Rabidly fast, in a virtually effortless way. The new engine – now with two turbochargers strapped to the flat-six, of course - pulls with fairly breathtaking voracity all the way from around 2000rpm up towards a lofty redline. There is a touch of lag and a kink in power delivery as the turbos start to stoke the engine properly, but this elastic-feeling engine still pulls cleanly and without feeling choked at very low revs, just as it will rip through the rev range to the peaky 7500rpm redline.
The gearbox does much of the work for you, with shifts barely encroaching on your consciousness in normal driving. Our car came with Sport Chrono (£1416), which brings varying driving modes, and if you stick it in Sport or Sport+ the gearbox quick-fires up and down the ratios, picking the right one at the right moment. We still reckon the paddles are more satisfying; ultimately, having the control yourself is just more involving if you fancy getting all white-eyed and sweaty-palmed.
In fact, if full control is your kind of thing, the manual may be more enjoyable at those critical moments. However, for most 911 users who also want a fairly easygoing daily ride, the PDK automatic is hard to fault.
Adaptive dampers are now standard on the 911 C4S, and they do a fine job, even when mated to the 20mm lowered Sports PASM suspension of our car (£558). Predictably, vertical damper movement is quite firm, so you get the full sportscar-effect, involuntary diaphragm-squeezing experience over fast compressions, and it bobs about quite a bit – particularly in the firmer setting – over undulating surfaces.
For all that, there is a supreme control to the ride quality of most 911 models that means they avoid ever feeling uncomfortable. Firm, yes, but the bump absorption is soft enough, the tyre contact resolutely unaffected by the road surface and the body control impeccably well mannered.
Our car also came with £1530 rear-wheel steering, but we’d say it’s not worth the extra cost. It’s one of the best rear steering systems out there, not intrusive or unpredictable at all, and having had the opportunity to drive cars with and without it back-to-back, you can feel the effect in the more aggressive turn-in. However, complete with the active four-wheel drive, as well as the inherent poise and towering mechanical grip levels of the 911, handling purity and precision is not something that’s lacking if you don’t have the rear-wheel steering.
Still, the 911 C4S has a sort of computer game feel to it that plenty of drivers will find quite intoxicating. Everything happens with such slick precision, at such speed and with such ease. That, in itself, is a full-on thrill, even if we’d be the first to admit that it feels a few notches away from the organic, driver-dependent experience that some may want of a 911.
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Purist
I have just put a deposit down on a New 2018 991 C4S for late next year, never had one before, but driven a few,I would have prefered it if they had kept the 3.8. At least with the modern sports cars they should start OK, which is good for me as I know very little about mechanics, and the PDK will be good as my knees are dodgie, personally I buy cars because I like them and don't care what others think. There is the usual argument with regards to you can get the same performance cheap and more practical, but as far as I am concerned I couldn't be getting a better all year round sport car.
Far from pretentious twats
Ultimately the 911 is a "brand" in the same way Mini is - It is a sad fact of today's marketing lead society. Porsche have done what they needed to with this car (from a business perspective) and kept it up with the rest of it's competition. For that we must applaud this car for what it is and marvel at the engineering and sophistication in it.
Personally (as a pretentious twat, clearly!), I prefer a car with feel, feedback and something that let's me know I've driven it when I get out.
TegTypeR wrote: Far from
Couldn't agree more in respect of what Porsche have done with the 911 brand. My comment was more aimed at those whose whine on a about the loss of the air cooled crock boxes and how Porsches have been ruined by them building SUVs. Truth is Porsche would have long dead by now had the 'purists' had their way. They are a master class in brand development and build what are probably the best cars in the world.
Purist. I'd like to know what