If you're at all interested in the development of the all-wheel drive in the Porsche company, have a look at the above video. This is the 911 SC 4x4, which won the 1984 Paris - Dakar rally. It's successor was the 959, of which you can read more about here. Unmentioned is still the 597 Jagdwagen (Hunting car). All the other predecessors like the Cisitalia and the VW-Commanders car don't actually belong to the history of the Porsche company.

Ever since the 1988 964, one can also acquire the 911-series with 4WD. Right now, one would have to lay out the added price of a well equipped compact car. One would then get the same engine, but not the significant complexity in the rear body area, which, through the conversion from rear- to all-wheel drive, one would rather expect to find up front. Indeed, there is almost nothing to be seen of the shaft to the front and the visco-clutch. In the rear it's very different, there the car is now 60 mm wider and tied up with the much more expensive turbo-charger. What is missing, are the intakes in the rear mudguards for the intercooler up front.

Apart from the turbo, they are all normally aspirated engines. However, and for the first time, in the 996-series they are liquid-cooled. Hence, the relatively large openings on the left and the right up front for the two radiators. The torque of the standard model is not yet electronically influenced. Fundamentally, 5% goes to the front, which together with the extra weight on the front axle provides better directional stability and more feedback from the steering. It is said that the car runs altogether more smoothly, but is also more direct, which as far as the springing is concerned, is not always an advantage for the driver. With an RPM difference between the front and the rear, the viscous clutch locks more vigorously and sends up to 40% to the front.

Perhaps they have specifically selected engines in the upper performance range, since in spite of having a tare weight of a good 100 kg more, the performance doesn't appear to have suffered at all. That would have been quite something, if, with the extendable spoiler, turbo rear-end and turbo-braking system, it turned out to be the slowest 911 of them all. This 996 however, has reintroduced one detail from its predecessor, the red band, which unfortunately, could also be rededicated to form an illuminated Porsche-lettering. 07/15