Sports suspension - firmer springs and dampers, a 20mm drop in ride height and a rear diff lock - is optional on both models, while the C4S gets Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) as standard.

The performance and power figures for the Carrera 4 and 4S remain unchanged from their two-wheel-drive counterparts. The UK gets the two new models in late October, priced at ΂£62,930 and ΂£69,900 respectively.

And finally, giving a hint as to what the 997 GT3 could look like, Porsche has released a mouth-watering photograph of the new 997 Cup car. A version of this is already racing globally in the Supercup and it will form the basis for the next three years of the GB Carrera Cup until 2008.