Porsche Gives Us a History Lesson With 911 Carrera 4 GTS Video

The 911 Carrera GTS was already the most sporty Carrera model, but this wasn’t enough for Porsche engineers, who have added a ‘4’ to the name for that extra all-wheel drive focus. But why - what’s it all for? That’s the question this latest video wants to answer.

Turn the clock back to 1963, and the Porsche 901 gets its big reveal at the IAA in Frankfurt... and it all started. The next chapter in the saga is represented by the 911 Carrera RSR, which won the 1973 Targa Florio thanks in part to its limited-slip differential. Four-wheel drive is added to the 911 mix in 1994, when the Carrera 4 becomes available to customers in both coupe and convertible forms.

Add all those ingredients to what Porsche calls its most sporty Carrera ever and you get the new 911 Carrera 4 GTS, packing the same 408-horsepower 3.8-liter flat-six as its rear-drive counterpart for an identical 4.6-second sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h).

The 911 Carrera 4 GTS features an electronically-controlled Porsche Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel-drive system that delivers impressive traction and powerful acceleration in any driving situation. The electromagnetically-controlled multi-plate clutch reacts rapidly and ensures optimum distribution of power between the front and rear axles. A standard mechanical limited-slip differential further improves traction and driving stability around turns and on varying road surfaces.

Styling changes include a restyled front bumper with lip spoiler, side skirts, black 19-inch RS Spyder wheels and sport buckets trimmed in Alcantara.