Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 14, 2001)
Porsche Carrera 4 term Review Not much of a commuter but it'll knock you out on weekends Blair S. Walker If you think money doesn't buy hap piness, purchase a 2001 Porsche Carrera 4, which I recently piloted from Boston to Baltimore. A precision instrument that sliced through traffic like a shark scything through minnows, the Zanzibar red Porsche blasted past fall foliage like some huge, reddish-orange leaf gone hideously amok. Its 300-horsepower, 3.4-liter, flat-six engine turned a smidgen under 3.000 rpm in sixth gear, and growled unhappily about having to lope along at a mere 77 mph. Four large Continental tires, the Carrera 4's all-wheel-drive and Porsche Stability Management made the pave ment seem bone dry, despite a cold rain. Drivers smartly moved over as the beast approached, preceded by the UFO-like beams of its bluish Xenon headlamps. To the rear, the car's spoiler had raised automatically, leaving in its wake a gray rooster tail of water that made the Porsche resemble something leaving Cape Canaveral. If that kind of stuff wasn't happiness personified, then please tell me what is. Too bad status and prestige are inex tricably linked with the Porsche name, because the Carrera 4's essence has nothing to do with that stuff. Think of this car as a tool whose finely machined parts work in sym phonic unison, allowing you to display the panache of racecar driver Willy T. Ribbs, while actually having one-third of his talent. I spent a month with the Porsche Carrera 4, whose doors still close with the tinny clunk' of an old VW Beetle, its mind-boggling performance notwithstanding. When driven over uneven surfaces at high velocity, the suspension of the 2001 Carrera 4 mercifully remains composed and serene. Previous all- wheel-drive Porsches tended to feel VVTiy Can't We all Just Buckle Up? unsettled and bouncy under similar cir cumstances. Now, you feel secure about keeping your foot on the throttle. The Carrera 4's steering is balanced just right between light and heavy with a slight bias toward the latter. From the side, the car looks like Can-eras and 911s of yore. However, when viewed head-on, the Carrera 4 is identical to the Porsche Boxster. a model costing about $25,000 less. It seems a pity to pay Carrera money for a Boxster visage. However, you know you're not in a Boxster once you rev the engine and release the clutch. The Carrera 4 leaps forward angrily with nary a hint of wheel spin. The car just GOES, providing the surreal sensa tion of four tires greedily gripping asphalt. A high roof line generates a fair amount of wind noise that, when com bined with the mechanical sounds emanating behind your fanny, can overwhelm interior sounds like the soothing click of the turn signal. Over time, it became clear that this Porsche is to be enjoyed during leisurely weekends. It has no business taking part in the daily commute. For one thing, it loathes bumps and potholes and you will, too, after encountering a couple. Furthermore, the Carrera 4 can't hold much, including golf clubs. And it almost seems a sacrilege to place cup holders, small as they are, in a Porsche. The six-speed manual lacks the crispness one might expect from a car costing more than $75,000, making occasional errant shifts from second gear to fifth gear possible. But when things are falling just right and the highway is smooth and clear, it's really, really hard to wipe that silly grin off your face. And that, ultimately, is what the 2001 Porsche Carrera 4 is all about — Happiness. February/March 2001
