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Porsche purists might moan that the flat-six engine in the rear is no longer naturally aspirated, but with more power and torque, improved efficiency and some advanced interior tech giving this 911 an even bigger breadth of ability than before, this facelifted 991-generation model carries on where the old car left off. Sure, it’s lost a touch of that high rev zing from the old car, but if you add the sports exhaust, the bark from the engine inside and out is still intoxicating. And so is the speed. The 991.2 Carrera S is absolutely amazing on both road and track and still the best sports car around.
With all-wheel drive and all the GTS goodies, the Carrera 4 GTS sits in a very practical place in the Porsche 911 lineup. The 4 GTS is a Carrera 4S with all the items Porsche thinks you should have at a price that is less than choosing them yourself. Standard equipment on the GTS that is normally optional on the Carrera S includes the Sport Chrono Package, Sport Exhaust, bi-xenon lights with PDLS (Porsche Dynamic Lighting System) and PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management). Inside, four-way adjustable sport seats are standard.
The 991 Carrera S continued the time honored Porsche 911 tradition of growing in physical size and power. Over the years the 911 has continued its evolution from a pure sports car to a luxurious super-car and the 2012 Carrera S Coupe was no exception. The seventh generation 911 launched in 2012 and it sits on a new platform, with a longer wheelbase and shorter overhangs. It also featured new headlights and taillights. Features a 3.8-liter flat-six engine mated as standard to a world's first seven-speed manual transmission.
So what else do you get when you buy a 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet? First of all you get a  30 hp bump over the Carrera 4S to 430 hp from the 3.8L naturally aspirated flat-six. You get forged centre-lock black 20-inch wheels, dynamic engine mounts, the Sports Chrono Package, PASM adaptive damping with a lowered ride height, an interior swathed in Alcantara, a sinister front fascia with black intakes and custom rear apron with black tailpipes that broadcast the goods through an uber-nasty sport exhaust system. Other trim details include black lettering and smoked headlights.
The 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo is a technological extravaganza. Adaptive aerodynamics, four-wheel steering, torque vectoring, active four-wheel drive, adaptive dampers, launch control, twin-clutch automatic gearbox – you get the picture. This is the first time we've had a chance to sample all of this on British roads. Two versions are available; both are powered by an uprated version of the previous 911 Turbo's 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six engine. The new 911 Turbo has even more power and more electronic systems. It is still a straight-line monster that will blow you away in terms of the sheer might of that engine and traction.
The seventh generation 911 was revealed 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show as an all-new model. It sports a longer wheel base, seven-speed gearbox and more efficient 3.4-liter flat-6. Major options include a 7-Speed automatic transmission , dynamic engine mounts and a Sport Chrono Package with a dash mounted analog stopwatch. This package also features a Sport Plus button that changes the settings of the chassis, engine and transmission for spirited driving. Launch Control is also new.
For this 991 generation Targa, Porsche went back to the original Targa concept, albeit with an even sexier design and some very cool technical tricks to boot. Porsche wanted to resurrect its classic design, but the company feared that owners would not want to get out of the car, lift off the roof panel, and stow it in the trunk. The other issue was, in the words of 911 product line director Dr. Erhard Mossle, "that the manual solution was a little bit old-fashioned." The 911 Targa 4 gets the same 350 horsepower, 3.4-liter six-cylinder motor as its hardtop siblings.
The cylinder number and position (six, horizontal) remained the same as before, but the displacement has been reduced to 3.0 liters (from 3.4 liters) and a pair of turbos has been strapped on the engine. And thanks to the force-feeding’s high potential, the same 3.0-liter unit is used for the Carrera S as well (instead of the 3.8-liter flat-six). As a result, the power figures in the Carrera 2 Cabriolet gained 20 hp and some 40 lb-ft of torque vs the prior generation. More importantly, the turbocharging makes the Carrera’s 332 foot-pounds of torque available way quicker, from just 1,700 rpm.
The open-top 991 Carrera S Cabriolet requires an $11,600 premium over a comparable coupe; ta not-cheap $108,950 price point for those shopping. For that, you get the best overall open-top sports car around. With the 400-hp, 3.8-liter six and the benefit of the PDK automatic’s launch control, the Carrera S cabriolet should hit 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and cover the quarter-mile in the low 12s. Performance is on-par with the coupe on backroads so any fears that this is a soft-911 are thrown out the window. This is a serious sports car, sans roof.
