C2 V C4

Im just about to purchase a 996 any day now. I realy want to get the C2 rather than the C4, but ive never driven a 911 before, only a boxster. I also have an M3 e46.. is there a massive differnce in driving a C2 for a beginner? compared to a C4 or M3.. do i need to drive it different, iv heard people say C4 are easierto drive as they are AWD and is thw C2 faster than the C4 ? cheers

Coming from an M3 you will be used to a powerful rear wheel drive car, so I would say go for the C2 I have driven both C2 and C4 whilst looking for a 911, but at normal test drive speeds it is hard to tell the difference. I came from a Honda S2000 which spent most of it's life sideways, so I knew I wanted the C2. Having had a subaru sti I have done the whole 4WD thing, and whilst enjoyable, I wanted the 911 classic style. M3 is one car I've never had, and is on my list to own at some point, along with Audi RS4. When I was looking for the 911 the 335i or 335d was also a consideration. Good luck with your search.

thanks for your help, yeah im more than likely going to get the C2. I might cry when i see my M3 go, because it is emmaculate laguna seca blue and been babied! thanks mate

c4 i had a e46 m3,and i know hav c4 wich in my opinion handles lot better when set up right,i cant really tell its 4wd like the evo i had,the c4 seems faster and all round better package but is about 350kg lighter,just my opinion :lol:

From what I hear the C2 & C4 are difficult to tell the difference. :?: My last car was a E46 M3 and it wasn't as sporty as the C2 though just as fast. The M3 could be quite docile or nuts but the C2 is somewhere in between :thumb:

Yeah i seen the topgear video of a carrera 4 round the track and it made the car slower. I seen a review on youtube of a C2 vs C4 and the C2 beat the c4 round the track and also on the 0-60. ( if i remember the C2 was 5.1 and C4 was 5.3 , however trptronoc was 5.9) I think ill just get the C2 because its had great reviews and is supposed to be quicker than C4 and much quicker than the C4S as the S is way heavier for some reason. Selling my M3 before wednesday hopefully, so i should be having a 911 in my driveway by next week. Im the kinda guy that doesnt hang about, i like to get things done and done right, quickly too

I agree I have a C4S and find everything more expensive, tyres are bigger, just changed the condensors which are far more expensive than the C2 items, the luggage compartment is much bigger.... that said i love the look of the C4S and it is pleanty fast enough for me. The C2 has allot of plusses though, enjoy, they are great cars... once the goe is set up correctly Paul

I've always been a BMW man and recenty just purchased a 996 C4S. I would say if the badges were not on the car i dont think many people could or would know if the car had 2 or 4 wheel drive. The 911's pace is more subtle than the m3's the big differance will be the feel of the car with the engine in the rear. To say the C4S is slow is definatley incorrect. having driven a few M3's I'd happily put mine against a CSL on a twisty road. I don't think a standard M3 would live with it. My only advice would be to go and drive a few and see what you think. Everybodys opinion is different. I'd go for the car in the best condition with a good history and that feels right.

Skelts. What is the power like compaed to M3 e46? Does it seem alot quicker and also does it sound better than the M3. Ive always used sport mode on my M3 and it gets there very fast, im hoping the 996 lives up to the M3's standards. Also, i sometimes drove my M3 a little hard sometimes. Does it feel different in a carrera with the engine in the boot ? will it "bite" me if i push it too hard, also do pre 2001 models have traction control and PSM on?

My 2000 has PSM and it saved my 4rse on a wet roundabout a few weeks ago.

I wont 'feel' much quicker but its a completey different drive, if your used to front engined RWD cars it will take some getting used to, but once youve got the hang of the 911 its addictive. Real grip and traction at the back and feels light and intuitive at the front. As for pace there isn't much in it but you drive a 911 further round the rev range i.e over 5000rpm this is where they come to life, if you want to experience a significant pace hike you need to be in the GT or Turbo variants

Thanks for the info mate. A friend of mine who i dont see often used to own a 911 carrera4 i just bought my M3. We did a little race and he beat me 0-120 by about 3 seconds. it looked fast too. Also, can i quickly ask a question. On the GT3 aero kits, does the rear spoiler still rise?

Exelzion Well the M3 is said to have 338hp but if you put it on a rolling road i'd bet my house on it that you wouldn't any morethan about 300! Unfortunatly it's a trat of the high performance M3 engine. So power for the 2 cars is very similar, so are the weights. Sound? well the M3 sounds good, my best mates is a CSL and i'm sure you know that t doesn't get in better than that. however, i've a sports exhaust on mine although I'm not to sure yet which one and you wouldn't be dissapointed with it. I'd say a different sound. i love mine. With regard to handling, I've been trying to get the PSM light to come on and I can't, thats how good the chassis is, it's in a different league. i think you'd also see a step up in build quality. Is your M3 a manual or SMG? are you looking at a manual?

thats a bit of a surprise on the 0-120 time ive owned an M3 and an M5 albeit earlier verions e36 and e39 respectivley and there was not a noticable difference with the m3 versus my prev C2 but the M5 felt like it had a lot more grunt, handling of the porsche is in a different league though IMHO, also my C2 had no driver aids either so no LSD or PSM. wrt the GT3 spoiler its a fixed wing i.e. does not move.

No, it's fixed. Cheers, Phil