As expected Porsche officially unveiled the Carrera 4 editions of the new 911. Available in two Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S versions and in both Coupé and Cabriolet bodystyles, the four-wheel-drive Porsche 991 will make its debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show this September before going on sale by the end of the year. 

Traditionally, Carrera 4 has wider rear wheel arches compared to the coupe. The new model is 22mm wider, and features 10mm wider rear tires as well. Another traditional feature of the Carrera 4 is the signature red light band that connects the two taillights. Coping with the new styling of the taillights, it’s become slimmer and narrower in the 2013 model.

Carrera 4 is all about the extra grip and traction that four-wheel-drive gives you. Porsche calls this ‘the attraction of traction‘. For pure driving fun, the basic two-wheel-drive Carrera is a better choice.

Porsche 911 Carrera 4 and 4S use the same engines with the same outputs as the two-wheel-drive versions. The new powertrains, and the fact that the 911 is 65 kg lighter than the 996, make these models quicker and more agile.

The 911 Carrera 4 features a rear-mounted 3.4-litre flat-six engine developing 350 hp (257 kW), and can sprint from 0-62mph in as little as 4.5 seconds (Cabriolet 4.7 sec) and reach a top speed of up to 177 mph (Cabriolet 175 mph). Fuel consumption with the PDK is 32.8 mpg (203 g/km CO₂) for the Coupé and 32.5 mpg (205 g/km CO₂) for the Cabriolet.

The 911 Carrera 4 S is powered by a 3.8-litre flat-six engine that produces 400 hp (294 kW) and delivers acceleration from 0-62mph in 4.1 seconds (Cabriolet 4.3 seconds) and a top speed of 186 mph (Cabriolet 184 mph). Fuel consumption with PDK is 31.0mpg (215 g/km CO₂) for the Coupé and 30.7 mpg (217 g/km CO₂) for the Cabriolet.

Another new feature of the Carrera 4 is the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) which controls distance to traffic ahead and vehicle speed. It is in fact available as an option across the 991 range. In conjunction with the PDK, the ACC also adds the Porsche Active Safe (PAS), which can help prevent front-end collisions.

Going on sale in UK from December, the Carrera 4 Coupe is priced from £77,924, and the Carrera 4S Coupe priced from £87,959. The 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet is priced from £86,583.00, and the Carrera 4S Cabriolet from £96,619.