The 991.2 generation Carrera range update was a big one. The base coupe looks about the same, but under the hood Porsche did something crazy. Gone is the 3.4 liter naturally aspirated flat 6, replaced by a 3.0 turbocharged flat six. The good news is that the new engine is pumps out 370 hp and 331 ft lbs of torque, a big leap over the previous generation (output is up over the previous car by 20 horsepower and 44 lb-ft of torque). Inside, the updated 911 hasn’t changed dramatically, and although Porsche’s new PCM infotainment system is faster and more intuitive to use.
The Carrera 4 Cabriolet gets that wonderful extra-wide body and an AWD system hooked up to its new turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six engine. Additionally, the Carrera 4 Cabriolet gets a spate of new goodies, including a unique taillight section, and an updated infotainment system that brings the sports car’s connectivity to a whole new level. The open top Carrera 4 does a great job as an all-rounder, giving drivers the all-weather assurance of all-wheel drive and combining it with open top driving fun. Dynamically, it is up there with its coupe sibling.
The Cabriolet version of the 991.2 Turbo got the same updates as its coupe sibling. The engine in the 991.2 911 Turbo Cabriolet is a twin-turbocharged flat-six with 540 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque, up a decent 20 more horses versus the 991.1 Turbo Cab. Improvements that come from increases in boost and fuel-injection pressures. Rounding the skidpad, the Turbo posts 1.02 g’s relatively easily. The wide P Zeros in back and the standard four-wheel steering conspire to hide the fact that 62 percent of the Turbo’s 3656 pounds sits over the rear wheels. 0 - 60 mph is over in just 3 seconds.
The 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet is a great companion to its coupe sibling. The Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet delivers the same blend of dynamism, performance and efficiency offered by the Coupe. The turbocharged 3.8-litre six-cylinder engine delivers 520 bhp and it helps drivers accelerate from zero to 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds (there goes your hair style). Compared to the 997.2 Turbo Cabriolet the new Turbo Cab delivers 30 bhp more power and are 0.2 seconds faster in terms of their standard acceleration. It is also up to 15% more efficient and more luxurious and comfortable to boot.
The switch to turbocharging delivers predictably faster acceleration, with 0 - 60 mph taking just 3.9 seconds with the PDK transmission and Sport Chrono optioned. The quarter mile is dispatched in 12.2 seconds and the top speed for the open top Carrera S is 190 mph. These numbers are pretty impressive for an open top 911 that is just as comfortable driving around town as it is on back roads on spirited runs. With the 991.2 Carrera S Cab, it can be argued that there is no real need dynamically to opt for. the coupe body. A great overall sports car that is fast, fun and happens to have no roof.
Like the rest of the GTS lineup, the 991.1 Carrera GTS Cabriolet is essentially a kind of 991 Greatest Hits package, hand-picking some of the more desirable components and options from the 911 range.  It gets Porsche's PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management), Sport Chrono with Sport Plus, the Sport Exhaust system, and a ride height that's roughly four-tenths of an inch lower than non-GTS models. It also gets a version of Porsche's 3.8-liter flat-six with 430 hp, hits 60 mph in 4.0 seconds equipped with the PDK (4.4 to 60 mph for the manual), and tops out at 189 mph.
The Targa 4 GTS gets Porsche’s a powerful non-turbo rear-mounted flat-six engine with 430 bhp @ 7500 rpm and 325 ft lbs of torque from 5750 rpm, driven to all four wheels via Porsche Traction Management. Performance is also enhanced via the standard Sport Chrono package, which provides faster throttle response and more aggressive shift mapping. In addition, the GTS benefits from Porsche Active Suspension Management - Porsche’s proprietary adaptive suspension system with continuously variable dampers. Mechanically, this is the perfect package for a daily 911 that is also performance focused when you need it to be.
The new downsized flat-six gets forced induction, more power and greater efficiency, just like in the basic refreshed 911 Carrera, this time mated to a four-wheel-drive system nicked wholesale from the Turbo. Apparently one in three 911 buyers opt for a four-wheel-drive variant, so this is an important car to get right. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six in the 911 Carrera 4S is good for  414hp and 368 ft lbs of torque, helping it get from 0 to 62 mph in 4.2 sec with a manual, 4.0 seconds with the PDK and 3.6 sec with the PDK and optional Sport Chrono pack.
