Insert and turn the key in Porsche traditional left-of-steering-wheel ignition, and the 3.4L flat-six fires up with a relatively subdued growl. There’s no obscenely loud bark or loping idle, just mechanical precision emanating from somewhere in the distance behind the cabin. Shift the Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) dual-clutch transmission selector into “D” and the car moves off smartly.
  2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet. Click image to enlarge |
With 350 hp in its non-S format here, the Carrera is not the quickest way to drive more than a hundred grand, but it is still very swift. The PDK ensures even untalented drivers can get the most acceleration out of the boxer engine. And if I’m honest, I learned to appreciate the way a slight wrist action on the shift lever dispatches a cog change with unbelievable immediacy accompanied by a subtle bang and a pop each time. My test car was without proper shift paddles, but instead featured the ludicrous and frustrating push-pull toggle buttons on the steering wheel. They were summarily ignored. Come on Porsche, if someone’s springing nearly five grand for the PDK, don’t they deserve the proper paddles as part of the deal?
In seventh gear, the boxer engine is spinning below 2,000 rpm even at 120 km/h. In “Normal” setting, the PDK will grab higher gears as quickly as possible. With the relatively tepid torque of the non-S engine, the low revs mean a quick stab of the throttle in seventh at moderate speeds result in some bogging and engine laboring. In “Sport Plus” however, gears are held until redline and seventh isn’t even permitted. To call the shifts in this mode “immediate” would be an understatement. If saving dinosaur juice isn’t high on your priority list when driving your 911, you’ll enjoy the drive more in “Sport” or “Sport Plus” and turn off the “Auto Stop” feature.
Aside from the cool sound effects, it’s only the clockwise-swinging tach needle briefly resetting before oscillating again that identifies the selection of the next gear, it’s just that smooth. Even in this heaviest and least powerful 911, the consistent rush of acceleration throughout the upper three quarters of the rev range is impressive. What’s more, downshifts are preempted by a ripping throttle blip and the best symphony the flat-six can deliver.
Well that’s not entirely true. This particular car did not come equipped with Porsche’s optional sport exhaust. I drove a Carrera S last autumn with this option (activated by the magic console button featuring an icon of two tailpipes) and would like to insist that anyone considering the purchase of a Carrera should spec this necessity. Forgo the leather-covered widgets and body-coloured seatbelt options if you must, but definitely get the noisy pipes, which will remind you to constantly enjoy your Carrera with a bit of excitement and that wonderful raspy engine singing away behind you.
