Porsche completes 911 range

PORSCHE will unveil the 911 Carrera 4S at next week's Frankfurt motor show, the coupe combining 911 turbo looks and four-wheel drive with the Carrera's naturally-aspirated 3.6-litre boxer engine.

The debut of the new generation 4S completes the 911 lineup and it will go on sale in Europe in December.

Just 50 examples of the 4S will be offered for sale in Australia from February 2002, with the manual priced at $221,000 and the tiptronic auto at $229,000.

But the facelifted 911 range actually starts arriving here this October with the two-wheel drive Carrera leading the way, followed by the Cabriolet, the Carrera 4 and the new glass-roofed 911 Targa.

The facelift includes a new bolder front-end incorporating the turbo's headlights, revised interior, a push up in engine capacity from 3.4 to 3.6-litres and a corresponding rise in engine power from 221kW to 235kW.

However, Porsche Cars Australia has confirmed that price rises are also on the way along with the new models.

Despite being slightly heavier than a Carrera 4 because of its 60mm wider rear track and more powerful braking system taken from the turbo, Porsche says the 4S's performance is only marginally affected, claiming a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 5.1 seconds and a top speed of 280km/h.

Visual clues that this is a 4S rather than a turbo include the lack of a rear wing, no side air inlets and a red lamp strip which connects the rear lights.

The last generation 4S was on-sale in Australia from October 1995 to November 1997.