The new all-wheel drive 911 is being launched on the market in four versions – as the 911 Carrera 4 and 911 Carrera 4S and each as Coupé and Cabriolet. The Coupé and Cabriolet of the 911 Carrera 4 S each have a 3.8-litre rear-mounted boxer engine that produces 400 hp (294 kW); this enables acceleration to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds (Cabriolet: 4.3 seconds) and a top speed of 299 km/h (Cabriolet: 296 km/h) with a suitable equipment configuration. Fuel consumption values with PDK are 9.1 l/100 km (CO2 215 g/km) for the Coupé and 9.2 l/100 km (CO2 217 g/km) for the Cabriolet.
To the untrained eye, the Carrera T may appear to be a bare-bones and sparingly equipped 911 at first glance. The purpose of the T is to create a driver-focused 911, equipped with only the necessities required to appeal to those of a purist’s ilk. The Carrera T employs the same power plant used in the current base Carrera - a twin-turbocharged 3.0L flat-six with 370 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque. A 7-speed manual transmission comes standard with the T, along with a shorter final-drive ratio and the limited-slip differential. Porsche Sport Exhaust (PSE) is also standard. PASM sport suspension comes standard in the T, which lowers the chassis by 0.4 inches relative to the base Carrera and allows for two modes of dampening.
Porsche is doubling the driving fun to be had from the new 911 Carrera by putting a Cabriolet alongside the Coupé. The debut of the new generation of the sports car classic is being followed only a few months later by the open-top models of the 911 Carrera and 911 Carrera S in the new 911 design. What the Coupé began with the new aluminium-steel body, the Cabriolet continues with the all-new, unique hood: As a result, the typical 911 roof line is initially retained in its entirety.
Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (991.2)
The GTS 4 Cabriolet reminds us how awesome Porsche cars are. This is a 911 that can be used as a regular car, an all weather convertible 911 that does everything really well. And when you want to push hard, the car transforms into a true sports car, a car that no enthusiast will ever complain about. Drop-top 911s have always played a supporting role to the fixed roof versions, but in GTS specification the Cabriolet is now better than ever.
A new turbo flat-six engine is the headline news. Still super fast and surefooted all year round. The revised four-wheel-drive 911 makes the car's appeal on year-round, any-occasion usability even stronger. The 911 Carrera 4S receives a series of subtle styling updates as part of a reasonably comprehensive mid-life facelift. Included is a redesigned front bumper sporting active air ducts that open and close to channel air to the front-mounted radiators dependent on throttle load, revised headlights with altered internal graphics, larger exterior mirror housings and new door handles.
The 991.2 Targa did get some mild design changes, but they are all inline with the rest of the 991.2 changes. Despite the mild styling revisions, it’s a dramatically different car in terms of its engine. The iconic and highly regarded naturally aspirated 3.4-litre flat-six engine has been ousted for a more environmentally friendly twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre. It keeps its all-wheel drive system and is still an all-weather 911. A sports car with all-wheel drive is the first choice for more than one in three Porsche 911 buyers. It is sporty and comfortable, the turbo engines more powerful and consume less, with the improved all-wheel drive.
911 Carrera 4 GTS
Ultimately, the Carrera 4 GTS is the ideal all-round 911. Its bag of tricks gives you accessible, astonishing performance on the right road – but its price tag and comfort levels make it a little more acceptable for everyday use than a GT2, GT3 or Turbo. The GTS scores particularly well on the practicality to performance ratio. Its rear seats can accommodate people and its all-wheel drive system means you can really use this car all-year round. The GTS-spec 3.0-litre flat-six develops 30bhp more than a Carrera S (at 444bhp) and 37lb ft more torque (at 406lb ft).
More aggressive looks, significant extra power, and highly desirable options. This is the perfect all-round 911. In manual, there is nothing that feels as complete. Some of the technical ingredients that generate even more driving dynamics and driving fun: 430 hp (316 kW) power, the Sport Chrono package and the PASM active damper system which lowers the car's ride height by ten millimetres. The extra punch of the 430-hp engine pushes the 911 Carrera GTS coupe up to 190 mph in rear-wheel-drive/manual-transmission configuration, 2 mph higher than the 400-hp Carrera S.
The new Porsche 911 Carrera 4 unites the excellent performance and efficiency of the new generation of the 911 Carrera with the dynamic benefits of the latest version of the active all-wheel drive system PTM (Porsche Traction Management). The typical Porsche all-wheel drive with rear-focused layout in this latest 911 version guarantees maximum vehicle dynamics on a wide variety of road surfaces and in all weather conditions. The new 911 Carrera 4 models deliver traction and dynamic performance the power of four.
