[speeder]

They started in 1989 w the then new 964 or Carrera 4. The AWD system has gone through evolutionary changes since then w the subsequent 993, 996, 997 and 991. They have probably refined it further for the new 992.

It's basically a torsion split system, (do I remember that term right?), road-going AWD like what is found on Audis and many other cars now. It's geared towards dry road performance w torque biased quite a bit towards the rear wheels on 911s but the split can change if traction needs change, such as on snow or ice. All turbo 911s have been AWD since the 993tt, w the exception of the GT2 which is RWD.

I think that Porsche absolutely got it right w this system but I and many other enthusiasts in warm locations greatly prefer 2wd 911s or C2s due to their lighter weight and more sporty characteristics.The difference is not huge but it's there and when talking about cars that are fine instruments, every degree definitely counts.

I've heard of people removing the front driveshaft from turbo cars starting w the 996tt to save a couple pounds but unless you get rid of the transfer case and exchange the front hubs for 2wd items, the weight savings would not be significant in a car of that weight, IMO.

Porsche made a commitment to AWD in their highest performance regular production cars back in the '80s and the 959 was the test bed on wheels for it as well as several other advanced systems at the time. The 959 debuted in 1986 and AWD showed up on the production 964 3 years later in the 1989 model Carrera 4.