Porsche 911 Type 997 Carrera 4S - 2008

The 997-generation Porsche 911 arrived in 2004 as a considered answer to critics of the 996, bringing back classic round headlamps, crisper ergonomics and a palpable lift in perceived quality. The 997.1 Carrera 4S joined the range shortly after, and for the 2006–2008 model years it sat in the sweet spot of the line-up for drivers who wanted the pace and purity of a normally aspirated flat-six with the all-weather confidence of all-wheel drive. It combined the S-spec 3.8-litre engine with the wider ‘Turbo’ body, bigger brakes and standard PASM adaptive dampers.

Under the decklid, the naturally aspirated M97 flat-six made a quoted 355 hp and 400 Nm, delivered with the clean throttle response for which the era’s 911s are adored. The Carrera 4S used a viscous-coupling AWD system that could shuffle torque to the front axle when the rears began to slip, working with Porsche Stability Management to give the car uncanny traction without diluting that unmistakable 911 steering feel. Reviewers of the day—evo, Car and Driver and Autocar among them—praised the 4S for cross-country speed and composure, noting only a mild weight penalty and an even purer feel in the rear-drive S for the most hard-core enthusiasts.

Stylistically, the 4S gets its own calling cards: a body 44 mm wider across the hips and the red reflector strip spanning the tail—a nod to air-cooled 964/993 Carrera 4S heroes. Standard 19-inch wheels and red four-piston calipers filled the arches; options ran from Bose audio to the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes and even the factory X51 Powerkit that bumped output toward 381 hp. The car’s breadth of ability—docile commuter one moment, alpine pass assassin the next—was core to its appeal and a reason it became a darling in snow-belt regions.

Competition was fierce: the Aston Martin V8 Vantage wooed with looks and soundtrack, BMW’s E92 M3 arrived with a high-rev V8, and by 2007 the Audi R8 brought mid-engined balance and quattro grip. Yet the 4S carved its niche: more usable than the Aston, more special-feeling than the M3, and with everyday polish that the early R8s struggled to match. On TV, British shows frequently lauded the 997’s return to form, often singling out the steering and ride/handling blend; road-test verdicts routinely put a 997 near the top of any sports-car shortlist.

As ever with Porsche, the 997.1 evolved quietly. Minor spec tweaks arrived through 2007–2008, before the 2009 model-year facelift (997.2) introduced direct fuel injection, a new AWD system (PTM) and PDK in place of Tiptronic. Today the 997.1 Carrera 4S sits in a sweet spot for collectors and drivers alike: modern enough to use daily, analogue enough to feel mechanical. Buyers look for thorough histories—some M97 engines can suffer bore scoring, and while the later IMS design is more robust than early 996 items, diligence still pays. Find a good one and you get a timeless wide-body 911 that’s spectacular in the wet and joyous in the dry.