motobri

Still learning about these. Looking at a couple of each. Pros and cons between the 2?

Aivar88

i dont have much experience but my bet would go for S2 as a DD and 951 for a track car . cant go wrong neither of those, 951 can dd too and s2 can do tracks as well.. specially if u turbo it

GPA951s

Depends on what you want to do with it.. The Turbo will allow you more mods from stock. Lets say E-Z power... but the reliability will top out between 300 and 340 RWHP which is not bad. You can certainly get more out of it but then you create other issues.. and $$$$$ If you're looking to just cruise around on a nice day, goto an occasional track day… S2.

MAGK944

951and944S

It does depend...., but I'm on the opposite side of the fence.

If it's all street/road driving, I'd go with the 944T, track, S2 all the way.

1) dedicated street car, you don't have the opportunity to stay at wide open throttle but for short intervals anyway, so even if you go the 350 rwhp route, the strain on the drivetrain would be way less duty cycle, periods of time to cool in between, etc.
2) when you do encounter a problem in between sessions at track, the Turbo is harder to work on, more complicated and you are basically hovering over an inferno.

Both in stock engine configurations, it only takes 1-200lbs off the S2 to equal the 944T in power/weight anyway, whether on the street or track.
A set of cams and a header and the S2 equals the 944T anywhere.

T

mudbuddha

Both are good tools...if you like turbo/boost and mods then i'd go with 951 route. I had 5 951s in all and daily a couple of them back in the days so no issues there. I have driven S2s before but something about the lack of boost left me wanting more. Both if maintained well are nice handling cars for the street or track with decent reliability. But like any cars, lack of maintenance, belts/hoses/h20 pump, clutch job etc.. and such, can add up to $$$ quickly if you don't wrench some of it yourself. At the end of the day, it's what you want to see yourself in and get the best one available that will checks most boxes. It's nice to have options.

motobri

Thanks for the replies. Mainly would be canyon carving on the weekends, occasional track day.

JustinL

I have an S2 race car and a heavily modded 951S street car. If you must be the fastest 944 at your local track day, then the turbo will allow you to spend your way there. The S2 has less maximum potential for power, laptimes, etc. but is easier to drive and mechanically much simpler. For track only and race cars, I prioritize simplicity. For having a badass street car (that you can also take to the track some days) the more complicated 951 is quite a weapon.

Having said that, neither of my cars are driveable at the moment because they both need a LOT of work!

jhowell371

In that case my biased vote goes to the S2 for it's 3 liters of instant torque. My twisty mountain roads won't give a turbo much of a chance to spool up. When faced with the same choice after much pondering I went with the S2 for the aforementioned reasons and less heat under the hood to cook everything near the turbo. If I were 40 or 50 years younger and horsepower mad like I was then the Turbo would have been my choice with my no brain regard for reliability, ease of maintenance and usability

Financedog

If it’s a close decision, I’d go with Turbo for the resale value down the road. Turbos seem to carry a bit of a premium in the p-car world.

951and944S

Wait a minute...., I'm old compared to most of these guys on the forums but if it were 50 years ago, I'd be 4...

T

Dan Martinic

By the one in best condition

944crazy

Test drive both and buy the one you fall in love with. I originally had my heart set on getting an S2, but I took a ride in a 951 out of curiosity and instantly fell in love. I ended up buying that 951 and have been addicted to boost ever since.

ried

The S2 is easier to live with on a daily basis, and the 1991 model year has a one year only spoiler in the back. Great cars. The Turbo is more finicky / fragile and lacks torque at low RPMs, but is a real kick in the pants when boost sets in. Even more so for the 1988 Turbo S and 1989 Turbo.

Having owned both, I think Dan provided great advice. Buy the best example you can, regardless of which, and enjoy it.

Dan Shea

S2 = Short and twisty
951 = long sweepers.

Having owned a few big turbo cars, driven 951s, and own an S2, I think the choice comes down to where/how you drive. The instant torque from ~2,000 rpm in the S2 is really fun when your off/on the throttle a lot, like mountain twisties. What it lacks is the torque surge that pushes you harder and harder into your seat as it climbs the revs. More or less is pretty uneventful when flat out so you don't feel like it's all that fast, and honestly vs modern cars it really isn't. But the throttle response and instant torque is really fun in part throttle/ on-off throttle driving, that's when the car feels fast. I will also throw in that you can have a lot of fun within the posted limits because you can stay under 4K rpm.

Old big turbos, 951, need those RPMS to make power, so it feels slow when you mash the gas at 2,000 rpm. It bogs a little, then it's a rush of building and building torque that pins you to your seat. It's like the old dragster joke; tape $100 bill to the dash and you won't be able to grab it because you're stuck to your seat. My problem with that is it's addicting, and after a 3rd-4th gear run out, you're well into triple digits and headed to jail. Both cars handle the same, it's all about the power delivery. If I lived in fly-over country, I'd have a big turbo. I am actually in the market for one now, just to have a different experience when driving.