AIMS: Porsche Carrera 4S really flies
BY RON HAMMERTON | 2nd Oct 2012
The car is expected to arrive in Sydney next week, just days before it is scheduled to make its local public debut at the Darling Harbour exhibition centre.
The right-hand drive car – in the popular Agate grey metallic paint with red leather interior – was made especially for the show at the request of Porsche’s Australian arm.
Porsche Cars Australia public relations manager Paul Ellis told GoAuto the car was run down the Stuttgart production line among start-up left-hand drive production vehicles for Europe, where the Carrera 4 has only just made its debut at the Paris motor show.
Local deliveries of the all-wheel-drive 911 models in both coupe and cabriolet body styles and two specification levels – Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S – are not due to start until the first quarter of 2013, but pricing has already been announced and customer orders are already being taken.
The Sydney show will be the first time local Porsche 911 buyers can see and touch the Carrera 4, pricing for which starts at $255,400 (plus on-road costs) for the coupe and tops out at $315,000 for the 4S Cabriolet.
The Carrera 4 gets the 911’s smaller 3.4-litre flat six producing 257kW of power, mated with a choice of seven-speed transmissions, in manual or PDK dual-clutch automatic (a $5950 option).
The Carrera 4S gets the bigger and more powerful 294kW engine, again with the seven-speed manual or optional PDK auto.
As before, the all-wheel-drive 911 Carreras get the wider rear bodywork, stretched 22mm to accommodate 10mm-wider wheels.
Track width grows 42mm on the Carrera 4, and by 36mm on the 4S over the standard rear-wheel-drive 911 Carrera models that were launched in Australia in March.
The new 911 – dubbed 991 Series – is a ground-up development on a new platform – only the third all-new architecture for the iconic German sportscar that celebrates its 50th anniversary next year.
Apart from the Carrera 4S, Porsche’s AIMS stand will display its V8 SUV, the Cayenne GTS, the diesel-powered version of the Panamera limo, newly released Boxster range and a pair of 911s in coupe and cabrio forms.
