Porsche has probably never caught the attention of the German public more than in the past two years—but not due to its cars. What has everyone talking is the ongoing takeover of VW, with its far-ranging implications for Germany's automotive landscape.

Speak with Porsche's PR people, and they want nothing more than to get the focus back on the cars. In fact, there is a flurry of product launches happening, starting with the 911 Carrera, on which we extensively reported, followed by the Carrera 4 and 4S. The Targa was recently shown, and updated Turbo and GT2/GT3 versions are around the corner.

We got behind the wheel of the new four-wheel-drive versions, the Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S, chassis code 997, phase two. Both coupe and cabriolet get the subtle changes of the Carrera and Carrera S—specifically a new front fascia with LED running lights and taillights. But the four-wheel-drive versions are further differentiated with a red reflector stripe that connects the taillights—a classic 911 styling element that first appeared in 1973 and was sorely missed by enthusiasts when it disappeared from all but a few models after the switch to the water-cooled engines in 1997. Extra cool: the C4 and C4S are 1.7 inches wider than the rear-drive versions.

[SOURCE: caranddriver.com READ THE FULL ARTICLE]