POST 1 / ORIGINAL POSTEROriginal post
I am looking for a 02-05 996. Why are there so many C4's out there? Can anyone comment on good vs bad? How reliable is 4 wheel drive vs 2? Just sold my 86 911 cab and I am looking to upgrade. Huey
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YOUR RESEARCHC4 vs C2
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POST 2Original post
I've had my 2003 C4 cab for the past 1.5 years with no issues. Previous owner, per Porsche record had no issues with the AWD. I've autocrossed the past 2 summers and it's a fun car to drive, especially on a rainy autox day. BTW, mine is for sale if you're interested.
POST 3Original post
Porsche 4 wheel drive is very reliable and well sorted out. Much more forgiving if you start pretending your Racer X. Great on wet pavement. Steering is not as "quick " as the C2 in my opinion but that extra margin of confidence makes up for it.
POST 4Original post
Plus its a great car to drive in the snow!!!!!!!!
POST 5Original post
Drive both and see which you prefer. The cars have very different handling characteristics. The c4 can be more confidence inspiring for beginners, but seeing as you've had a 911 before maybe you would like the C2 better. The extra maintenance on the 4wd is not much, and being in Michigan it may be more practical for your weather. Pro's and cons to both, and I don't see reliability as a issue...unless you let a smog guy put your 4wd car on a 2wd dyno, then you have issues... don't know if you have smog testing in Michigan though.
POST 6Original post
If you're going to do any DE/track driving go with the C2. The C4 will go faster sooner , but you'll learn a lot more in a C2 managing the grip and balance yourself.
POST 7Original post
Huey, I'm looking to upgrade from an '86 to a 996 also. ( mainly because I'm getting old and I've almost maxed out the stock '86 on the track). My hope is that with prices for the '86s firming and the 996s a graet bargain, I can make the upgrade for less than $10K. How's it working for you.
POST 8Original post
Why do you want the AWD model? Are you driving it in the snow? The C2 has so much grip, it's just silly. In dry and in the wet too. It's also faster, simpler, and handles better. C2 provides much more predictable handling. You know exactly what it's going to do at the limit. The C4 with all it's crazy electronic differentials, not so much...
POST 9Original post
From a reliability standpoint we see roughly an equal number of failures on the C2 gearboxes versus the AWD C4 gearboxes. The problem with both of them is the 1st and 2nd gear synchros and dog teeth. However, this is not to say that the failures are chronic, but just to say that, when they happen, they happen to both gearboxes because the point of failure and the weakness is identical in both of them. The failures are not related to the center or front differentials and the AWD system. They are related to the 1st and 2nd gear design.
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