Skip advert
Advertisement

Porsche 911 Carrera 4S 2016 review

Could the mid-range four-wheel drive Porsche 911 Carrera 4S be the pick of the bunch? We drive it on UK roads

Overall Auto Express rating

5.0

How we review cars
Find your Porsche 911
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

The new Carrera 4S could well be the sweet spot in the reworked Porsche 911 range. Its explosive performance, searing soundtrack and exceptional usability are what really stand out against its stablemates. Such is the variety within the 911 line-up, there’ll undoubtedly be a combination to suit all tastes – but the 4S proves you needn’t venture too far up the model range in order to find a cracker.

Advertisement - Article continues below

If you’re in the market for a new Porsche 911, one thing you won’t be short on is choice. In total there are 16 models to select from; some are coupés, others convertibles, while a handful come with four-wheel drive. But what we have here, the 911 Carrera 4S, makes a case for itself as being the pick of the bunch. 

It costs from £90,843, which in terms of price puts it in the lower to middle tier. As with every standard 911, it now comes with a 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six which, in this S guise, produces 414bhp and 500Nm of torque. It’s a dramatic change from the old 3.8-litre naturally aspirated engine, but any concerns quickly dissipate after the briefest of encounters.

It fires up with the same bassy idle as before, but plant your foot, and the revs and volume rise with real ferocity. There’s a faint trace of hesitation from the engine below 2,000rpm, yet beyond that it pulls with real force all the way up to 7,500rpm. There’s no getting away from the fact that the motor has lost the ferocious top-end crescendo, but ultimately the extra shove lower down in the rev range, along with the extra flexibility it brings, only strengthens the car’s appeal.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Best sports cars

A huge part of the 911’s engagement also comes from the standard seven-speed manual gearbox. Its short, weighty throw has to make it one of the slickest out there, and while the impressive PDK automatic box is a £2,388 option, it’s definitely worth putting that extra cash towards the optional sports exhaust system instead.

The harder you push the 911, the better it gets. It’s such a finely balanced car already, and the addition of four-wheel drive not only delivers unflappable traction but also allows you to really deploy all of the performance whatever the conditions; 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds feels entirely achievable.

It’s backed up by steering that has a lovely, oily precision, letting you place the 911 just where you want it on the road. But even with huge reserves of torque, a boot of throttle mid-corner does little to upset the car’s balance; the 911 hooks up and slingshots you round with alarming pace and precision.

Best track day cars

Perhaps, then, you’d expect the trade-off to be an unbearably firm ride, but you’d be wrong. It’s supple and forgiving enough, yet body control is virtually faultless. There’s a tangible depth of engineering in the 911 that you simply don’t get in other sports cars.

One thing that made the previous 911 a pain to live with day-to-day was its clunky and dated infotainment system. Thankfully, the new version is slicker, brighter and much more intuitive. It now comes with Apple CarPlay, which projects all of your iPhone’s functions on to the central display.

The Porsche remains remarkably practical for a 414bhp sports car. The two rear seats are big enough for small children – just – and while the 125-litre storage area under the nose sounds small, it’s sufficiently deep and spacious for a couple of overnight bags.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Porsche 911

Porsche 911

RRP £105,416Used from £76,000
Omoda 5

Omoda 5

RRP £25,235Avg. savings £1,824 off RRP*Used from £24,000
Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £18,505Avg. savings £4,317 off RRP*Used from £19,564
Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

RRP £29,540Avg. savings £3,974 off RRP*Used from £15,633
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Renault Clio to shun electric power and stick with petrol and hybrid options
Renault Clio design render - front

New Renault Clio to shun electric power and stick with petrol and hybrid options

Renault’s sixth-generation Clio hatchback will get a clean look and hi-tech kit, and our exclusive images show what it could look like
News
12 Feb 2025
New Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle 2025 review: makes 7-seater SUVs feel cramped
Volkswagen Transporter e-Shuttle - front

New Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle 2025 review: makes 7-seater SUVs feel cramped

The Ford-based Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle is refined, good to drive and has plenty of space in all three rows
Road tests
14 Feb 2025
Car Deal of the Day: retro Renault 5 for £232 per month, plus four years to enjoy it
Renault 5 - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: retro Renault 5 for £232 per month, plus four years to enjoy it

The reborn Renault 5 is one of the most feverishly anticipated cars in a long time, and at such a low price, our Deal of the Day for 8 February is a p…
News
8 Feb 2025