AndyK

Reliable or not, performance figures be damned, I would rather own an old Porsche than an old Mazda--period!

Tom R.

Me too, but we are not true enthusiasts. We are just suits going through mid life crisis' trying to impress the babes that dont care.

if we had the money we would be leasing new porsches just to impress our co workers.

A true enthusiast reads the performance figures, cares about .02g, .1 in the quarter, and how loud it can legally get.

Andy, one of my co workers just bought a 05 330i. one of the gals was oohing and aahhhing the fact that he bought a bmw. I asked her if she wanted a ride in my new car. "yeah, i leased a pontiac, got it for $200 a month". "im going in his bmw" was her reply.

guess i didnt impress her.

AndyK

I think of myself as an enthusiast! Why else would I buy a 17 year old car and lovingly restore it bit by bit? Sure, I am a suit with a mid life crisis...but that's beside the point!

No, those are Enthusiast racers! Enthusiasts can also go to Concours events, and enjoy waxing and cleaning their cars

Pontiac, or BMW...hmmmm. I think I would pick the new BMW too

jasse

well, i love gripping on corners but also love spirited runs on highways to ease my mind....almost like time to myself. thanks, for the links they have helped pointed me in a more clear direction on where i want go. before i was so lost and wasnt even sure this car had aftermarket support. so is my plan do-able?

Techno Duck

The S2 is a very capable car without the turbo lag. Great handling and great brakes out of the box. Power upgrades are lacking for this car however. Some may say they are a bit more reliable than the 944 Turbo. This is a great car if you intend to get into autocross and not a bad choice for track racing either. Lots of aftermarket suspension choices to fine tune to your liking.

The Turbo has the same handling and brakes as the S2 and is plenty powerful. However they do suffer from turbo lag. You can make some serious power with these for not to much money. They also include all aftermraket suspension choices.

The S2 is a great car, but thats not to say it may have a little trouble keeping up with higher powered cars at expressway (and above) speeds. If you want something that can handle pretty well and that with some work could keep up (and embarass) those same cars, the 944 Turbo is the way to go.

I think you should really drive both before you decide. I had the opportunity to drive an S2 and loved it. The power is almost instant and its no slouch. Ive never driven a 944 Turbo, but have gotten a ride in one. You can defenetley feel the turbo lag...but once that car hits boost your in a whole different ball game. Infact when you start modifying them for more power...your entering a entirely different sport.

jasse

ohh i happened to source a 944 turbo, so i guess ill be going with that option. yeah turbo lag is a problem for most turbo cars but like you said when boost hits its a whole different feeling. thanks techno duck for the great info!!

UDPride

If I could find a tight RX7 twin turbo and had complete confidence in the prior owner and knew it wasnt going to blow an engine Id seriously consider selling the 951. Especially if it was an R1 or R2 car with the Bose tubing audio in the trunk.

But then again Im might not.

por968

hey don't forget about the 968 a step up from the s2 and very reliable, with some nice engine mods not a bad performer too.