Paris 2012: Porsche 911 Carrera 4

Lighter all-wheel drive Carreras boost performance, reduce consumption

If all-wheel drive 911s seem a little invisible it may come as a surprise to learn that 24,000 second-generation 997 Carrera 4s have been sold since 2008 - a hefty 34 per cent share of the total sales.

Bigger hips and reflector bar single out C4

Now it's time for the 991 to take up the all-wheel drive baton with the new Carrera 4. As previously reported on PH it comes in four flavours: Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S, both available as either coupe or Cabriolet. The Carrera 4's 3.4-litre engine is rated at 350hp, enough for 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds (Cabriolet 4.7 seconds) and a top speed of up to 177mph (Cabriolet 175mph), depending on spec. The 3.8-litre unit in the S delivers 400hp, a 0-62mph time of 4.1 seconds (Cabriolet 4.3 seconds) and a top speed of 186mph (Cabriolet 184 mph). All models have a seven-speed manual gearbox as standard, or as an option the seven-speed PDK twin-clutch auto.

Porsche says the 911's aluminium-steel composite body construction has brought a weight saving of up to 65kg on the equivalent previous models, contributing to a 16 per cent reduction in Carrera 4 fuel consumption despite the higher level of performance. For the C4 with PDK, expect a 32.8mpg average for the coupe and 32.5mpg for the Cabriolet. Equivalent figures for the S are 31.0mpg and 30.7mpg.

C4 Cabrio also launches - the agony of choice!

As per tradition, Carrera 4 models get extended rear wheel arches (+22mm) and 10mm wider rear tyres than their 2WD siblings. The rear red light band is modded to further set the 4 apart.

Inside, new instrument menus monitor the PTM all-wheel drive system's status. Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is also being introduced as an option across the range. When it's ordered with PDK, the ACC system adds Porsche Active Safe (PAS), which can help prevent front-end collisions.

Another range-wide option announced coincident with the launch of the all-wheel drive Carrera 4s is a sliding glass sunroof. Manual 911s with the optional Sport Chrono pack have added responsiveness, automatically double-declutching during downshifts in Sport Plus mode.

Prices? From £77,924 for the Carrera 4 and from £87,959 for the 4S. Cabriolet versions start at £86,583 and £96,619 respectively. They're all expected to go on sale in the UK this December.

Hybrid Panamera Sport Turismo

Elsewhere on the Porsche stand comes the riposte to those guys across town at Mercedes and the CLS Shooting Brake, driven recently by Mr Harris. Yup, the Panamera's done gained a bit of a Shooting Brake-esque rear, a Sport Turismo moniker and plug-in hybrid tech giving around 20 miles and up to 70mph of purely electric performance. Bring the internal combustion engine into play and you've got 416hp and sub-six seconds 0-62mph, all with 82g/km and 80.7mpg. Mainly it looks dead cool though!

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