Seeking opinions: C4S,C2,997

I'm trying to do a little research and get some opinions prior to making a buying decision: Do those of you who've driven the 996 C2 and the 996 C4S consider the price difference to be worth it? Does the C4S 4wd enhance your driving enjoyment, or do you prefer it solely for safety reasons in snow/rain? Does 4wd take away from or add to your fun and learning experience at track driving schools? Test drives with a salesman next to me really haven't cleared this up for me. I've been reading that the 997 is coming soon, and should offer a mild increase in HP. Any other major differences or mostly cosmetic? Worth waiting for and passing up the 996 discounting now? Thanks for any information.

I have very much the same questions, and I'm trying to make a decision soon also. I agree, normal dealer test drives haven't helped me answer the issue of C2 vs C4S. My concern is that in some ways the C4S may be less fun. I don't know. It's too bad I can't find a place around here to rent a C2 and C4 for a day or weekend. I would gladly pay a few hundred dollars to help me make a decision.

Depends what you want to do with it

Re: the price difference, bear in mind that ~$7K of the difference may be viewed as options that are avail on the C2. The remainder would be 4WD, turbo body, and bigger brakes, which is a bargain for the additional $3K or so, but only if you want 4WD, want to look like a Turbo, and can live with the 100+ kilos additional weight with same power as a C2. To compare a C2 and a C4S, you really need to find an 030-equipped (rigid susp) C2 for the comparison. You don't find many of these sitting on the lot. Both fantastic cars. -DT '03 C2/6-spd rigid susp PSM Carrera 18's full leather flared rockers heated sports seats xenon Bose ext color seatbacks/console dev carpet delete model self dim/rain sensor rear wiper leather steering column

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by NeilS: <strong>I'm trying to do a little research and get some opinions prior to making a buying decision: Do those of you who've driven the 996 C2 and the 996 C4S consider the price difference to be worth it? Does the C4S 4wd enhance your driving enjoyment, or do you prefer it solely for safety reasons in snow/rain? Does 4wd take away from or add to your fun and learning experience at track driving schools? Test drives with a salesman next to me really haven't cleared this up for me. I've been reading that the 997 is coming soon, and should offer a mild increase in HP. Any other major differences or mostly cosmetic? Worth waiting for and passing up the 996 discounting now? Thanks for any information.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">I can relate... in my case I am torn between the C4S and waiting for the 997 to see what it looks like and what Porsche will put in the engine bay. If it is the same engine core that the 996 has I might just look for a C4S. I like the looks and would be perfect as my family car (all weather car, for those rainy days here in Orlando, FL) and to take to the track. I have always liked the wide body look on these cars...

Recently had to make decision betwen C2 and C4. (not a fan of wide bodied S - if I was asked the question would you want the 996 to be bigger or smaller car would go for the latter - I digress.)Drove them back to back. Concluded that C4 felt more planted - particularly less nervousness in a straight line. The steering didn't feel corrupted. Instinctively, I felt happier with 4wd set up - Scotland is v. wet. My view, but well understand why others may consider that the "classic" feel of C2 preferable.

Three HOT laps around Pacific Raceway this past Thursday convinced me that my 01 C4 is worth every penny I paid for it. Professional driver, one of the drivers who won the SRPII class at the 24 hours of Daytona this year, with me as passenger. He turned the PSM off as soon as we started out, and given he was oftentimes on the brakes (one hot odorous car when we finished, brake pads WELL seated) I'm not sure this did all that much good, have to go back and read the owners manual section on PSM again. The rear end only tried to come around once and a quick steering correction brought it immediately back into line. If I do ever buy another Porsche it will definitely be the C4S, perhaps with a T-top, factory willing.

I don't have anything to add except to second Ed Newman's comments on your plans with the car, because they are different. My particular preference was a C4 narrowbody. I think the narrowbody is aesthetically better looking but I wanted 4WD. Ed, if you're watching, can you send me or post a pic of your interior. Full leather & carbon fiber with cage sounds exciting! [email removed]

Thanks to all for the replies. The answers here and in pcar_finally's thread have pretty much convinced me that a C2 is the way to go, though I'll try to get another test drive or two before buying.

Try to get LONG, LONG test drives, preferrably in used (broken-in) MY '02+ cars so you can push 'em a bit. We're all a bit biased toward our own cars here, and we're generally full of s___ anyway! Be true to your own instincts, then choose.

I picked the C4S primarily for all-season traction and AWD confidence. However, I also do not find the narrow body to be nearly as attractive, and I liked the fact that the C4S comes with a better suspension and brakes from the factory. Also, the C4S is far more exclusive. The C2 would make you very happy too, and seems a bit more tossable than the C4S. I wouldn't kick one out of the driveway, that's for sure <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> As for the 997, IMHO it is not good to buy a P-Car from the first two years of a new model, as there are always many improvements after the first run.

Here is another point to throw in the pot. Just got back from a DE. I met a guy in a C2 with ROW 030 set up with more negative camber, as well as exhaust and airbox mods. The guy has a bit more DE's under his belt than I do. He and I both agree: his car and mine were equivalent through most of the track except at two places. These places were both hard right turns, uphil and prolonged with one a double apex type. The AWD allowed me to come in hotter, turn in a tad earlier, go WOT earlier, and the AWD combined with the uphill nature of the turn rotates the car better, and resultant faster exit speed down the straight. Each time we passed through these turns, I would visibly pull away a little more. This confirms the Nurburgring test results. The C2 is faster accelerating, but the C4S goes through the track faster. As far as price, if you option out the C2 to be equivalent to the standard configuration of the C4S, the price diff is not that large. Plus, the C4S will come with things you can't add as options, such as the bigger brakes, turbo nose, wider stance. I believe you would get more car in a C4S. Since we are now talking about prices in the upper 80k's to lower 90k's, for a bit more you can get a GT3. That is more bang for the buck than eithera C4S or an optioned out C2, IMHO. Darn it but the GT3 was not available when I bought my C4S.