Since 1989, Porsche has added four-wheel drive to its 911 models. Over time, it has become more advanced, including adaptive torque control that varies the drive between the axles that can use it most effectively. All 911 Turbos have been 4WD since 1995. However, an AWD GT3 or GT2 has never existed for the sake of purity.
In the meantime, traction control and tire technology are continually evolving. 911s are no longer the dreaded “widowmakers” that would loop off the road if you even considered lifting the throttle in the middle of a bend. In fact, I’d contend that a 992 Carrera is more dependable and amiable than, say, a Jaguar F-Type or a Mercedes-AMG GT on a slick, chilly British B-road in February.
But is AWD necessary? I’ve driven two different models of the new 911 GTS in the past few weeks. The two back wheels received all 473 horsepower from the One. The other and the fronts split that power roughly in half.
In comparison to the 2’s 4.1 seconds to 0-62 mph, the 4 was significantly faster on paper. However, the manual transmission in the 2 was primarily to blame. If it has PDK, the difference is only one tenth. Both people think quite quickly.
And while I drove the 4, I began to wonder how much of the time my fictitious PS5,580 was making money. A little monitor on the dashboard displays which axle receives what percentage of the torque. When you accelerate the 4 GTS from a village trundle to an A-road speed, the drive first surges forward. However, almost as rapidly as the pixels can respond, the car realizes that the back tyres have actually taken care of this, and the 4 GTS settles back to being almost fully RWD. In the meantime, the steering never experiences any tugging. Its AWD capabilities might go go unnoticed.
Or perhaps you? The two “shimmy” as they move. When booted, it makes an ever-so-slight telltale jiggle. There is merely a fleeting “oo-er” moment when the engine-laden back axle struggles to transfer all the power onto the road; it never fully spools up and expels all of its power as wasted wheelspin.
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RWD vs AWD: Which Porsche 911 Is Best For You?
Nick Murray, a YouTube sensation, provides guidance on a variety of subjects, but his automotive insights are the most well-liked. He produced a video highlighting the differences between the most recent Porsche 911 in an effort to address one of the trickiest questions of 2018. Although there are now over 20 911 variations available, they can all be boiled down to All Wheel Drive or Rear Wheel Drive. While his friend had a virtually identical 911 Carrera in RWD, Nick opted for the former as his daily car Porsche.
The variations may seem insignificant to the average driver, but over time they have a huge impact. To be really honest, since we are in Florida, cold weather is not typically a factor. Your options are to learn to drift or to sulk in the security of AWD if you plan to drive your 911 in all types of weather. But there are other factors to take into account than the driveline. Owners of the Carrera 4 receive the widebody upgrade, which adds 110 lbs. of curb weight, a full-width rear brake light, a gallon more of gas, and rocker panel ground effects. In addition to losing 5 mph from the peak speed, driving all four wheels results in a lower MPG, a somewhat smaller trunk, and a smaller trunk. In this case, the price difference between the Carrera 2 and Carrera 4 models is almost $7,000, but as summer approaches, our dealers are offering fantastic discounts on both. Stay with us for all your Porsche 911 news and let us know which layout works best for you.
Experience with Two-Wheel Drive vs. All-Wheel Drive
The 911 combines more than 50 years of innovation – the original sports car concept – and is one of the most admired and respected sports vehicles in the world. With this experience, you get to spend 90 minutes behind the wheel of a 911 Carrera S with rear-wheel drive and a 911 Carrera 4S with all-wheel drive. With one-on-one assistance from your own Porsche Driving Coach, you’ll discover the key performance features of each model.
We think that learning best happens through action. We’ll hurry to get you behind the wheel.
Our Porsche Drive Coach will provide training throughout the entire journey.
You will learn the “why” behind how the car reacts from our elite instructors.
Rear- or all-wheel drive when purchasing a Porsche 911?
You’ve made the decision to spend the money on a brand-new Porsche 911. You have a vast array of choices in front of you. materials and colors. Submodels and packages. But perhaps you could begin with this question: rear- or all-wheel drive?
A big question, that. one that is mostly determined by where and how you drive. Fortunately, YouTuber Nick Murray created this practical video to assist you in making a decision.
Murray is uniquely qualified to split these particular hairs because he recently switched from a rear-wheel-drive 911 Carrera to an all-wheel-drive 911 Carrera 4S. He points out that the Carrera 4S is 1.5 inches wider and, depending on the options, up to 110 pounds more than its rear-wheel-drive cousin. Despite having a slightly worse fuel economy, it has a longer range because to its bigger fuel tank. And there is also the $7,000 premium.
Both in terms of acceleration and highest speed, performance in this instance remains almost equal across the two versions. There is a difference between the two numbers, but it is not significant enough to cause most mortal drivers to sweat outside of a track day.
