Fun Stuff

AutoTrader Find of the Week: 1990 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 is Subtle Perfection

I’m ashamed to say that for me, Porsche has been, to put it mildly, an acquired taste.

In fact, I was only able to fully appreciate the brand after I became an automotive writer. It wasn’t until I had experienced a wide spectrum of cars – more or less having driven one of everything by this point – that I could fully understand and appreciate the enduring appeal of Porsche.

In my naive youth, I assumed that journalists just threw roses to Porsche to curry favour and perhaps elevate their social status with a new luxury sports car in the driveway every other week. What other reason could there be for such high, seemingly cultish praise?

Now I know that every trite and predictable thing you’ve ever heard or read about the driving experience of a Porsche was said or written because it happens to be true. But my disdain for the brand wasn’t born out of doubt for its engineering pedigree. Growing up in the suburbs of a small developing farm town, people who drove Porsches just seemed like snots – people with more money than sense who cared only for status. A 911 just seemed to lack bravado next to the blue-collar sports car heroes like the Viper or Corvette.

But then I started living in big cities, and my entire perspective changed. When you own a Corvette in a city, you aren’t a working-class hero; you’re an obnoxious show-off. By contrast, a 911 seems like a restrained, respectable, and, above all, a tasteful choice. A 911 conveys quiet confidence. It is a well-fitting black T-shirt, to the Corvette’s leather jacket with bedazzled flames embroidered on it.

I soon stopped seeing Porsches, particularly the 911, as a safe, predictable, uninspired choice for “normies” (read, “non-car people”). And much like a cult indoctrination, I began obsessing over my new idol. Now I can’t understand why anyone would buy anything else.

Congratulations, automotive hivemind. You got me. I’m now a Porsche fanboy, and I would give my left arm for this 1990 911 Carrera 4, currently listed on AutoTrader for sale through Location Paramount in Mt. Royal, Que.

A fairly radical redesign (at least, by 911 standards) for the ‘89 model year, Porsche claimed the new 964 generation was “85 per cent new.” While it maintained its essential shape and proportions, Porsche made extensive improvements to the 911’s suspension and driver aides. Antiquated torsion bars were replaced with coil springs and shock absorbers. ABS and power steering were standard. The 964 introduced the concept of the electric rear spoiler, which raised at speeds above 80 km/h, and then lowered flush with the body when not in use. There were warning lights connected to a vehicle monitoring system, dual airbags and automatic climate control. All these features are, of course, a given by today’s standards, but in 1989, they were viewed by some as nothing short of heresy.

But perhaps the most noteworthy engineering update was, for the first time ever, the introduction of an all-wheel-drive option in the Carrera 4.

While initially controversial amongst purists, particularly for its inclusion of modern driver aides, the 964 generation of Porsche has since exploded in desirability, particularly as they’ve officially aged into classic status. Despite the 964’s many modern technological leaps, it also maintained a key, classic feature: an air-cooled engine.

In many ways, the 964 represents a perfect midpoint in the 911 story — it is the exact moment when one thing ends and another begins. It is as new and forward-thinking as it is nostalgic and unchanged.

Fellow Porsche geeks will first notice that this particular car is finished in the rare and subtly gorgeous forest green metallic. The colour was first offered only to the Carrera in 1989, then Porsche extended it to all 911s in 1990 before taking it away until 1999 … then it discontinued it again in 2010 … then it brought it back for one year in 2019. That’s all to say, you won’t see too many of them out there.

Complemented with a restored tan interior, this 964 model maintains all of its original appeal, while introducing a few tasteful upgrades. A modern manual Porsche shifter, Porsche's latest PCCM Plus entertainment system for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and wheel spacers help to house larger, modern tires with OEM spec 17-inch Porsche Cup 1 rims produced by Speedline. A Porsche Carerra sport steering wheel by MOMO ties the room together like The Dude’s rug.

What this car is is a tasteful way to spend $167,000. It doesn’t beg for attention. It isn’t loud. Or shouty. For most people, it just blends into traffic. But the appeal of any Porsche is that it’s a machine made for you, the driver to enjoy.