The 991.1 Carrera 4S

Lately, I’ve noticed quite a few people around me buying 991.1 models. Ask them what won them over, and they all say the same thing: the sound and rev-happy character of the naturally aspirated engine.

Porsche may build naturally aspirated 911s again someday. But for many buyers, the 991.1 represents the last generation of naturally aspirated 911s from an era before stricter noise regulations and gasoline particulate filters (GPFs). It’s easy to see why they want to get one while they still can.

I’m one of them, having bought a 991.1 Carrera 4 GTS myself.

The car I’m test-driving this time is a 991.1 Carrera 4S. But this is no ordinary Carrera 4S: it’s an exceptional example with around ¥5.7 million worth of options.

Leather-trimmed interior mirror surround

Basalt Black Metallic paint

The exterior is finished in Basalt Black Metallic. It’s black, but with plenty of metallic content and just the faintest hint of red. A helpful way to think of it is that Jet Black Metallic is a blue-toned black, while this is a red-toned black.

The cabin is trimmed in Espresso full leather, an option that alone cost ¥820,000. The leather treatment extends to the backs of the mirrors and even the rear-seat center tunnel—an extraordinarily lavish specification unlike anything I’d seen before.

Add ventilated seats, a BOSE® Surround Sound System, the Carbon Interior Package, a Porsche Crest on the center console, and 14-way Sport Seats, and you’re looking at just about every box ticked.

Probably one of the rarest options in 911 history: rear footwell lighting.

The performance options are just as comprehensive: the Sport Chrono Package, Sports Exhaust System, Sport steering wheel, and Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) are all included.

It’s specified almost like a Turbo S.

How Does the 4S Compare with the 4 GTS?

For this test drive, I’ll focus on how the car compares with my own Carrera 4 GTS.

First, the engine sounds impressively loud from outside the car. I listened as it charged up a winding road: the exhaust note was beautifully refined yet loud, and the sharp “pshht, pshht” sounds as the PDK shifted were fantastic. Even a 4S can sound pretty raucous when fitted with the Sports Exhaust.

I settle into the driver’s seat and adjust it to fit. Unlike the Sport Seats Plus, the 14-way Sport Seats have a wider cushion. It’s much like the relationship between the standard Sport Seats and Sport Seats Plus in the 992.

Once underway, the sound in the cabin feels a little quieter than in the GTS. The ride is also more forgiving. More precisely, rather than delivering the GTS’s distinctly planted tire feel, the 4S feels lighter on its feet. It reminds me of the 991.1 Carrera Cabriolet I drove previously.

The two cars have different approaches to road feel, but ride comfort is very similar: both the GTS and 4S ride well overall.

On a winding road in Normal mode, PDCC doesn’t make much of a difference. The car leans gently through the corners, with a composed, relaxed character. Compared with the GTS in Normal mode, the steering feels a little less immediate as you begin to turn in.

To describe the ride, “refined” may be more accurate than simply “comfortable.” Even a passenger who’s sensitive to a firm ride would be unlikely to call this car harsh or uncomfortable.

I switch to Sport mode and let the engine rev, enjoying the PDK’s razor-sharp shifts as I accelerate. The Sports Exhaust valves open, and a glorious sound pours from the rear. Compared with the GTS, though, there’s a noticeable difference in the sound inside the cabin.

The GTS fills the cabin with a deeper, almost ground-shaking “whoooom,” while the 4S doesn’t put on quite such a sporty show.

The volume is still substantial, but the sound seems a little softer around the edges. I suspect this comes down to differences in the GTS’s sound symposer tuning and in the intake and exhaust systems and components.

I imagine that fitting a genuine Porsche Powerkit, which brings the 4S’s engine specification in line with the GTS, could give it a similar character.

What about the difference between the GTS’s 430 PS and the 4S’s 400 PS? In short, yes—I can feel it. Up to around 4,000 rpm, there’s very little to separate them. But higher in the rev range, you can feel the difference in torque when accelerating.

There are moments when I think the GTS would pull harder still, with another step up in power. That said, the 4S is more than quick enough, so there’s absolutely no need to worry about its performance.

PDCC: The 4S’s Secret Weapon

I press the PDCC button and switch to Sport. This is where the car really comes into its own.

The roll control is immediately apparent, and the 4S transforms into a “magic carpet.” The suspension doesn’t feel noticeably stiffer, yet body roll through corners is clearly reduced, transforming the car’s character from gentle and relaxed to genuinely sporty.

The car tucks in more decisively through the middle of a corner, moving like a sports car should. With all-wheel drive, traction is superb; put your foot down and the car surges forward like it’s been launched from a catapult. And despite all that grip, body roll stays well controlled, so occupants feel only modest lateral G-forces.

That’s PDCC in a nutshell: going fast in comfort.

After the test drive, I walk around the car and take another look. It’s simply beautiful—and seriously good-looking.

The faint red tone in the Basalt Black exterior works beautifully with the reddish warmth of the Espresso leather interior. The wide body unique to the all-wheel-drive models, the rear light strip connecting the taillights, and the silver model badge all stand out against the black paint.

This exceptional car left me wanting to order a new Porsche one day with the same kind of tasteful, elegant specification.