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Porsche is redesigning its iconic 911 sports car on a staggered basis. Last year, the new Carrera and Carrera S models arrived, offered in coupe and cabriolet body styles. For 2013, the Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S models go on sale, equipped with standard Porsche Traction Management (PTM) active all-wheel drive and a “wide-body” appearance that some 911 buyers prefer even if they don’t care about the benefits of four driven wheels.
The 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S models were shown to North American audiences for the first time at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. In addition to adding these models to the lineup, Porsche is adding new options for the 2013 911 Carrera range.
Like the standard 911 Carrera, the new 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S are offered in coupe and convertible body styles. Styling modifications include restyled front air intakes, different side skirts, and a new full-width taillight strip connecting the main lights. What most people tend to notice about the 911 Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S models, however, are the car’s swollen rear fenders, each wider by 22mm and housing rear wheels that are each wider by 10mm.
A 3.4-liter horizontally opposed 6-cylinder engine, also known as a “flat-six” or a “boxer” engine, is standard for the 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4, and it generates 350 horsepower. The 911 Carrera 4S has a 400-horsepower, 3.8-liter 6-cylinder boxer engine. Each is equipped with a standard 7-speed manual gearbox, with a 7-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) automated manual transmission offered as an option.
What makes the new 911 Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S models special, however, is the standard Porsche Traction Management (PTM) active all-wheel-drive system. PTM monitors the car’s lateral and longitudinal acceleration, the amount of steering angle, and the rotational speed of each wheel to determine how best to continuously vary and distribute engine torque to each axle.
According to Porsche, acceleration to 60 mph ranges 4.3 seconds for the Carrera 4S Coupe to 4.9 seconds for the Carrera 4 Cabriolet, with top speeds between 175 and 185 mph.
One visit to the Porsche website is all it takes to realize that the new 2013 911 Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S are well-equipped models available with an extensive menu of upgrades and ways to tailor the sports car to personal tastes.
New for 2013, an Adaptive Cruise Control system automatically maintains a set distance between the 911 and traffic ahead, and even “pre-charges” the braking system to provide maximum braking power when the system determines that the 911 is closing on traffic ahead, but only if the driver steps on the brake pedal.
New Porsche Active Safe technology gives audible and visual alerts if the close rate to traffic ahead is excessive, and can even “initiate target braking,” according to Porsche.
Additionally, the 2013 911 Carrera models are available with a new power sunroof.
The redesigned Porsche 911 is an impressive sports car. Add Porsche Traction Management all-wheel drive, and it’s an impressive 4-season sports car.