Character probably makes the most impact, though. Murray adds that even though his previous rear-wheel-drive 911 was entertaining to drive, the Carrera 4S is a safe vehicle that can be driven in any condition. One that would be willing to smile and wriggle its hips out of corners. Which will you choose then? If you’re buying a Porsche, it’s safe to assume that you didn’t go to the dealership to buy a secure vehicle.
How Dissimilar Are RWD and AWD 911s?
Do you prefer an all-wheel-drive Carrera 4 or Carrera 4S when purchasing a new 911, or is the lighter rear-wheel-drive type better suited for a sports car? Nick Murray explains the differences between the C4S and a Carrera 2 with comparable equipment in this little video. Although the rear wheel drive model in this instance has a lower specification and fewer horsepower (365 vs. 414 hp), they are comparable enough to evaluate the driving dynamics and steering feel, which is the goal of this film. These two vehicles both have three-liter flat-six turbocharged engines and are 991.2 variants.
You might not have noticed some of the noteworthy variations between these two cars based just on their appearance. Did you know that the front trunk of a C4S is slightly smaller than that of a 2 wheel drive model? Obviously, the light bar between the tail lights is only available on AWD vehicles. Did you know that the Carrera 4S has a fuel tank that is one gallon bigger? You might learn something about the current generation of 911s from Nick’s discussion of these specification discrepancies near the beginning of the movie.
The driving dynamics are where you’re likely to find the most disparities. Before upgrading to the Carrera 4S, Nick owned a rear-wheel-drive 911, which gives him a great advantage in determining whether car is actually the better driver’s car. His appraisal of these two is very consistent with our own, tilting the fun-to-drive scale in favor of the 2 wheel drive model despite its lower output. Porsche had a pretty basic rear-wheel-drive Carrera with a stick and no clever suspension tricks when we went to the car’s unveiling last year. We drove one of the best 911s in recent memory. Perhaps simply purchase that one?
Nick has to be instructed on the proper usage of the term “torque steer” because he isn’t using it.
A Porsche has rear-wheel drive, right?
On the roads of Los Angeles, every Porsche delivers the dynamic performance and precise handling you need, but which Porsche models have all-wheel drive? The 718 Boxster and Cayman are the only versions that don’t come with AWD, so there’s the explanation.
Rear-wheel drive is a 911?
Since 1989, Porsche has added four-wheel drive to its 911 models. Over time, it has become more advanced, including adaptive torque control that varies the drive between the axles that can use it most effectively. All 911 Turbos have 4WD since 1995.
What does Porsche’s 911 stand for?
In a J.D. Power assessment, the Porsche 911 was named Most Dependable Vehicle. According to the recently released J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), the Porsche 911 is the model with the best ownership experience.
What is so unique about a Porsche 911?
It had four-wheel drive, although in my experience, these days, having four wheels merely made the GTS more resilient when coming out of corners. The brakes, though, are faultless; they are really massive, incredibly strong underfoot, and a pleasure to operate.
What drives the Porsche 911 AWD?
AWD-Equipped Volkswagen Models Porsche 911: Turbo, Targa (4, 4S, 4 GTS), and Carrera (4, 4S, 4 GTS). 4S, GTS, Turbo, Porsche Panamera. All Macan models made by Porsche. All Cayenne models made by Porsche
Can a Porsche 911 be driven in the snow?
Almost equally many Porsches have rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. All-wheel drive vehicles are best for driving on more difficult terrain, whereas rear-wheel drive vehicles are better for performance and increased acceleration.
The Porsche 911 is dependable.
Carrera. Over the course of the 911’s history, the Carrera moniker—which was inspired by the illustrious Carrera Panamericana road race—has come to be used to describe the’standard’ 911s. The current 911 Carrera is the base model 911 and is powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six with 385 horsepower.
The 911 Turbo S has either RWD or AWD.
- Toyota Cayenne. Consider the midsize Cayenne if you want to drive in a variety of situations.
- Toyota Macan. The Macan must be mentioned along with the Cayenne when discussing outstanding winter cars.
- Subaru Panamera
Which Porsche models come with AWD?
Porsche came up with the idea to add gold letters spelling out the car’s name to the dashboard and the back of the vehicle. Since these letters were already made, they already had the “9” and the “1,” so they simply swapped out the “0” for another “1,” and the name 911 was born.
What is the Porsche 0-60 time?
Shifts are handled by an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive is standard. Porsche promises that the Turbo S will reach 60 mph in 2.6 seconds, but on our test track, it did it in just 2.2 seconds.
Which Porsche is the least expensive?
While the vehicles necessitate “somewhat different driving skills,” according to Porsche spokesman Nick Twork, they are “just as safe as any other automobiles on the road.” When driving them, you must be mindful of your actions.