NOOB Questions

Hello: I just got a chance to drive a 99 C2 Coupe. All I can say is WOW. I have been a life long BMW driver (14 of them to be exact). And never though of myself in a Porsche driver. Not sure why. I currently have a 1995 e34 M5 Euro import here in the USA. Just looking for a change and the 996 looks great so I drove one today. I have a couple questions that I could not find answers to in the Archives. 1) When I drove this one the only irritant was that it was a bit darty and or light in the front end. Is this normal? Would a car with the factory Aero kit have more downforce in the front? 2) Should the clutch grab pretty high up on the release? 3) Are the stereo's always that terrible From the reading of the archives there are no real "common" issues. I think I read something about a main seal in early cars (this is a 3/99 build). Thanks for any of the input you may have.

Clutch release is normal since Porsche went to hydraulics, hate it myself, 6'2", but... Darty above, say, 90MPH?? But some tires, Pirellis, make it worse after about 15k miles of wear. Radio reception horrid, CDs okay, just.

No, darty above 55 or so. It has Dunlops on it. It really felt as if the front was "light".

C4 will feel heavier in the front and more sure footed than the C2. But the C2 will let you have more fun.

Obviously coming out of a front-engined vehicle into a C2 you are going to have some sense that the front is a bit light. Throw a case of bottled water in the front and go for a ride. Enjoy. On the tires, Dunlops are the LCR of the tire business - sort of a blue light special - they are 'low cost radials' that allow tire shops to make a higher margin. Not bad quality, but not the best. New shoes would be the answer there for grip and handling. But wear them out first, then replace. And yes, the stereo's do suck, but either replace the amp and maybe speakers, or just roll down the windows and listen to the better music from the tail of the car.

Thanks gang. I am about to pull the trigger on a 99 in New York so we will see.

yes, the darty-ness is normal. i've owned lots of bimmers (incl e28 & e34 M5s) and all 996s feel light. the faster you drive, the lighter the touch. if you're gripping the wheel tightly while taking fast corners--and add bump steer to the equation--you'll have a tendency to over-control and drive off your intended line. for first timers, their heart will skip a beat (or two) the faster i drive, the more i steer with thumbs only, resting on at the 9 and 3 o'clock (3-spoke wheel). my observations were validated by those in-the-know (hurley haywood for one) while chatting about driving 996s at a porsche event.