It's hard to believe, but this version of the 911 appeared 7 years ago! In 1989, the 911 line was redesigned for the first time in over 15 years. The 1990 911 Carrera was renamed "Carrera 2", to distinguish it from the 4 wheel drive "Carrera 4", which had appeared a year earlier. Visual changes included a restyled body with integrated bumpers and new alloy wheels. Also new was a electronically movable rear spoiler, which sits flush with the deck until about 45 mph.
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The major reworking
came underneath the skin. The engine was totally redone, and now displaced
3.6 liters, up from the previous 3.2 liters. Output of the powerplant was
247 horsepower. Still a flat-6, of course. This new engine
brought the 911 to new levels of performance. It can go from 0-60mph in
a factory stated 5.5 seconds, and top out at 162 mph. The engine can be
coupled with two types of transmissions; the five-speed manual, or 4 speed
Tiptronic.
The Tiptronic transmission is an automatic, with the usual PRND321 selections, but it can be used as a manual shifter, too. While the car is in the "Drive" position, you can push the stick horizontally to the right into a second slot, which is parallel to the "regular" slot. The shifter sits in the slot, with the ability to be moved "up" one position, or "down" one position. When you "tip" the stick forward, the car will upshift, and when you "tip" it back towards you, it'll downshift.
So, in essence, you can plant your foot on the gas, and when you're ready to shift, tip it forward. Without having a clutch to operate, you can treat it like an automatic, but shift when you want! If, for some reason, you don't shift it at redline, the computer will do it for you. Also, if you try to downshift it at a speed where the engine will redline in the lower gear, the computer will again interrupt.
The Carrera could
be had in Coupe, Cabriolet, or Targa form. From 1990-1994, a few
Carrera 2 derivatives were offered. In 1992, a limited edition 911
America Roadster was offered. It was a wide-bodied Cabriolet.
In 1993 and 1994, an 911 RS America was offered.
This was a lightweight version of the C2. Finally, in 1994, the 911
Speedster was available as the 50's era 356 Speedster.