Test Drive: Porsche 911 Carrera 4S

The epitome of the Porsche brand is the 911. Yes, the Cayenne and Macan may be its cash cow, but the 911 is the barometer.

"Phenomenal" is the word. Last week, we took the Carrera 4S for a spin. At first glance, it looks like a docile lamb but this is a wolf under sheep’s clothing—a 3.8-litre, 7-speed PDK (U.K. Specs).

Inside the car, the five-dial dashboard is its signature touch. It stares at you, prompting you to challenge the beast. The rev counter takes centrestage. As a driver, and Porsche knows this, you’d more often than not want to know what the revs are when you’re changing gears, turning into an apex or simply having a casual drive.

The steering column, seats and layout are ergonomically designed with the driver in mind. You won’t find dials out of place or unseemly cupholders. Rather, the cupholders are discreetly placed on the passenger’s side, where you press a thin alloy strip to place your latte. Simple. Less weight. No fuss.

The thing about this model, however, is that it was a Sport Chrono Package unit. What this means is your driving experience is exalted to a whole new level. We took the car out the showroom and as one would know, Jalan Ampang rivals the surface of the moon, with its bumps and potholes due to construction work.

Despite all the undulations, the ride was comfortable as we made our way to the elevated highway (AKLEH). Getting your groceries, cutting through trunk roads, arriving at a black tie dinner—this car feels at home in any situation.

Before hitting the highway, we switched the button to ‘Sports’ and we could feel the suspension getting a little stiffer and the exhaust notes were different. As soon as we hit the highway, ‘Sports Plus’ was engaged, and the ride got stiffer and the exhaust crackled. Shifting to manual was the only way to go.

The supercar whips out a massive 400hp and in an instant, you could feel the tremendous force kicking in. As soon as you hit the accelerator, the beast comes into its own. We didn’t want to push to its top speed as there were some roadworks going on the elevated highway, but whenever there was a stretch of clear road, the car showed us what it had.

In manual mode, the paddle shifts worked in complete harmony. With every single change of direction, the steering input was spot on. With the all-wheel-drive setup, traction on every surface and any corner is a cinch. The all-wheel-drive hails back to Porsche’s legendary Paris-Dakar Rally of 1984, when the Porsche 953 (based on a 911) wrote itself into the history books.

Equipped with Porsche Traction Management (PTM), it is essentially a electronically controlled and fully variable multi-clutch plate that distributes power equally and evenly in any driving situation. Coupled with Porsche Stability Management (PSM), it provides stability at any limits of driving. The rubbers used on this were 20-inch Pirelli tyres and the drive is total joy.

As we returned from our short stint, grinning from ear to ear, the car made you feel at home. It doesn’t overwhelm you as though you are travelling in a spaceship, with features that Elon Musk would have been proud of but somewhat like what Steve Jobs would have envisioned: clean and simple; one of a kind. Mind you, Jobs was influenced by his Porsche 928 to build the Macintosh. He said this to James Ferris, Apple’s director of Creative Services at the time: "It’s got to be different, different from everything else. It should be more like a Porsche!" 

If you intend on getting a sportscar that can be driven daily, you know the answer. This unit is priced at RM650,000 but it’s a car that can satisfy your inner soul. Contact En. Khafiz at Westar Motors for an appointment at 03-2163 3199.

Westar is a diversified conglomerate with businesses in various industries, such as Automotive, Aviation, Construction, Property, Defense & Engineering. It is also the sole distributor for the Weststar Maxus van and passenger vehicle G10.