964 vs. 996 driving experience
12-14-2005, 06:58 PM
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Burning Brakes
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964 vs. 996 driving experience
Hi all,
Just got back from Charlotte after having driven my new (to me) C4S down from Philly to Charlotte, where it is currently in a lot waiting to be picked up by a semi and brought home.
I drove 550 miles in 10 hours in the C4S, in the clear, rain, and light snow. This morning, got the 964 out for a drive first thing, so the comparison would be fresh in my mind. One of our favorite topics is the 964 vs 993, or 964 vs. 996, and this is my first chance to contribute to the discussion. I've heard a lot of people say that they've tried the 996 and didn't like it, went back to air cooled, so I wasn't sure what to expect.
Well, in a nutshell, the 996 drove fantastic. It is a VERY different driving experience, more polished no doubt, but there's still a rawness to the car that keeps it fresh.
Looks: I love the 964, I think it's the best looking of the air cooled cars. The C4S is spectacular, easily the best looking 996 varient. Wide hips and the turbo front, the car makes a statement. It's gorgeous.
Power: The 996 is fast - I didn't have a chance to really wring it out, but clearly the potential is there. On the other hand, I think the 964 is plenty fast enough, and it's so damn loud that you feel like you're going 30% faster anyway. Speed is obviously only part of the equation, or we'd all be ordering Z06's, right?
Handling: Again, most of the drive was on Highway 95, not much chance to realy go for it, but the times I did the C4S felt extremely sure footed. Then again, I'm so comfortable with the 964 in corners, I take 25MPH bends at 60. I love the 964 handling too, but the C4S certainly inspires confidence.
Steering: Here's the suprise of the trip - the C4S steering was absolutely awesome, a revelation. Razor sharp, no play in the wheel at all, perfect effort, absolutely amazing. And the turning radius is great - the 964 U-turns like a Chevy Silverado. I always thought the 964 was nicely weighted, but the C4S was phenomenal.
Interior: I won't delve into the discussion the merits of one interior over the other, but suffice it to say, the way this car is optioned, it's a great place to be. Leather dash, aluminum kit, supple leather, suede headliner, it's like being in a learjet cockpit. I can't comment on the build quality - my 964 interior is spotless, and looks like it's about 2 years old on a 12 year old car. I just don't know if they'll hold up the same, but we'll give it a go.
Sound: The sound of the 964 is my favorite part, and with the top down redlining in third gear, just heaven. The C4S is MUCH quieter (I gotta fix that pronto), but when you start it up it has more of a bark then I expected, and still has great sound. Much quieter, though.
Intangibles: I bought the C4S because I wanted a P-car I could drive more than a day a week, and on that count, it's a winner. I can take the kids to school, visit clients on hot days, and crank the tunes. It also attracts a LOT more attention - I wasn't exactly prepared for that, but in two of the three fillups, I had people gawking at the car. The 964 is pretty anonymous on that count.
So, my love for the 964 is undimished and unchallenged, as long as the temp is perfect and the top is down. The 996 should give me many more miles (I've only put on 10,000 miles on the 964 in over 3 years!) of P-car fun, so I guess it's a win win.
Thanks for listening!
(and here's a pic of me taking the car from the PO - I'm the tall guy)
Just got back from Charlotte after having driven my new (to me) C4S down from Philly to Charlotte, where it is currently in a lot waiting to be picked up by a semi and brought home.
I drove 550 miles in 10 hours in the C4S, in the clear, rain, and light snow. This morning, got the 964 out for a drive first thing, so the comparison would be fresh in my mind. One of our favorite topics is the 964 vs 993, or 964 vs. 996, and this is my first chance to contribute to the discussion. I've heard a lot of people say that they've tried the 996 and didn't like it, went back to air cooled, so I wasn't sure what to expect.
Well, in a nutshell, the 996 drove fantastic. It is a VERY different driving experience, more polished no doubt, but there's still a rawness to the car that keeps it fresh.
Looks: I love the 964, I think it's the best looking of the air cooled cars. The C4S is spectacular, easily the best looking 996 varient. Wide hips and the turbo front, the car makes a statement. It's gorgeous.
