of the Carrera 4(220 pounds more than the present 911 Carrera) required a completely new brake system. Control electronics for the four-wheel-drive system were integrated with the ABS electronics. Power supply for the hydraulic brake booster also supplies power to the hydraulic differential lock control of the four-wheel-drive system. Porsche’s race proven four-piston aluminum brake calipers are used along with ventilated brake discs. Cool air induction by means of plastic spoilers at the control arms is a further design action to reduce brake temperature and therefore brake wear.

Interior comfort

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning have traditionally been weak points in the 911, particularly in the United States where a cross-country trip can mean radical extremes in temperature. The Carrera 4 uses modern electronics technology and a redesigned cowl area to house a completely new heating and ventilation system with integrated air conditioning which is comparable to the best systems in high performance sedans.

The interior of the Carrera 4 is virtually identical to that of the 911 Carrera. The higher central console that

houses the driveshaft and front differential is hardly noticeable. Five round instruments, a hallmark of 911 cockpit design, look the same on the dash but are actually newly designed for back lighting so that symbols and text are only visible when necessary for driver information. The flickering green light of the4wd system is the most attention-getting. The front trunk luggage compartment is slightly smaller in the Carrera4but will stilli hold a large hard suitcase or several smaller pieces of luggage.

In the 1989 model year Porsche will bring only 1250

911 Carrera 4s to the United States. The price will be

$69,500. Available initially only in coupe form, it is expected that Targa and cabriolet versions of the Carrera

4 will be ready for 1990.

Understanding the Carrera4’s technology theoretically is one thing, but it’s in the driving of the new- generation car that you begin to grasp how artfully Porsche’s engineers have fused new technology with the basic rear-engined 911 concept, now in its second quarter-century. On the move, the Carrera 4 imparts an immediately different perception of power and possibility, an increased sense of steering, roadholding and cornering safety, but it does so within the familiar 911 context.

The Carrera 4 transports the 911 into a future that could last another 25 years!

—BJT