WHC TO CALL: m Auto Editor 8 Andrew McCredie 985-2131 (147) cleaner styling, ; a new rear suspension, a new six-speed manual transmission, and a ‘more powerful! 3.6-litre hor- izontally opposed six-cylin- der engine... Most critics gave the 911*s i ed styling the thumbs up duse its smooth, attractive lines | didn’t detract from the 91 t's dis- tinctive appeal. The Porsche 911 was introduced in.1963; and the styling has remained more-or-less the same since then. The most recent — and abvious ~— styling change is the swept-back, ‘ellipsoid headlamps, but sharp eyes will notice smoother front and rear burnpers, new rear tail lamps, and wider rear fender flares to accommodate the super - w-profile 255/40 ZR-17 inch performance _ radials. The front tirés are slightly narrower: 205/50'ZR-17. (By the way, these soft-com- “pound tires cost over $400 each and will last you about a'year.)". 05 Three 911- models are available. for 1996: model. Bon ‘the Carrera 2 ‘and 43 are available as convertible (Cabriolet) models.“ ~. This week's test-drive is the Carrera 4 The 4 stands for four-wheel- drive, or ro fen more. ‘control, Tae Mts and cornering bility than the previous model. This has been chieved by using a new lightweight viscous nter,clutch instead of the electro-hydraulic enter differential of the previous Carrera 4. Under normal conditions, the Carrera 4 has he handling advantages ofa rear-wheel-drive ‘the viscous clutch distributes engine wer 5% front/95% rear (previously. 31% ront/69% rear). But if Goth rear wheels spin, p to; 45% of the power c can be diverted to the ront Wheels.’ The Carrera 4 has a rear locking-differental which regulates the torque split between the rear wheels to prevent one rear wheel from slipping. As well, the 911 Carrera 4 features electronic sensors in the rear wheels that will " stop one rear wheel from spinning when start- ing on slippery surfaces, The bottom line is that the Carrera 4 offers exceptional grip and stability when cornering or accelerating in a straight line on slippery surfaces. In- many cases, the AWD system frees the driver from having to take corrective action in potentially dangerous situations — a definite safety benefit. Another new feature that has i impr oved the safety and handling of the 911 is a new rear suspension. Since the 9/1 has its engine mounted in the rear, it has‘a definite rear- weight bias, which helps when braking and -accelerating, but when cornering. it turns the 911 into a pendulum with a tendency to rotate during spirited cornering. The. new rear suspension has almost com- pletely eliminated this problem. The previous * struts and semi-trailizg arms have been replaced by a unique multi-link suspension mounted on a subframe. During cornering, the new suspension causes the outside rear whee] to ‘toe-in’, and the inside rear wheel to ‘toe- . - out’ reducing oversteering tendencies. The rear suspension permits lateral acceleration forces in excess of 1.0 g, cornering forces usually only available on racing cars. ~The 911 Carrera 4 also offers a new six- speed manual transmission. This is a racing- type transmission with heavy clutch action and firm but definitive gear shifting. Unlike most cars, you have to learn how to use this trans- mission to its best advantage. _ - By the way. the Tiptronic S transmission is not available on the Carrera 4 or Turbo models. Porsche's familiar 3.6-litre air-cooled hori- zontally-oppose six-cylinder engine has also received some improvements — notably a boost in horsepower from 250 to 272 and the addition of low-maintenance hydraulic vd ilve lifters. The 3.6 ‘boxer’ engine is stil a noisy power plant with lots of torque and a high r.p.m. limit. Top speed of the 911 is reputed to be.270 knv/h (167 m.p.h.). and zero to 100 kh (62 m.p.h.) © takes just 5.5 seconds. The EL also has fabulous brakes — huge disc brakes at all four wheels with cross-drilled rotors derived from Porsche's racing experi- ence. The latest Bosch ABS 5 system is stan- dard. As you can see, the 9M Carrera 4 is designed to be 2 driver's car first, and a pres- tige car second. If you like to drive quickly but don't care too much about ergonomics and . trunk space, then this is the car for you. ‘Assuming you have $106,000 to spend, if you want a Porsche because it’s a presti- gious German sports car, you should probably buy something else — or tisk being disappoint- ed. highte “Fully qualified BMW & Mercedes mechanics with : labour rates ‘that won vt leave | you broke! f. - 1 With over 17 years of experience, we pride ourselves exceptional work & service at very reasonable rates 40% OFF “ANY WRITTEN DEALER ESTIMATE, GUARANT: SED “ “THIS APPLIES TO MERCEDES & BMW LAHOUR ONLY f s Photo eubeattied Price as tested: $106,200 Base price: $101,200 THE 1996 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 has a new all-wheel-drive system that improves handling and stability. With 272 horsepower, a six- speed manual transmission, and powerful four-wheel disc brakes, the 911 Carrera 4is a car designed | for driving pleasure. : Type: two-door, four-passen-., ger coupe Layout: longitudinal engine/all-wheel-drive Engine: .3.6-litre six-cylinder, réar horizontally-opposed. air cooled, SOHC . Horsepower: .272 @ ‘6, 100 r.p.m. Torque: 330 @ 5,000 r.p.m.; Curb weight: -1.440 ke (3. 175 . Ibs.) Wheelbase: 2.272 min. wos in.) ‘Length: 4,260 mm (167.7 in}: Width: 1,735 mm (68.3 in.) Height: 1,315 mm (51.8 in.) Tires: Front -— 205/50 ZR-17; ‘Rear ~— 255/40 ZR-17 Fuel--consumption: City — "14.5 100 km (19. 10.p.g.): Hwy -— 9.3 1/100 km (30 m.p.g.) Q Warranty: Basic®:. years/unlimited kilometres two cost of f dealer : sery vice.