After 16 years, Porsche fundamentally modernised the 911. Beneath the skin, almost 85 per cent of all parts in the new 911 (known internally as the 964) were newly developed. This was most obvious in the bullish-looking front end and the modified sill covers. It was typical Porsche attention to detail: even the car’s rain gutters were optimised. The cd value was now just 0.32, making the new model the most aerodynamic 911 to date.
The new 911 was designed to bring in more customers, including everyday drivers, and add more comfort features and luxury to the model’s well-known sportiness. Porsche integrated power steering, ABS, a more powerful heater, a central locking system and electrically height-adjustable front seats into the newly designed body. With the Carrera 4 models, Porsche offered all-wheel drive from the outset, to put the power on the road effectively in any conditions. Porsche originally developed its all-wheel drive – with electronically controlled and hydraulically regulated power distribution – for the 959 ultra-high-performance sports car. From 1990, an automatic transmission was available, which was an important feature for the US market. Modern MacPherson struts and coil springs on semi-trailing link rear axles replaced its predecessor’s torsion bar springs and offered a more precise and better driving experience. The heart of the model remained the six-cylinder boxer engine, revamped with dual ignition, knock control and three-way catalytic converter, and now featuring 3.6 litres of displacement and an output of 250 PS. Elegant and with a patent of its own: the newly developed rear spoiler fit seamlessly into the silhouette of the 964. It extended at speeds over 80 km/h, providing downforce and enhancing the engine cooling. The all-wheel-drive version, the Carrera 4, cost exactly 114,500 Deutschmarks at its launch in August 1988, while the rear-wheel drive Carrera 2 hit the market a year later and started from 103,500 Deutschmarks. In total, 63,762 examples of the 964-generation Porsche 911 were built between 1988 and 1994.
