So, you want an all-wheel-drive sports car as a four-season daily driver with major league traction? Fair play. In this category, the entry-level all-wheel-drive variant of the Porsche 911 was always the default option, but it’s off the table if you’re buying new. See, when Porsche unveiled the facelifted 911, the base Carrera launched without an all-wheel-drive counterpart. The only way of getting an all-wheel-drive 992.2 was by going up to the Carrera 4 GTS or Targa 4 GTS, at least until now. This is the new 911 Carrera 4S, and while it’s more affordable than a GTS, it certainly isn’t cheap.
As you can imagine from the nomenclature, this is essentially a 911 Carrera S with all-wheel drive. That means you get a three-liter turbocharged flat-six somewhere under the rear lid, one with a 29-horsepower bump over the old 911 Carrera 4S. Output now stands at 473 horsepower, matching the peak output of the 911 Dakar and the old 911 GTS. Mated exclusively to an eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic, this sort of power should be good for a manufacturer-claimed zero-to-60 mph time of 3.1 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph. Serious numbers, but not the most serious ones on tap.
See, the preliminary base price of the new Porsche 911 Carrera 4S is $156,450, and things only go up from there. Want a stowable roof? The 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet carries an early preliminary price of $169,650, and the Targa 4S has a preliminary price of $171,350. Putting the soft-roofed examples aside for now, even the coupe is a lot of bones. Even if we adjust the 2024 Carrera 4S for inflation, we’re looking at a starting price some $12,724 higher for the new one, although you do get extra stuff for the extra cash. Things like brakes off the old 911 Carrera GTS, sure, but also features that used to be optional just a few years ago.
Every 2026 911 Carrera 4S gets a limited-slip rear differential, a bit more leather than zero-option pre-facelift models, Matrix Design LED headlights, a sport exhaust, and wireless smartphone charging. All good stuff, and it should be a brilliant vehicle to drive if the base two-wheel-drive 911 Carrera is any indication, but $156,450 is a lot of coin, especially when you look at what else is out there.
For instance, if you don’t need rear seats and are okay with a through-the-road all-wheel-drive system, a top-trim Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray stickers for $119,745 including freight. It’s purportedly quicker than a 911 Carrera 4S with a zero-to-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds, comes with extended leather and a Bose sound system and blind spot monitoring and heated and ventilated seats, and you won’t have to wait to get one.
If you’re alright with a slower, heavier car so long as you save some serious money, a V8-powered Mercedes-AMG GT 55 starts at $138,900 and does feature a chest-beating V8. Occasional use rear seats are a no-cost option, and you’ll still be ending up with a machine that can run from zero-to-60 mph in 3.8 seconds and spit power to all four wheels.
Still, if you’re alright with spending $156,450 before options on a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S or Targa 4S, you might be able to take delivery before the snow really flies. The first examples of the new model are rolling into showrooms in the fourth quarter of this year, and order books are open now. However, if you want a new all-wheel-drive 911 but don’t want to spend more than $150,000, there’s always the chance a Carrera 4 might come along.
Top graphic image: Porsche
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