2009 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Review

Wintertime can be pretty rough on cars. With some models, you could be chastised for even leaving your garage in un-tropical-like conditions. From the puzzled yet admiring look on people’s face during my test week with the 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, I can tell you that many of them were thinking: “Is he insane?”

Yet, aside from its ultra-low ground clearance (not ideal after heavy snowfalls), the Carrera 4S proved to be a surprisingly pleasant winter partner courtesy of a highly-effective all-wheel drive system and weather-proven driving dynamics, among other things.

The Carrera 4S proved to be a pleasant winter partner courtesy of a highly-effective all-wheel drive system.

Four wheels make it a go
Under the fiery though stylistically slow-evolving 911 (main upgrades this year include new LED lamps and minor revisions), Porsche fitted a quartet of performance winter tires. While they may be more renowned for their exceptional grip in aggressive driving conditions than their sheer competence on snow-covered roads, the rubber on my tester teamed up with the brand’s all-wheel drive technology to deliver totally uncompromised handling on any type of surface.

Of course, I wisely avoided portions with several inches of snow on the ground and those that were completely trapped under ice, but I did drive on a mix of snow, sludge and ice. The result was still a safe, predictable behavior.

Said AWD system is tuned for performance rather than extreme conditions. On the track, for instance, it helps maintain control of the trajectory no matter how slippery the tarmac is. On icy roads, its lightning-quick, seamless intervention works pretty much in the same way, but the fact remains that the system is better at managing the subtle demands of sporty driving than dealing with the brute power required by icy conditions where grip is virtually inexistent.

Almighty Porsche
Under the sheet metal is where you’ll find the heart and soul of any Porsche. Here, the almighty flat-six engine produces 385 horsepower — more than enough to launch the 911 Carrera 4S from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 5.0 seconds. Regardless of your time, though, what you’ll remember is the incredible forward thrust that pins you to your seat as soon as you depress the throttle insistently.

What impressed me perhaps even more is the PDK sequential transmission. This all-new dual-clutch unit is similar to the ones found in various German cars. It’s an outstanding performer for sure, even though the paddle shifters are actually big buttons on the main spoke of the steering wheel, right under your thumbs. For upshifting, you have to push the buttons, whereas for downshifting, you must pull them.

The PDK transmission offers two settings, Sport and Sport Plus, that firm up the suspension a little, modify air intake properties and tweak gear mapping (shift points). My advice is to select these settings only when you want to push the car to the limit on the track; otherwise, comfort is seriously compromised.

A true driver’s cockpit
The Porsche 911 is a driver’s car so it’s got to have a driver-oriented cockpit. The front buckets are very supportive (even for slightly overweight people) and both the driver and passenger benefit from ample room.

Rear occupants, however, have to sacrifice legroom if they want the rest of their body to feel relatively comfortable. My own 10-year-old son insisted that I moved my seat forward every time he sat behind me. Needless to say the rear perches should be used as a last resort only. After all, do you really need a pair of witnesses to watch over your shoulder while you’re killing the roads with this fabulous weapon?

Overall ergonomics are totally flawed. You have to keep your eyes riveted on the center stack in order to be able to manipulate the numerous buttons and controls. As for cargo room, the compartment under the front hood is minuscule; you can barely fit a couple of small suitcases in there.

Comfortable, accommodating and user-friendly are not words that define the 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S. So what? Just sit in the driver’s seat and your smile will eclipse everything else!