What Car Shoppers Need to Know
- The Porsche 911 Carrera 4S is an all-wheel-drive variant of the 911 Carrera S.
- It’s more capable than the base Carrera but less capable than the Carrera GTS.
- The 4S’ 473-horsepower six-cylinder engine will be more than enough for 99.9% of enthusiasts’ needs.
Now this is how you spec a Porsche 911 for daily use: Start with the all-weather, AWD 2026 Carrera 4S, add the Fuchs-esque Carrera Classic wheels and slather it in Porsche’s updated Oak Green Metallic Neo paint. So far, so retro — tasteful and reserved. Next, check the extended Club Leather Interior in the delicious Truffle Brown option.
Now it becomes a game of what you don’t add: leave the sport suspension, hyper-aggro lightweight seats, carbon-ceramic brakes and carbon-fiber accoutrement on the shelf. Do add both the Sport Chrono Package and the front axle-lift system, which is an absolute necessity in an urban environment. Then, focus on comfort-oriented options, like ventilated seats and the upgraded Bose (or Burmester) sound system. Perfect!
Related: 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS T-Hybrid Review: Soul, Preserved
You can tell I’m an unapologetic fan of the 2026 Carrera 4S I drove during a recent (too-short) week-long media loan. Porsche’s press-spec formula can err on the repetitive side: Guards Red, Gentian Blue Metallic and GT Silver Metallic are the mainstay colors, with a black or red interior and a stiff sport suspension. No, no! I’m not complaining. It’s just not often that I’m able to drive a 911 so perfectly suited to regular, multi-environment use as was this C4S.
Expert Rating: 8.2/10
Powertrain: 10/10
Ride quality: 8/10
Handling: 9/10
Steering feel: 9/10
Driver comfort: 8/10
Interior quality: 9/10
User interface: 7/10
Value: 6/10
Overall appeal: 10/10
Fuel economy: 6/10
What’s the Difference Between a Porsche 911 Carrera and a 911 Carrera S?
- Takeaway: The Carrera S gets more power, sharper handling and additional available performance-focused upgrades.
As noted in our first crack at the 992.2-generation Carrera S, the iconic all-rounder of the modern Porsche 911 lineup is one of the line’s highest-volume variants, representing 35% of 911s sold in the U.S. and 33% globally. It’s treasured by brand enthusiasts and serial leasers alike, offering a significant boost in both performance and social cred, but without some of the comfort penalty that the sinewy GTS and GT3 will cost you.
The modern Carrera S formula starts with the standard Carrera and adds a modest but meaningful schmear of power, along with shoutier vocals and sharper throttle response. The suspension is tightened, and steering is quickened to compensate, and the configurator’s catalog of go-faster performance bits and bobs is broadened.
As its tremendous sales and legendary status among enthusiasts proves, it’s a winning recipe. Output from the Carrera S’ twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-six is up 85 hp and 59 pounds-feet of torque compared with the Carrera and Carrera T, significantly boosting performance — but the T’s manual transmission is dropped; though it remains a purist’s darling, every configuration of the Carrera S has an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
How Quick Is the 2026 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S?
- Takeaway: It can go from 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds with the Sport Chrono Package, according to Porsche.
You can have your Carrera S five different ways: It comes in Targa, coupe and cabriolet body styles with either rear- or all-wheel drive (other than the AWD-only Targa). The AWD variants gain the “4S” designation and drop the 0-60 run by … oh my. Well, this might be a first: According to Porsche, the 4S coupe’s 0-60 scramble remains the same as the Carrera S coupe’s at a mighty 3.3 seconds (3.1 seconds with the Sport Chrono Package).
Whether that lack of differentiation is due to the Carrera 4S’ additional 99 pounds or just roundly superb traction/launch management for the Carrera S, it appears the primary benefit of the 4S’ AWD is its all-weather flexibility and additional power delivery from corner exit. AWD is welcome tech in many environments, and even on my home turf in Southern California, I’ve unintentionally encountered snow and alarmingly slick conditions in the more mountainous areas. I once had to abandon a McLaren 600LT at a rural Temecula-ish gas station due to its hyper-slick Pirellis turning into hockey pucks in some surprise winter slush, whereas my then-coworker’s RWD 911 GT3 RS carefully motored up to our overnight with less issue.
But I digress. There was no surprise sleet or slurry on my 80-degree canyon outing, wherein this Carrera 4S proved itself to be the same preternaturally confident Malibu missile as its RWD sibling. I won’t go into too much dynamic detail here — my experience was nearly unchanged from my first drive in the fantastic Carrera S — but I acted a skosh more caveman with the accelerator, leaning on the 4S’ added front-end glue to sizzle from corner to corner.
As has been the case since the 996-generation 911 was first sold in the U.S. as a 1999 model, the sensation, weight and balance of driver inputs are as close to perfection as the respective eras allow. In this Carrera 4S, Porsche weaves a master class of synthesized digital and electronic assists into genuine tactility — or at least the sensation thereof. Every action in a mass-produced modern car is parsed through a committee, but at least here the committee feels populated by tight-knit yes-men who happen to be your college buds.
Can You Daily Drive a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S?
- Takeaway: Absolutely! Part of the 911’s magic is how well it blends daily usability with track capability.
It’s a polished, indulgent experience, both on tight, technical mountain passes and in the sprawling urban hell of Los Angeles. Much of any 911’s magic distills down to its duality, cutting its superb dynamics with a blend of daily tractability and genuine utility. Left to its own devices, the PDK automatic transmission is one of the most intelligent and usable performance dual clutches on the market; it’s no more herky-jerky than what you’d experience in an Audi A5.
If you plan on using it far, far more for daily commuting than weekend blasting, use this specific Carrera 4S as a rubric, with its distinct lack of a sport suspension — this car is more than capable enough with standard damping! — and added nose-lift and rear-wheel steering. Tire choice is important here: I found my test car’s Pirelli P Zeros to be overly stiff and a bit hard, but they’ll last longer and offer better all-weather traction than the excellent — but quick-wearing — Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.
No notes on the 2026 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S. Sometimes, the middle ground is right on the money.
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