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Porsche continues to make one
of the world's great sports cars. If you can justify its price,
the Porsche 911 Carrera will not disappoint.
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Porsche lists eight models,
but it comes down to whether you want Coupe or Cabriolet,
2WD or 4WD, 6-speed manual or 5-speed Tiptronic. The Coupe
retails for $65,590, the Cabriolet $71,020. Tiptronic adds
$3,420 to the price of all models.
Four-wheel drive adds $5,430. The 420-horsepower Turbo will
go on sale soon, but pricing was not available at press time.
Based on the 911 Carrera, the 911 Carrera 4 differs mainly
in its four-wheel-drive system. Other differences are subtle:
Carrera 4 comes with a different wheel design, plainly visible
titanium-color brake calipers and a titanium-color logo on
the rear engine hood.
Porsche offers special options that allow customers
to turn their 911s into unique cars. Special interior trim
and exterior pieces along with special paints and leather
colors are available. Though expensive, they offer some interesting
combinations.
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With its classic lines, the Porsche 911 is a beautiful
car. Totally redesigned for the 1999 model year, the Carrera's
body is longer, wider and sleeker than any before. During
its 34-year history, Porsche has refined the 911 body several
times, but the roofline and windshield had always remained
the same as the original model.
For 1999, the roofline, windshield, and all other body sections
were new. This newest-generation 911 represents the first
clean-sheet redesign of this legendary sports car since
its introduction in 1965. Nevertheless, it maintains the
unmistakable 911 profile and classic styling cues.
Some decry the fact that the 911 shares styling with
the front half of the
Boxster. You'll have to decide whether that's an issue for you.
Most people can easily tell the two apart, though the 911
Carrera Cabriolet can fool you when it is coming directly
toward you.
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Porsche 911 is packed with more technology than we can
adequately cover here: Porsche Stability Management, standard
on Carrera 4, optional on Carrera, applies braking force
to individual wheels and, if necessary, reduces engine power
when it detects a loss of grip at the front or rear. On
the racetrack, PSM can lend a helping hand through the slaloms
and fast corners.
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Though thoroughly modernized in this fourth-generation
911, the interior is unmistakably Porsche. The ignition
key is, of course, on the left, a tradition carried through
from a bygone era when Le Mans starts required drivers to
run across the pit lane to their car, jump in and take off,
fastening their harnesses as
they headed onto the front straight. Driving position is
perfect with excellent lateral support for spirited driving.
This is a comfortable car for traveling long distances.
Visibility is superb all around and instruments are an attractive,
quick read.
It is a sports car, however: I had to lay my dry
cleaning down on the back seat. By using this back seat,
you can make a big grocery run in the 911. But when it came
time to pick someone up at the airport, I left the Carrera
4 at home and took a sport-utility vehicle, as luggage capacity
is not the 911's forte. Likewise, I jumped in a Range Rover
for the hour-long drive to my local trout stream.
For 2000, Porsche upgraded the appearance and feel of
interior materials, applying a special soft-touch grain
to the console, door trim, instrument panel and other areas.
New aluminum-look trim for the shifter, door handles and
handbrake release button lends a touch of classic sports
car elegance to the design. The automatic climate control
now features as standard the previously optional activated
charcoal odor filter.
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