To 4S or not to 4S :)

Considering a few different 1999-2004 (996) car (cab or sunroof) and have driven a 4S (short drive). Wonder to value of 4S over only 2 wheel drive. I will not be driving in snow... And also wonder if 4s adds more worries for repairs... Curious for opinion and/or pointers to other threads... Thx

Its all personal preference. I absolutely love my 4S and am very glad I went with it.

I love my 4S too and I'm happy I bought it. I'd do it again. There are pros and cons. Most people (me included) believe it is the best looking variant of the 996 ever produced. It has the wide hips of the turbo, but not the air intakes or the rear spoiler. It preserves the 911 lines better. It's nicely equipped, has upgraded suspension and brakes, etc. On the other side of that coin, it's heavier than a C2 and not quite as quick. It handles a little bit differently. It does have more parts to break, although not much more than a C2. Ultimately you have to decide what you're looking for in a Porsche. If you plan to track it frequently, you'll probably prefer a C2 or even a GT3. If it's going to be used on the street more, then go with your heart. If you like the look of the C4S, it won't disappoint you.

I think the back end on the 4s is well worth the extra money.

Thanks... I had not seen the 2wd yet... nor compared them side by side. I did like the 4S looks... even seemed have body works along the lower sides ..

S4 is a sexy looking car. I prefer the look of coupe. I'v been looking around and it's lot more expensive than 2WD cars. Some are almost as much as the turbo. It will be little slower due to extra weight.

Notice differences in front fairing for 4S across the 996 years. The 2004 I see has more "fins" in front air dams (unless it was an option or add-on). Nor sure I notice much difference from rear...

AWD, turbo brakes and suspension and generally better optioned than an average narrow body. Tough to beat. Agreed on the cleaner lines without the spoiler. Also you can get a ton of oem turbo parts for cheap (when people upgrade). I got a 10K mile set of shocks for $250.

I love my 4S. The wide a$$ is just sexy and I drive the canyons almost every weekend - the brakes are well worth it. I wasn't sure of the AWD - I prefer RWD cars but I own an '84 Carrera too - so I can get my fix that way.

The 4S is a great ride in my opinion, I originally purchased for the looks and the AWD thinking winter since I drive them year round. Didn't expect a much of a functional difference between the 4S and the C2, but the 4S has really grown on me. In my opinion the 4S is a tad more on the luxury side, great cruiser, great handling, not as quick as the C2 but wind her up and there is plenty of go juice. The C2 feels a tad quicker and sportier, I notice I tend to drive somewhat more aggressively in the C2 than the 4S. Trunk space is a downer on the 4S. I suggest you drive them both, perhaps a few different cars of each, and the right car will most likely find you. Happy shopping, there can be a lot of fun in the hunt.

I have a 4s as well and previously had a Cab Carerra as well. I prefer the looks and ride of the 4s over the regular 996, not to mention the wide back side.

IMHO the 996 C4S has one of the best asses Porsche has ever offered... Love my 2004 C4S.

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What are you buying the car for? Weekend cruiser? Track car? etc.. I had the same dilemma as you! I originally without a doubt was going to get a 4s! Just love the look of the widebody! However for my purposes and reading the forums, I found a 40th Anniversary to meet my needs better. My purpose for this car is: 3rd car random weekend cruiser HPDE car The 40th Anniversary fit my needs better because: x51 motor package (more power!!!!) LSD (no other 996 has LSD except for GT2/3 I believe) 2wd (vs. 4wd for track and potentially less parts to break) Bonus: nicer interior than a standard 996 All in all, exactly what someone would want for the track. What kept me going back and forth between the 4s and the 40th was the widebody! I love that widebody look! In the end, I got the 40th, because I gave up form for function. But I don't think you can go wrong with the 4s!

I have a 03 C4. Have had 3 C4S's. Would buy one again Just was not in the budget this time

I have a 4S, so I am biased - but do your research and you'll find that the C4S is widely considered to be one of the classic models (by Porsche standards) in the 996 line. Excellence (Porsche magazine) currently has their buyer's guide out, and they rave about the C4S.

Buy one! What was the question again?

^ One with the warranty-replaced motor preferably. I've mentioned this before, but I paid $22K for an 02 with 109K miles and 60K on an 05AT motor.

C4S is a great looking car without a doubt. That said, personally I decided to go with an 02 C2. The redesigned backside on the 02 looks great and, IMO, the cost/complexity and weight of the AWD system were negatives in my mind. The handling characteristics of the AWD are very different than the traditional RWD setup and since I am never going to drive it in the snow, it didnt seem to make sense.

The AWD system is actually quite simple. It's a viscous coupling system that typically puts 95% of the power to the rear wheels and can put as much as 45% to the front wheels if additional traction is required. The car drives and feels much like a RWD car. I think the biggest differences in driving feel are due to the added weight in the front end of the car. It's less likely to oversteer than a C2 and a little more prone to understeer. It's important to note in all this that the differences here are minute. The C2 is quicker, but we're talking about tenths of a second. You probably won't notice the differences in quickness or handling unless you are driving at 9/10ths or more.

Go for the 4S... when it comes time to refresh the motor bore it out to 3.8 then you will smoke your C2 buddies and be able to hang with 6GT3s. Also, There are plenty of things a 4S owner can do to lighten their cars to even the playing field. Just sayin... and... if you want you can remove front wheel drive and add and LSD. Then you have the looks and performance in one package.

