ihoe

Hi
How will you compare the 86.5 with a S4? I know the S4 is more powerful, has better aerodynamics and so on. But since the 86.5 have the uprated suspension and brakes, do they handle very differently? Is it other changes to the S4 that you actually can feel when you drive the car compared to a 86.5?
A lot of you guys have driven both, I have just read the specs:-)

elgreco

My 86.5 feels alot lighter then my 88 s4. Cornering ability i think they are pretty equal. Power wise its not even in the same planet. My s4 (5 speed) was always alot more powerfull thru the rpm range. It felt like it got to 130 mph alot quicker and stronger.

Now that said after i did all the upgrades on the 86.5(porken chips FPR xpipe Cats delete new desing injectors, adjust cam timing to specs) the 86.5 feels amost as fast if not faster then my stock s4.

One off his days ill have one of my friends drive my 86.5 and ill run him with my s4 just to see what would hapen. Again thats my opinion based on my own cars.

depami

Personally, I prefer the 86.5 body style.

Iwanna928

If you are going to drive your S4 and have your friend drive your 86.5 that seems to say something.

So close I would think it would be down to body style and interior choice.

Can't lose either way......................it's a 928!

mickster

Pete the S4 with the 5-speed and LSD is always going to feel and be faster than the 86.5. That said-both your cars pull like trains. When am I drag racing against you to test?

mickster

I tested a lot of cars. The S4s are quieter. The later models (90-91) are heavier.

The handling feels the same as does the braking.

If I could choose an 86.5, it'd be a 5 speed with LSD. If I could choose any S4, it'd be an 89 5 speed with LSD.

elgreco

i think the s3 would be pretty close until mid way 3 thrd gear thats when the s4 comes alive


(Again porken chips etc made a huge difference)

Jerome Craig

I owned both an 86.5 and an '87 S4 at the same time and they are pretty much the same yet different in personality and temperament. My 86.5 felt lighter and quicker, but the S4 is quieter and pulls with much more authority above 85mph. My 86.5 had, stock (but new) shocks and springs, Ott Links, RMB, Autothority chips and LSD. The S4 has Eibach springs, Boge sport shocks, X-Pipe, GT muffler, no-name chips and DR sway bars. Both cars were automatics. To be fair, at the time I had the two of them the 86.5 had been my DD for 13 years and had 236K miles on it and the S4 only had 85K miles. I enjoyed having them both but for different reasons. Although I am very happy with just having the S4 these days.... there are times when I wish I still had the 86.5 - it felt absolutely indestructible!

ihoe

Thanks for your opinions:-)