Blue S2

Ok guys...hahaha dont let this leak to the other boards...

I got to drive a late 80s 911 today! I have a friend who bought one. You know what...its fun and all...but it doesnt even hold a candle to our 944s! 83 on up! Ive been around them, and have even been considering an 88 turbo...but never drove one yet... WHOA! It has that great german sports car heaviness to it...it really feels like a tank! (and fast one at that...) You know you are in a solid machine made to perform...but... just everything about it seemed to lack compared to the 944! I still love them, but Porsche knew what they were doing with the 928 as a "replacement" model.

Not trying to say they arent great! They are awesome, but...makes me wonder how people could possibly consider the 944 the lesser car in comparison! It just isnt so in any aspect! It seems the 944 is in a whole league above those 911s. It even seems made better. (and his car is a really nice example too...) All this is IMO though. Now a modern 911...thats a different story! Speed Yellow C4S please...

Mongo

wait till you get your mits on an '02 GT2 Then you become just plain obsessed

Mongo

a '91 has no where near a stiff clutch as the 996 GT2 though, you literally break your foot just pushing down on it!

hoffman912

try driving an early model.. uber light.. get one with a 3.0 put in it, and you'll change your mind.

Eyal 951

um, the GT2 clutch isnt that stiff... its decent... I don't like the clutch feelings of any 911's though... i dont like the shifters of any of them like i do of the 944.... theres little things like that, the whole seating position in the 944 is superior... otherwise, i dont have real seat time in a 911 besdies a couple jaunts, so I can't gove a true opinion.
~Eyal

slowazzporsche

I owned a '74 911s targa euro-model for a few years and I loved the car. As far as looks go IMHO the 944 doesn't hold a candle, maybe a nice 951 with a few upgrades but the timeless beauty of the cars is awesome. I disliked the fact that they are near impossible to work on, and any work being done means an engine drop. You definately have to have a few bucks to drop into it, I put $2000 into it in one spring from bringing it out of storage and it could've used another $2000 more. A poor rebuild by a top company in Vancouver led to the dreaded head stud problem and I drove it til it died, laid it to rest in the backyard and parted it out. I didn't have the time, or the money in the near future to fix it and I needed a winter car as all my winter car funds were used to fix this thing, so I sold the shell and took a loss actually. I'd love to own one again when I'm older.. and more financially stable, getting into a 944 they definately have a superior interior, more ergonomic, their backseat is smaller, they have more storage room, easy to work on, and almost as much fun to drive. The 944 is a more "practical" porsche. If there is such a thing

hacker-pschorr

I drove a friends 1989 911 right after I bought my 944S back in 96. 1st impression it felt like a well built VW Golf. Same seating position, shifter, steering feel etc.... Now some would take this as a negative comment - I don't see it that way since the Golf is one of the best pocket rockets ever made, but the 944/928 feels more like a sports car to me.

tifosiman

I think it's all in what you are accustomed to. I think if you owned a 911, then test-drove a 944, you'd make the same comments.

Luis de Prat

911s are great cars. Just too expensive to buy compared to what I get from a 951.

slowazzporsche

they have much more responsive steering and 1/3 the roll my 944 has, but I will agree, the interior is very archaic.. but you can't replace the sound of a low-restriction borla/header set-up on a 2.7-3.2L air-cooled!

Blue S2

Yeah, no arguing they look great, and i love the widebody cars! One thing, maybe was something going bad, but the shifter didnt feel nearly as precise either. That's something that bothers me in a car. I dont want guesswork in my gears! Especially if im going fast!

AndyK

Hey Gelefsky--Chime in here--you had both...thoughts?

slowazzporsche

the shifter had such a long throw!!! and the damn shifter is too short for those of us who like to sit right back and lean the seat back a bit, the car had more torque hands down and the chick factor is a bonus, but the 911 guys weren't nearly as friendly as you bunch are!

Marc Gelefsky

The older 911 is a much harder car to master, the flat 6 sound.. built like a tank.
For whatever reason despite the 951 being a better handling car I always feel more secure in the 911.

That said, They are both great Porsches, I think any 911 owner that spends time with a 944 would apprceiate the car. I REALLY miss my 951!
Older 911's are not for everyone.

Just my thoughts..

CJF

These are the closest I get to a 911. The acceleration is excellent and the cornering is surprisingly accurate.