If you are going to bore out a C4S, remove the front drive and add a LSD, etc... then it might make more sense to just start with a GT3... For me the complexity isnt with the system, its in having another system to maintain that might break, etc. For me if I dont need it, i dont see a reason to buy it. Similar to the 335i vs 335xi decision. I buy it because I beat my BMW year round, but I generally dont recommend people in fair weather places buy it. Of course its all personal comfort and the turbo look on the C4S is definitely awesome

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i like the way you think and wish to subscribe to your newsletter!

Who said anything about modifiying made any sense? When I sell my 3.8 4S and buy a mighty GT3 im sure it will get modded as well. By that time guys will be dropping in 4 liters ... oh wait theyre already doing it Cheers

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I can deliver the first copy in person when get to the US F1. You will have our country's premier track right in your backyard. You must be pumped?!!

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Very excited and can't wait to go! Got GA tickets for me and my wife

We should plan a cocktail hour at the F1 race for the 996 group. I'll be there.

Count me in. When we get closer we should start a new thread. Sorrry OP, have we convinced you to go 4S yet?

May as well start it now. I'll create a new thread.

I love my C2, but the Conn. location of the OP says the AWD set up makes more sense. And you cannot argue with the looks of the 4S.

I have a C2 and will probably swap up to a C4S in a couple years. The *** and the other options make it great buy. I went C2 more to determine if the p-car was going to be the toy of choice, so i did not jump in with two feet. (i decided it was on the second day of ownership!) I would never go cabrio though, just not my thang.

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Id have agreed here except for two things... 1) OP says "never going to drive in snow"... I live in PA, but the 911 isnt going out in snow. Thats the Range Rover and 335xi's job 2) OP says "worried about more parts to break"... no matter how simple, and durable, an AWD system can be, there is absolutely more to worry about vs RWD Of course in the end there is no *wrong* answer IMO. Both awesome cars, C4S prob one of the most "practical" sports cars possible Comes down to the wants/needs of the individual

For some reason I stopped getting emails of replies. I should have asked before.... but I was looking at a few different 2001 Carrera 4 Cabrio (40-50k miles and clean). I tried to find info but is there a difference between a "4" and "4S"? Thx!

Desmo, I'm a ducati die hard also.... Funny last desmo was S4! To answer your question, the 4 was built until 2001. Then Porsche decided to incorporate the widbody of the turbo with a few of it's components. Awd, big red brembos, unique to 4S rear reflector plus a 10 mm lower suspension and new splitter. The 4S cars are standard full leather. Basically they are loaded option cars without the turbos. Drive c2 and c4s and then decide if the premium is worth it. No decision really... And to be clear, I'm with the other members who wanted a pure rear wheel drive car... I just couldn't pass up buying a loaded widebody.

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c4 - narrow body all wheel drive c4s - wide body all wheel drive

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Technically, this is true. There is more to break with the AWD system. However, this isn't really the best way to decide what options you want or don't want on a Porsche. If you use this logic, then you would definitely not want a sunroof or power seats. You wouldn't want an auto-dimming mirror or rain-sensing wipers. All these options add more parts that could break. Forget about HID headlights... the auto-leveling system could (and sometimes does) break. The AWD system does have more parts and it can break, but it's not a known issue or a serious problem with the AWD cars. Not choosing an AWD car just because the system might break is a bit silly... It's not like we're talking about the air-suspension in an Audi or something crazy like that!

Biased here too -- I'm on my second 4S (it's an '03; other was an '02). Originally bought it for looks/brakes/suspension package as a street car. Have been transforming it into a DE/Time Trials special over the past 2 yrs. Purists don't like AWD because it inhibits rotation into turns. While that's true, in my experience you make that up coming out of the apex with all that traction up front ... with the right suspension setup & camber, the 4S is a formidable track machine. And remember, only 5-40% of power goes to the front wheels. Last weekend at PCA Time Trials at Thunderhill, I never got tired of passing GT3s, including some that were really track prepped. AND it's still a great Sunday drive car. VIVA 4S!

I love my C4S cab so I am biased but I say go for it! Its basically a Turbo without the turbo, wing and intakes on the sides. I was originally in the market for a C4 but when I found mine I just couldn't pass it up. Oh, and as for power, I've got an EvoMS airbox and headers, a Fabspeed exhaust and Sharkwerks tune that, according to the dyno, make my own personal x51. -Eric

Don't go for looks, go for personality.

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Love reading about others going against the grain and tracking their 4S's! Rock on!

It's foolish to think a pretty girl can't have a good personality!

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Be that as it may, it's what the OP asked and it isnt all that unreasonable, IMO. I am sure someone would say that the Audi suspension is also a silly place to draw a line. Or a dual clutch is a silly place to draw a line. Or EPS is a silly place to draw a line. On the other hand there are *many* folks who feel a 996 is already way over engineered, much less a 996 C4S. Its an individual thing. I've owned some world class AWD sports cars, but personally prefer the feel of RWD and the lighter weight and found that I dont really need AWD for what I want to do (fun spirited driving in fair weather). Clearly this is a minority position here on this thread of course (it seems every C4S owner has weighed in and there are apparently no C2 owners who bought it because they actually like it! LOL!), but it isnt outrageous. If it were all sports cars would be AWD rather than it being a minority few (GTR, 911TT, C4S, Gallardo, R8, few others)

I actually almost bought a C2. I think they are fantastic cars. For me however, the AWD combined with the looks made the C4S the right choice. I know many people prefer the handling of the C2.