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2004 Porsche 911 Review
There is no substitute.
2004 911 Review Summary & Specifications
There are other sports cars with high levels of performance. And there are other cars with panache and mystique similar to that of the Porsche 911. You might argue that a Ferrari has more sex appeal, or that the more brutish nature of a Dodge Viper is what high-performance cars are really about. And you might be right.But those arguments don't really apply. By any objective measure, the Porsche 911 is truly one of the world's finest sports cars. The Viper might beat it on a dragstrip (or in One Lap of America). The Ferrari 360 Modena might sing more sweetly when it's wound up at ultra-high revs. And certainly a Corvette delivers overall value that's hard for any of these sports cars to beat. But no sports car can match the 911's combination of chassis sophistication, power, overall balance, tight, rugged build quality and general livability. And the 911 does that without sanitizing all the fun out of the package. The Porsche 911 is precision machinery. It is easy to drive, and very easy to live with. Perhaps best of all, satisfaction with the 911 will likely increase with time. You'll grow to like it more, not less, and that quality can be hard to come by in today's throwaway world. As they say, there is no substitute.
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| Vehicle Category | Sports Cars |
| Editor | Mitch McCullough |
| Model Lineup | Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe ($68,600); Targa ($76,000); Carrera Cabriolet ($78,400); Carrera 40th Anniversary ($89,000); Carrera 4 Cabriolet ($84,000); Carrera 4S ($83,400); Carrera 4S Cabriolet ($93,200); Turbo ($118,400); Turbo Cabriolet ($128,200); GT3 ($99,900); GT2 ($191,700) |
| Engines (standard) | 3.6-liter dohc 24v H6 |
| Transmissions (standard) | 6-speed manual |
| Engines (optional) | 315-hp 3.6-liter dohc 24v horizontally opposed 6-cylinder; 345-hp 3.6-liter dohc 24v horizontally opposed 6-cylinder; 380-hp 3.6-liter dohc 24v horizontally opposed 6-cylinder; 415-hp 3.6-liter dohc 24v turbocharged horizontally opposed 6-cylinder; 477-hp 3.6-liter dohc 24v turbocharged horizontally opposed 6-cylinder |
| Transmissions (optional) | 6-speed manual; 5-speed Tiptronic |
| Safety Equipment (standard) | dual frontal airbags, door-mounted head and torso coverage side-impact air bags with boron-steel door reinforcement beams, three-point inertia reel seat belts with load limiters and pretensioners, automatic-deploying safety bars and boron-steel reinforced windshield header and A-pillars (cabriolets only); ABS |
| Safety Equipment (optional) | Porsche Stability Management (PSM) |
| Basic Warranty | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| Assembled In | Stuttgart, Germany |
| Manufacturer Phone | 1-800-767-7243 |
| Manufacturer URL | www.porsche.com |
| Base Price MSRP | 68600 |
| Model Tested MSRP | Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe ($68,600) |
| Standard Equipment | automatic climate control with dust/pollen filters, leather-trimmed height-adjustable seats with power recliners, digital AM/FM/CD stereo, trip computer, leather telescoping steering wheel, power windows with one-touch power up/down, power locks with keyless remote, anti-theft system, power heated side mirrors, cruise control, power sunroof, fog lights, rear fog lights, speed-dependent retractable rear spoiler, heated windshield washer nozzles, LED interior orientation lights |
| Destination Charge | 765 |
| Options as Tested (MSRP) | metallic paint ($825); Porsche Stability Management anti-skid system ($1,235); Power Seat Package ($1,550) includes dual power front seats with power height, length and backrest adjust, dual adjust lumbar supports, driver's seat memory; 18-in. light alloy Carrera wheels ($1435) includes P225/40ZR18 front tires, P285/30/ZR18 rear tires; floor mats ($115) |
| Gas Guzzler Tax | |
| Price as Tested | 74525 |
| Layout | rear-engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Horse Power | 315 @ 6800 |
| Torque | 273 @ 4250 |
| Fuel Economy | 18/26 |
| Wheelbase | 92.6 |
| Length/Width/Height | 174.5/69.7/51.4 |
| Track Front/Rear | |
| Turning Radius | 34.8 |
| Seating Capacity | 2+2 |
| Front Head/Hip/Leg room | 38.0/NA/41.6 |
| Middle Head/Hip/Leg room | |
| Rear Head/Hip/Leg room | |
| Trunk Volume | 4.6 (front trunk) + 7.1 (behind front seats) |
| Payload | |
| Towing Capacity | |
| Front Suspension | independent |
| Rear Suspension | independent |
| Ground Clearance | 4.3 |
| Curb Weight | 2959 |
| Stock Tires | P225/40ZR18, P285/30ZR18 |
| Brakes Front/Rear | vented disc/vented disc with ABS |
| Fuel Capacity | 16.9 |
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