Porsche 911 Carrera 4 and 4S (2009-) Review

Overview

• Next: Reliability and Quality

Look at the new Porsche 911 Carrera and the word 'evolution' springs to mind: this is a car where you have to squint to see the difference from the previous incarnation.

These days global marketing demands massive hype, but that's never been Porsche's style: it prefers to let its products do the talking. If the 'new model' only looks a little different, then so be it.

So the new 911 is a 'discreet' modification: new, lower-profiled nose; front bumper with driving lamps and wider twin air intakes; enlarged wing mirrors; plus all 911s now come with bi-xenon headlights and new LED daytime driving lights.

But the real changes are under the skin. This new 911 features three new technologies: two new engines, a new four-wheel-drive system and a new super-fast gearbox.

The new Porsche flat six direct fuel injection engines offer more power and better economy: the standard 4 uses a 3.6-litre and produces 340bhp; the S, a 3.8-litre unit delivers 379bhp. However, it's cheaper to run: the standard car returns around 28mpg and there's a 12.9% improvement in fuel consumption over the previous models.

Technical wizardry includes the new Porsche Traction Management (PTM), which means the four-wheel-drive is now electronically controlled (previously, the car used a viscous coupling all-wheel-drive system). Then there's the new Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK): this is a seven-speed, semi-automatic, double-clutch gearbox that gives lightning-quick gearchanges and, if you opt for the Sports Chrono Package Plus, you get launch control which will reduce the 0-60mph time by 0.2 seconds.

It'll be interesting to see whether all this new technology can reverse the current decline in Porsche's UK sales: after all, how many buyers are going to shell out £67,430-£82,010 in the current economic climate? And for those who do, will they find that the changes make the 911 Carrera 4 a better car?