THE Porsche 911 Carrera has long been the dream car of thousands of motorists but now there's an even faster, more expensive version to take that dream to new heights.

The German supercar manufacturer has extended the 911 range to 19 models with the new Carrera 4 GTS, a 430bhp flying machine with a top speed of 188 miles per hour - and a price tag to match.

It's not really a car you can miss, with its distinctive flared rear wheel arches, 20-inch black wheels, black badges bearing the model name and four black chrome exhaust pipes - not to mention black around the headlights and black accents on the air intakes.

If the standard 911 looks sleek and sporty the 4GTS looks mean and moody. Turn the key and the ear splitting roar from the engine tells you instantly that even by Porsche standards this one is special.

The GTS is powered by a 3.8-litre engine tuned to give an extra 80bhp over the standard Carrera and 30bhp over the Carrera S. It's available as a coupe and a cabriolet with the choice of either two or four-wheel-drive, the latter distinguished by the 4 in the name.

And with the amount of power this car puts down it's comforting to have power going to all four wheels, particularly in the wet.

The interior will be familiar to 911 owners although there are subtle differences. My test car had the optional GTS interior package in black leather and carmen red.

That meant all decorative stitching and embroidering, including the Porsche badge, was in red as was the dial of the tachometer.

Multi adjustable electric sports seats are in black leather with centre panels in Alcantara with the latter also used for the door trim panels and the lower sections of the dashboard, while trim strips are in carbon fibre making it a very impressive cockpit.

On the road the 4 GTS handles superbly, with the four-wheel-drive allowing you to put the power down quicker on twisty roads and inspiring confidence.

The normal exhaust note on the car is enough to turn the odd head but engage the sports sound system button near the gearshift and the race-track-style roar makes everyone take a second look.

The seven-speed PDK gearbox, an optional £2,817, is completely seamless and a tall seventh gear allows you sensible economy for a car with this size of engine.

Slip the car into Sports mode and the whole perspective changes as everything takes on an increased urgency.

Push the Sports Plus button and you really need to tighten your seatbelt. The 911's tachometer immediately zips around to 7000 revs and holds that figure permanently before allowing each consecutive gear to slip in. It's not something you want to try on a busy road but on the open highway it will convince you that the six figure price tag is justified.

Fuel consumption is probably not top of the list of interests for anyone who buys this car but for those who are curious I managed to average around 22mpg on most journeys, even topping 30mpg on one.

With the electrically operated hood down the 911 is reasonably draught free so you don't get blown around, which is surprising considering there are small seats in the rear so the cabin area is quite large.

And with a car like this that's a real bonus as image tends to be paramount for buyers of convertibles.