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Porsche 911 Carrera 4 and 4S - Road Test Source Channel 4 - 4Cars

Look at the new Porsche 911 Carrera and the word 'evolution' springs to mind: this is a car where you have to squint to see the difference from the previous incarnation.

These days global marketing demands massive hype, but that's never been Porsche's style: it prefers to let its products do the talking. If the 'new model' only looks a little different, then so be it.

So the new 911 is a 'discreet' modification: new, lower-profiled nose; front bumper with driving lamps and wider twin air intakes; enlarged wing mirrors; plus all 911s now come with bi-xenon headlights and new LED daytime driving lights.

But the real changes are under the skin. This new 911 features three new technologies: two new engines, a new four-wheel-drive system and a new super-fast gearbox.

The new Porsche flat six direct fuel injection engines offer more power and better economy: the standard 4 uses a 3.6-litre and produces 340bhp; the S, a 3.8-litre unit delivers 379bhp. However, it's cheaper to run: the standard car returns around 28mpg and there's a 12.9% improvement in fuel consumption over the previous models.

Technical wizardry includes the new Porsche Traction Management (PTM), which means the four-wheel-drive is now electronically controlled (previously, the car used a viscous coupling all-wheel-drive system). Then there's the new Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK): this is a seven-speed, semi-automatic, double-clutch gearbox that gives lightning-quick gearchanges and, if you opt for the Sports Chrono Package Plus, you get launch control which will reduce the 0-60mph time by 0.2 seconds.

It'll be interesting to see whether all this new technology can reverse the current decline in Porsche's UK sales: after all, how many buyers are going to shell out £67,430-£82,010 in the current economic climate? And for those who do, will they find that the changes make the 911 Carrera 4 a better car?

Reliability and Quality

Porsche rarely features in reliability or customer satisfaction surveys so it's difficult to tell how well the 911 Carrera fares against the opposition. In the US, however, the brand is celebrating a number one spot in the JD Power reliability survey, which concluded that Porsches suffered the lowest number of problems per 100 cars, ahead of Japanese luxury brands Infiniti and Lexus.

The previous model suffered from costly engine main seal failures, but Porsche insists the all-new engine blocks' superior stiffness mean this will not be a problem.

There are a few changes in the interior and those changes are for the better. Some of the plastics around the stereo system and the centre console have been upgraded but it's still not quite as inspiring as the cabin quality in its main rival, the Audi R8.

On the Road

It's pretty hard to fault the new Porsche 911 Carrera. Both engines offer plenty of grunt throughout the rev range. The 340bhp 3.6 engine on the standard 4 rasps away while you watch the scenery scorch past. Get in the 379bhp 3.8 and it's an incitement to riot.

Both cars have impressive performance stats: with the PDK and launch control, the Carrera 4 will take you from 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds and all the way to 175mph, while the S will achieve that in 4.3 seconds and top out at 184mph.

If you are talking torque, the standard car delivers a maximum 287lb-ft at a 4,400rpm and the produces S 310lb-ft. Throttle response is sharp and engaging, which makes the whole experience not just entertaining, but exhilarating.

As you enter a corner you can feel the four-wheel-drive system moving the torque from the rear to the front, which means you can take the turns with supreme confidence. There's an astounding level of grip but it's not sterile either. Everywhere, the car is incredibly well balanced and even if you're a little too urgent, the traction control will help straighten things out. It's not too intrusive either, almost adding to the driving pleasure.

You get almost no body lean and you might expect that stiffness in corners to yield a jittery or bumpy ride, but the 911 is surprisingly compliant and composed, even on the most uneven of road surfaces.

Steering is direct and quick, although we still found the gearchange a little unwieldy at times, which you get used to. However, this might tempt you into shelling out £2,338 for the PDK automatic gearbox - and when you consider that the seven-speed auto shifts 60% faster than a conventional automatic you could conclude that the auto, with its paddleshift gearchange, is worth the extra outlay.

There's little to complain about behind the wheel: the brakes are smooth and unflustered with more than enough stopping power to reassure you, but you might find the clutch pedal a fraction heavy, which can irritate if you are spending a lot of time in stop/start traffic.