Suspension Advice

Just bought a 2002 Carrera 2, 18" wheels,PSM. Great car but unhappy with handling. Not stable on motorways unless surface perfect and bounces all over the place on bumpy backroads. It's been back to the OPC twice. They have checked geometry etc and say it's as it should be. The boxster S they lent me when they were looking at the 911 was much, much better. I've said I'm unhappy with the car and they have suggested sports suspension which they are prepared to do at half price (£700) as a goodwill gesture. Have also spoken to Paragon who have recommended their sports kit (Eibechs, spacers and geometry) Any views / experience ?

with all sincerity is it you or the car; did you test drive your car or another 996 before taking ownership and if so was it different to how this one now feels; it goes without saying that the car should handle impeccably if geometry, tyres etc etc is/are set up correctly; 1 way forward might be to take another 996 C2 out and see if there is a difference best of luck Andrew

The descrpition you have given doesn't bear any relation to my 2002 996. It's true that all 911s pitch, to varying extents, on undulating roads. But, overall, the chassis control should be excellent - communicating everything that is happening to give you confidence in the car. Obviously, the more enthusiastically you drive, the greater the benefits of sports suspension, although this will always be a compromise. On some bumpy roads it makes the car even more of a handful. May be you should get someone independent to try the car. If you do go the s/s route, the Porsche system would probably be the sensible choice in terms of protecting the warranty and re-sale value.

I would suggest that you ask to borrow their demo car and drive that and your one back-to-back down the same road and compare. If they feel the same, then you'll know that the there is nothing wrong with the car. Since you have taken it back, I guess they must have checked the tyre pressures. It depends on what you have been driving previously and what you are comparing it to. The car should be stable at 70 without issue, and this gets better as you go faster, at 130-150 it should feel pretty secure (under test conditions, where permitted, etc.). The issues you have are that ruts in the road (from lorries) can pull the car around due to the low profile wide tyres, the best thing is not to fight it; the car will generally go pretty straight. This is particularly noticeable under braking when it can pull to one side quite hard and you need to be on your toes and read the road. With a the rear engined layout, the car is intrinsically less stable with side winds than if it were front engined, but this is not normally a problem and has not caused me modify my speed at any time. On lumpy roads the car will bob around a bit, since less than 40% of the weight is over the front wheels, compared to 60% for a typical ront engined car. This gives good steering feel, but initially can make it feel like the front is little light if you are not used to it. At high speed on lumpy roads, bends will make it hop around and fitting lower, harder suspension will make this worse. It is more important than with other cars to get the car settled before the corner, approaching at the correct speed, then drive through the corner keeping the speed constant, then accelerate as you straighten the wheel, flooring it once straight. This should give a pretty neutral balance through the corner with good traction out of it. Braking into the corner, changing gear, or accelerating at the wrong point can all make it feel a little nervous. Perhaps you know all this already, but it depends on what car you have come from. When I got my C4S, I thought it felt a little strange for the first few weeks (having come from front engined cars). But I now love the handling. Compare it with another car to set your mind at rest, since if you have doubts you will never gain confidence.

Thanks for the advice. Anyone recommend a good independent that I can take it to for a 2nd opinion ? I live in Norfolk, but am prepared to travel to get it checked over. btw I previously drove a TVR T350C which was much easier to drive fast on bumpy roads; this is what makes me think there might be something wrong with my 911! Or is it the move from front engined to rear engined and softer suspension ? Have also noticed that the ABS cuts in a lot even at higher (40ish) speeds - is this normal ?