The 2013 Porsche Carrera 4 featured a 3.4-liter flat-six engine. It was mated as standard to a world's first seven-speed manual transmission. An automatic, PDK (dual-clutch) transmission was offered as an option. The Carrera 4 featured an all-wheel-drive torque distribution in the instrument cluster display. The most distinctive identifying feature of the 911 with all-wheel drive is still the wide rear section: compared to the two-wheel drive 911 Carrera models, the rear wheel housings 22 mm wider, and each of the rear tires is 10 mm wider.
Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS (991.2)
The 911 Targa 4 GTS isn't the fastest or best performing 911. It is heavier, softer and not as fast as every other GTS model. But we still love it. The Targa 4 GTS has amazing performance coupled with the sexiest body in the business. In GTS trim the Targa body looks even better. This is the car you get when you can only choose one 911 and you need it for fun weekends, daily driving and taking the wife out to a fancy restaurant. With 450 hp and 405 lb-ft from 2150 to 5000 rpm, it also has more than enough street performance than you could ever need. Buy one.
The 991.2 911 Targa 4S is powered by the latest water-cooled 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six from Porsche, producing 420 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque. It can be optioned with a PDK seven-speed dual-clutch automatic (a seven-speed manual is standard) and all-wheel drive is standard. Whereas the two earlier generations of Targas were little more than 911 Carreras with large glass sunroofs, the 991-series Targa nailed the look and feel of the original.
The 2012 Carrera 4S Cabriolet had the same wider rear track when compared to the non-S version of the vehicle. It wasn't something everyone would notice, but the difference was there for a reason, and that reason was the wider tires installed. From behind, a rear red light-strip united the LED taillights. Inside the Carrera 4S Cabriolet, there were some luxury features. The leather-covered sport-bucket seats were covered in leather. Even the rear, unusable, seats were wrapped in leather. The center console was higher to give a sense of a single-seat racing roadster.
The GTS coupe starts with the wider Carrera 4 body, with the rear fenders pushed out 1.7 inches, and the rear track widened 1.6in. Up front is the new SportDesign front fascia with its lower front spoiler and larger cooling air intakes. Standard wheels are 20-inch center lock items and 0.5 inch wider than standard Carrera S rims, finished in satin black. There are splashes of black elsewhere, too. The changes run more than skin deep. Bigger turbos pump up to 18psi of boost pressure which helps deliver not only 30 extra horses at 6,500 rpm, but 405 lb-ft of torque between 2,150 rpm and 5,000 rpm, up from 368 lb-ft. This is the sweet spot.
This is the open-top model for those who don’t want the full convertible experience – and it’s only available in the wide-hipped four-wheel drive bodyshell. The new Targa is a striking design, echoing the 1965 original with its fixed rollover bar. The Targa 4S, gets you the more powerful 3.8 engine from the Carrera S. It mixes regular Carrera 4S go with a sense of style and everyday usability (those occasional rear seats, the real possibility of 30mpg in everyday driving). Great car.
Thought it carries a similar design to the new 911, the Carrera 4 has its own unique features, the most obvious being an AWD system hooked up to its new turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six engine. The C4 gets a spate of new goodies, including a unique taillight section, and an updated infotainment system that brings the sports car’s connectivity to a whole new level. Inside the new 911 Carrera 4, there are only a few changes, the most important is the new infotainment system. With 370 hp on tap from the direct-injection, twin-turbo flat-six and all-wheel drive putting all those ponies to the ground, the C4 is more than quick enough.
At the heart of the 991.2 911 Turbo is a twin-turbocharged flat-six with 540 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque. That’s a meaningful 20 more horses than the 991.1 Turbo. Improvements that come from increases in boost and fuel-injection pressures. Rounding the skidpad, the Turbo posts 1.02 g’s relatively easily. The wide P Zeros in back and the standard four-wheel steering conspire to hide the fact that 62 percent of the Turbo’s 3656 pounds sits over the rear wheels. With sport-plus selected, the 991.2 Turbo hits a 1.0-second run to 30 mph and a 2.6-second zero-to-60 time.
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet (991.2)
Porsche really has hit its brief with the turbocharged Carrera GTS Cabriolet. It is hugely capable on the road, easy to live with on a daily basis, and come the weekend, it’s massively fast on track. For the money, and for drivers who really want just a little more 911, but without the mind-bending speed of a Turbo or uncompromising nature of a GT3, then this is the car for you. It also looks unique and has enough of its own style that it it feels special both on the outside and inside.