Along with its sibling Carrera 4, the 2005 Carrera 4S offered an all-wheel-drive system for the Porsche 911, but as usual, it was more powerful.
The 997 Carrera 4S and the Carrera 4S Convertible were developed at the same time. That led to a small weight difference between the two vehicles. The convertible was only 85 kilograms (180 lbs) heavier than the coupe, which made it as fast as the closed-version. The 4S Convertible was based on the same platform with its predecessor but enhanced. Its wider body by 88 mm (3.5”) than its two-wheel-drive sibling, made it look meaner. It offered an enhanced all-wheel-drive system, which transferred between 5 and 40% of the torque to the front wheels.

From the outside, the new round headlights were back, wiping off the tears from the Porsche fans. The turn-signals and the fog-lights were in the front bumper, above the apron. In the lower side, a wide center grille and two side-scoops with a horizontal slat were typical for this generation of the Porsche 911. In the back, the Carrera 4S featured four round exhausts under the rear apron.

Inside, the Carrera 4S Cabriolet offered four seats but cramped in the rear. It featured the same options as the coupe, plus the wind deflector. That allowed a normal conversation even with the top down at highway speed. To cover or uncover the car, the electric system needed only 20 seconds at speeds up to 50 kph (31 mph).

For the engine, the Carrera 4 S featured a 3.8-liter unit that offered 355 hp. On the options list, the car-maker introduced the X51 feature, which increased the power to 381 hp. Regardless of the power, the flat-six engine was mated as standard to a 6-speed manual, while a 5-speed automatic with manual override (Tiptronic) was on the options list.