rear axle, the control arm is an aluminum casting and

the torsion bar has been replaced by coil spring. lb com-

bat 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 Car-

rera) required a completely new brake system. Control

electronics for the four-wheel-drive system were inte-

grated with the ABS electronics. Power supply for the

hydraulic brake booster also supplies power to the hy-

draulic 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 tradi-

tionally been weak points in the 911, particularly in the

United States where a cross-country trip can mean rad-

ical extremes in temperature. The Carrera 4 uses mod-

ern electronics technology and a redesigned cowl area

to house a completely new heating and ventilation sys-

tem with integrated air conditioning which is compar-

able 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 actu-

ally newly designed for back lighting so that symbols

and text are only visible when necessary for driver in-

formation. The flickering green light of the4wd system

is the most attention-getting. The front trunk luggage

compartment is slightly smaller in the Carrera4 but will

still 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 ex-

pected that Targa and cabriolet versions of the Carrera

4 will be ready for 1990.

Understanding the Carrera4’s technology theoreti-

cally 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 possi-

bility, 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