tcabler

I'm just curious what the general consensus among 911/3.2 fans is of the 964? I've driven both and they are completely different cars in terms of feel, comfort, and ergonomics. They are both phenomenal driving cars, but honestly, is the 964 a wimp's version of a true 911? The 3.2 takes some real driving skill while the 964 feels like you're almost in autopilot. Too easy.

rusnak

I think it's telling that during the 964 run, Porsche was facing an identity crisis. They were trying to distill the essence of a 911 into one or two words, which they would try to incorporate into future models. To return to their roots, in other words. To regain some of the lost magic. Peter Falk is the one who came up with the word, which probably made it's way into the design brief and advertisements of the 993. The word? Agile.

tcabler

Exactly! And it's interesting how each successive model since the 3.2 has separated the driver more and more from the road, in the name of agility. The 911 has become more of a luxury touring car than a sports car.

ivangene

still wouldnt mind owning a 964 for a while, but keep the 3.2

as for the move away from sports car today I was following a new(ish) Jaguar.... talk about lost dirrection.... this afternoon I passed a beautiful old XKE or Type E or whatever from about the 60's and thought about that new car I saw in the morning...... YUP - LOST IT!

I thought what Jag needs to do is build a real sports car again...and then you bring me to the same point with Porsche - however, i have a buddy with an 11' GT3RS and that is a hell of a car......but the price tag is outta the reach for most

dhagood

i own a 3.2 carrera, and i really (i mean really) like the car. fast, outstanding brakes, wonderful steering, the sounds are lovely, and it turns people's heads where ever i go.

but the handling at the limit is horrible. the car is hard to drive on the llimit, and it is really far too much for an average driver to control when the car is pushed. you get in to a corner too deep, and, well, whoops. as a good friend says, "more speed backwards faster".

i've learned that my car is a lot faster than i am, and i drive accordingly.

the 964 tries to fix the problem, and from what i understand, mostly succeeds. but the weight went up (again). power steering. a/c that really works (which is a good thing). the 964 is a big step along the road from "sports car" to "luxury touring car".

my 911 is still a sports car, and i like that. but at 58, a luxury touring car with a flat six sound track doesn't sound too terrible. i also like the way they look.

i could own a 964 and be very happy with it.

CT Mike

Interesting reference to the jaguar e type. I did a ground up restoration of a 69 xke and drove it for several years after completion. I've also have had a couple of Alfa spiders, an 88 560 sl and have driven a number of later model 911' s in addition to owning an 88 targa now.
Both the jag and little alfas were sports cars - great feel, light weight and made you feel connected to the road. The handling geometry of the jag was predictable - old school. The 3.2 reminds me of the xke's visceral driving experience but on a much newer designed and sophisticated platform. It's not quite the same for me with later models though I like the Hp.
The original xke evolved from a sports car to tourer 1961 technology was old by the end of the run in 1974 and The 12 cylinder was actually 7" longer than the 6 cyl cars and much heavier. No matter who owns jaguar, the cars have always evolved poorly.
Kudos to Porsche, IMHO for the new cayman.

jackb911

Ditto. If I ever sell my 3.2, it will be replaced with a shiny new Cayman, the only new Porsche that is within my means that moves me.

Jay Gratton

My Uncle has a '93 964. While it is heavier it is a wonderful car. I think it is a great bang for your buck if looking to enter the 911 world. I think the 911 lost its soul when it built the 996, but then again the GT3 RS is AWESOME!!!!!!!

Adams

My response may not be appreciated, and its entirely subjective, but I just don't like the looks.

The Carrera 3.2 is super classic, the 993 is (to me) an even sexier version thereof. The 964 caught in transition; not the car's fault, but the evolutionary equivalent of the Ferrari 348, caught between the lovely 328 and the serious 355 in a bit of no-man's land.

That said, the cars are performers, and clearly have thier own following.

