J1NX3D

Shared track days with a forum mates stock one. It was a beast in stock form. More so now it is modified.

dmjames

Honestly, it feels like the 944 probably wasn't the right car for you in the first place... On a somewhat similar note, I bought an 85.5 NA back around 2006 to replace the 951 I had before that. I couldn't find a suitable turbo in the area and time in which I was looking for one, and sort of 'settled' for the NA. Since it wasn't really the car I wanted at the time, I was never actually happy with it, and ended up selling it less than a year later.

It seems like you actually wanted a Cayman, but decided the 944 would be close for the time being, and that's (IMHO) a recipe for frustration and disappointment in the medium/long term. 944s pretty much *have* to be the car you have because you love them period, otherwise the quirks and pitfalls will just add up until you can't stand the thing.

And if you're genuinely trying to save up for something newer and fancier, do yourself a favor- sell the 944, and if you're making payments on something else as your 'other' car, sell it too, and buy something functional and economical (think Civic, Scion, etc.) and bank the rest. A 944 will eat you out of house and home if you're not careful, and you'd sure as hell better enjoy having it around in the process.

Sounds like you need to take a step back and really seriously re-evaluate what you actually want. Maybe the 944 is it, but be sure.

Humboldtgrin

That's funny because I was thinking the BRZ was close to a 911 knock off look as well.

924srr27l

A Beast ?


Really.........I'm baffled ! It must be me then......The one I drove just felt like a typical numb jap thing that's likes revvs, sounds like a hairdryer and has about as much mechanical feeling as a mobile phone !


I had one of those Rare NSX Honda's in my work the other month, nice slinky looking low lines etc.. but the interior switchgear, the feel of the gearshift, and controls, and worst the noise of what is a v6 3.0 was just like an electric toothbrush Yuk!



R

J1NX3D

My stepdad used to swap his 964 with his friends NSX on road trips together (you would call it driving B roads). He found the NSX handled brilliantly but overall the experience for him was numb as there was no challenge to driving it.

My friend with the GT86 used to clean us all up in his Integra Type-R much to the disdain of the R32, R33 and R34 GTS-T crowd. Like you he came from a carting background and is an excellent driver. He really makes his GT86 dance.

J1NX3D

Found a few pics from a few years ago. His friends car with the gopro had modified suspension better tyres so was a lot quicker than him.

black944 turbo

Have you thought about an S2000, they are an absolutely blast to drive and seem to be going up in value? I would love to have one along with my 951, however I would not sell my car to buy one. They are not nearly as refined or forgiving as the 944 cars are.

odonnell

My family has owned nothing but Hondas and one Toyota since the 80s (then I bought a 944...whoops) and I agree that they all had the same "feel." Civics, Accord, Odyssey, Pilot, Camry wagon, and I recently bought a 4Runner. All have a quality I can't put my finger on. My buddy's Subaru has it as well, and most Japanese cars I've driven over the years have it. Sort of a refined and smooth nature, but you can tell it was engineered with different goals in mind. The German cars are also refined, but just have a different nature and you can feel it when you operate the controls and drive the car. Different engineering mentalities.

924srr27l

That Racetrack looks good...


I used to have / own and like the Jap stuff but after the firs of ten Porsche so much of it all feels & drives like a Nissan Micra...


I can't knock the way the engines are designed and built and are reliable, but they just feel too clinical and buzzy...


My daily drive (Ford Focus) has a Yamaha designed (Zetec) 1.8 Twin cam motor and after 4000rpm sure it's keen to rev, but under it lacks any torque..


I've never "got" the whole skyline / Civic Type R thing so many of these cars here in the Uk are just hangin with spoilers whoosh sounds and carbon fast & furious bonnet's etc...


Slammed with huge rims and rubber band tyres etc...


R

J1NX3D

It's a great track, now renamed for Bruce Mclaren himself.
http://www.brucemclarenmotorsportpark.com/

He had none of that flash, he was only fast. The only cars faster than him were usually straight out racecars.

V6 VP Commodore 01:50.16
V8 VK Commodore 01:50.92
Type R Integra 01:53.04
Lotus Elise 01:53.48

Arominus

Its running joke by now. I doubt they will honestly, they've had plenty of time and Toyota calls the shots on the platform since they paid for it.

mj951

Not just you. I like the styling of the BRZ but have never driven one. They remind me of the '94 Honda Prelude I owned prior to my '89 951 and the difference was night and day. The VTec (with older body style) was a fun car to drive and had a very nice sport leather interior but had an extremely light handling feel. Sporty and quick, 200+ hp but very light.
There is no substitute!

I say keep the 944, upgrade to a turbo or find a Cayman.

Humboldtgrin

That "feeling" that I noticed on the Japenese cars is the torque steering on the FWD cars. The NSX is in a league of its own. Because the 924/44/68 and pretty much all Porsche's have a nice feedback thru the steering wheel due to RWDwhich makes it seems to be easier to control. That's what I noticed the most. And the Porsche's have a better ballance. And I like the power assist steering system on my 944nd51. It gives great feedback and is easier to correct the steering wheel coming out of an oversteer situation. And the Japanese engines use small cylinders from what Porsche uses. Subaru came close but really just took a VW engine flat boxer 4 idea and made one on steroids and crack. But most of them are AWD or FWD and don't feel like a RWD light weight sports car that isn't plastic. I'm sure the older BMW's felt similar to the 944 driving "feel". Or an older Audi.

thomasmryan

read the Subaru 'brz, would you buy it again' threads on any Subaru forum. its 50/50.

I have had one of those triangle below the canal (Tribeca) subarus with the variable lift H6 3.0 motor for 8 years now. smooth as silk and silent less some tick from the mechanical lifters. it needs some 'drop the motor' lovin' to do the water pump and valve adjustment. 59 fasteners secure the front cover. that's a 5 and a 9.

odonnell

Working on subies has been love/hate for me. A lot of the parts are the same across many models and many years so you can pretty much build them like legos. But at the same time, some of the work (like for example, changing spark plugs) is annoying because of access. But compared to most modern cars I'll take a subie any day. Oh, and huge aftermarket and active development for enthusiast owners.