Having said that, there is one area of the 911’s vehicle dynamics that I think could use some divine intervention: the ride. In Normal mode over smooth pavement it’s fine; but over bumps and pavement breaks, it’s very stiff. Given the 911’s emphasis on handling and high-speed stability, this might seem like an impossibility or even heresy, but if Porsche can introduce electric steering with extra assist to help driver’s parallel park, they can probably smooth out the ride too.
A seven-speed manual transmission is standard in the new 911, but our test car was equipped with the optional seven-speed PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung) transmission. It’s lightning fast in automatic operation, particularly in Sport and Sport Plus modes, but I had problems with the operation of Porsche’s manual paddle shifters. They’re unlike most other paddle shifters: to shift down gears, the driver pulls back with their forefingers on either the left or right sides; to shift up, the driver pushes forwards with their left or right thumbs. Most other manual paddle shifters require the driver to pull back on the left paddle to shift down and pull back on the right paddle to shift up – an arrangement I find far easier and more intuitive.
    2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet. Click image to enlarge |
Still, I suspect most PDK owners will not use the paddles anyway. In automatic mode, the seven-speed PDK is so good at choosing gears itself that performance is almost always ideal. In default Normal mode, the transmission is programmed to shift earlier for lower revs and better fuel economy, and I found this the perfect setting for commuting and driving around town. To save fuel, an automatic start/stop turns the engine on and off when the car is stopped at traffic lights, but it can be can be a pain in the butt in stop-and-go traffic – fortunately, it can be deactivated by pressing a button on the console.
In Normal mode, the 3.8L engine has so much torque that the Carrera 4S will accelerate away in higher gears at low revs without balking. And on the highway, the Carrera 4S will cruise along at 100 km/h in seventh gear at just 1,600 rpm; when coasting, the Porsche Traction Management is decoupled to help improve fuel economy. A speed-activated rear spoiler automatically pops up at highway speeds and can also be raised manually with a button on the console.
Should more performance be required in Normal mode, the PDK doesn’t hesitate to respond to the driver’s foot. In fact, a little known feature of the PDK and the Tiptronic is that when entering or braking into a corner, the driver can kick the accelerator pedal to the floor to change down gears (simulating a heel and toe downshift).
Pressing the Sport button on the centre console increases throttle responsiveness, stiffens the suspension and engine mount settings, modifies shift timing, and deactivates the auto-stop feature. As well, the Sport Exhaust system merges the two exhaust lines to create a sportier sound and the Sound Symposer activates to add volume to the experience. Finally, activating Sport+ keeps the transmission in lower gears more often, shifts later and activates firmer shock settings. This setting is best used for weekend races and slaloms. You can also activate Launch Control to maximize off-the-line acceleration. Porsche says this decreases the 0 to 60 time by 0.2 seconds.
    2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet. Click image to enlarge |
No review of a 911 is complete without mention of the brakes and the braking experience. The 2013 Carrera 4S has enormous 340-mm (13.4-inch) cross-drilled front rotors with six-piston calipers, and at the rear 330-mm (13-inch) vented rotors with four-piston calipers. Brake pedal feel is solid and linear but a bit touchy if you brake too hard when coming to a traffic light. At high speed though, the combination of the powerful disc brakes and the 911’s rear-biased weight distribution results in shockingly short braking distances with minimal forward pitch and dive. I’ve driven a few 911s at track sessions against competitive vehicles and I’ve found the easiest way to overtake them is simply to outbrake them into the corners – that’s how good the 911’s brakes are.
Like other Porsches of late, the quality of the 911 Cab’s interior materials is first rate with real aluminum trim, stitched leather dash, and leather sport seats with integral head restraints. The optional 14-way front seats in our test car ($2,650) offered plenty of support when cornering and the two small rear seats have fold-down backrests to support luggage that won’t fit in the small trunk under the front hood. Though small and narrow with upright backrests, the rear seats will accommodate adults up to about 5’3” tall if the front seats are moved forwards a bit – but don’t expect them to like you afterwards!