Ed Hughes

The handling at the limit with a 911 is most certainly not horrible, providing the car is properly maintained. Yes, it is different than many cars, and requires some skill, but with some experience, the 911 is a phenominal car to drive.

I think the primary reason so many of us got hooked on the DE bug is that it affords one the opportunity to learn to drive the car properly, and then excercise those skills.

Ruby is certainly not stock any more, and has some nice suspension modifications-albeit, nothing out of this world. Basically, stiffer t-bars and shocks valved to match. These mods can make up decades when being run with newer cars.

Try a DE or AX and learn what your car can do!

race911

Uh......by the time the torsion bar cars got to the 3.2L version they were bascially luxury barges. This outlook comes from someone who has pretty much owned each generation, starting with a '68.

Not sure where the handling comments at the limit come from. Unless the car is deficient in some way. When new, I found the 3.2L cars a little soft; but they understeered like all of them, and as the car transitioned to neutral (or oversteer) it was pretty easy to control. Merely aligning it, installing 225 front tires and an larger (and adjustable) rear stabilizer gets you 80% of where you want to go. (There was a plethora of these limited prep SC/Carreras on the Golden Gate Time Trial scene from probably '90-'05 that were impressively fast for not spending really any money on modifications.)

Now moving to a 964, the engine is in the same place, but that's about it. They understeer even worse in stock form with 205 tires up front. They're really no more or less settled at the limit. When I ran equal tires the times were the same as the Spec911 torsion bar class. Sure, more torque to work the car with your right foot. My love of the 964/993 is the power steering. Was always a chore racing the RSA.

w00tPORSCHE

3.2 and 964 are very similarly priced and ideal first 911s. But they are also completely different cars. 3.2 has a more lighter, nimble feel with a more lively steering. Somehow the car feels more alert. To me the torsion bar suspension, Fuch's wheels and that talkative, writhing steering wheel did it. Even the engine bay had less plastic, wiring and plumbing compared to a 964 which attracted my attention. If you want most of the characteristics of the original 911 then go for the 3.2, if you want to stay with something that retains the basic 911 behaviour but want to work less hard while driving it then go for the 964. I started looking at classic 911s after I saw a 964 parked next to my 997 when I went to San Juan Islands last year for spring break. Within a month I bought an air-cooled 911 but it was not the 964.

Busta Rib

Having owned both, the biggest differences for me are the power steering (or lack thereof), weight, and the suspension setup. Torsion bars feel different (almost as if there is constant tension from a rubber band, if that makes any sense) under load in corners. I guess that translates into a more connected feel, but I am still having a difficult time figuring out how to describe it. I like the more nimble feel of 911s, although they are less refined than 964s. I think they are both wonderful cars to drive and own. It comes down to what you value in your vehicle when it comes to creature comforts, ride, handling, maintenance, etc.

mclaudio

I'm not sure I can provide a general consensus on the 964, but I can provide mine:

It depends on the specific 964. I had a 964 as a daily driver in the late 90s. Although not as good-looking as the 993 (or arguably the 80s 911), the 964 felt better driving-wise than the 993's and 80s 911s I drove. First, I liked the power and torque delivery of the 964 3.6 engine better than the 3.2 engine (and the 993 3.6 counterpart for that matter). WRT handling, the 964 suspension with coil springs (as opposed to torsion bars) seemed to provide more stability in less smooth road surfaces - perhaps due to less toe change through its suspension travel.

"...is the 964 a wimp's version of a true 911?..." What is a true 911 anyway? Funny, at one point, some 356 enthusiasts claimed that the 911 wasn't a true Porsche...Early 911 fans complained about the post-74 911 with impact bumpers...Air-cooled fans complaining about the water pumpers...History repeats itself.

As a Porsche enthusiast since I was less than 10 years old, I would probably own a 964 RSA or Euro RS before I would own another 3.2 911 - assuming stock setups and similar condition, of course.

whalebird

I love a 964. Doesn't get much better in my opinion.