Power: The 996 is fast - I didn't have a chance to really wring it out, but clearly the potential is there. On the other hand, I think the 964 is plenty fast enough, and it's so damn loud that you feel like you're going 30% faster anyway. Speed is obviously only part of the equation, or we'd all be ordering Z06's, right?
Handling: Again, most of the drive was on Highway 95, not much chance to realy go for it, but the times I did the C4S felt extremely sure footed. Then again, I'm so comfortable with the 964 in corners, I take 25MPH bends at 60. I love the 964 handling too, but the C4S certainly inspires confidence.
Steering: Here's the suprise of the trip - the C4S steering was absolutely awesome, a revelation. Razor sharp, no play in the wheel at all, perfect effort, absolutely amazing. And the turning radius is great - the 964 U-turns like a Chevy Silverado. I always thought the 964 was nicely weighted, but the C4S was phenomenal.
Interior: I won't delve into the discussion the merits of one interior over the other, but suffice it to say, the way this car is optioned, it's a great place to be. Leather dash, aluminum kit, supple leather, suede headliner, it's like being in a learjet cockpit. I can't comment on the build quality - my 964 interior is spotless, and looks like it's about 2 years old on a 12 year old car. I just don't know if they'll hold up the same, but we'll give it a go.
Sound: The sound of the 964 is my favorite part, and with the top down redlining in third gear, just heaven. The C4S is MUCH quieter (I gotta fix that pronto), but when you start it up it has more of a bark then I expected, and still has great sound. Much quieter, though.
Intangibles: I bought the C4S because I wanted a P-car I could drive more than a day a week, and on that count, it's a winner. I can take the kids to school, visit clients on hot days, and crank the tunes. It also attracts a LOT more attention - I wasn't exactly prepared for that, but in two of the three fillups, I had people gawking at the car. The 964 is pretty anonymous on that count.
So, my love for the 964 is undimished and unchallenged, as long as the temp is perfect and the top is down. The 996 should give me many more miles (I've only put on 10,000 miles on the 964 in over 3 years!) of P-car fun, so I guess it's a win win.
Thanks for listening!
(and here's a pic of me taking the car from the PO - I'm the tall guy)
12-14-2005, 10:43 PM
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Congratulations!! Those two cars you have are worlds apart as Porsche's MO has changed. I dont have any seat time in the 996, but I do have some now in my wifes Boxster. I will say the Boxster is very well manored, tidy and has pretty good feel.
Show us some more pics!!!
Show us some more pics!!!
12-14-2005, 10:55 PM
#7
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Congrats Rick. You're right; that turbo front bumper makes a huge difference and combined with the revamped headlights adds up to a great looking 996. More pics when you get a chance please.
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12-14-2005, 11:41 PM
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Burning Brakes
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Thanks, guys. I'll post more pics as soon as I get it in from the shipper and get it cleaned up. I'll do some side by sides too - the differences will be pretty pronounced.
I did the same thing with BMW's a few years back, same colors too - I had a 535i 5-speed (Canadian car, cloth seats, black dash, sweet) that I loved, but got a big promotion and thought I was Mr. Big Stuff, so I bought a 2001 540i 6-speed. Held on to the 535 for a while, would drive it to work every so often. I loved the power of the 540, and it was a sweet ride, but I was always nostalgiac for the 535.
One day heading to lunch with my buddy driving the 535i, a 16 year old pulls out in front of me and I smash right in to him, totals my car. The insurance company gave me 8 grand for my car.
In a bit of karma, I ended up using that money to help fund the 964, so it's the circle of life, I suppose...
I did the same thing with BMW's a few years back, same colors too - I had a 535i 5-speed (Canadian car, cloth seats, black dash, sweet) that I loved, but got a big promotion and thought I was Mr. Big Stuff, so I bought a 2001 540i 6-speed. Held on to the 535 for a while, would drive it to work every so often. I loved the power of the 540, and it was a sweet ride, but I was always nostalgiac for the 535.
One day heading to lunch with my buddy driving the 535i, a 16 year old pulls out in front of me and I smash right in to him, totals my car. The insurance company gave me 8 grand for my car.
In a bit of karma, I ended up using that money to help fund the 964, so it's the circle of life, I suppose...
12-15-2005, 12:35 AM
#11
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When the new 996 came out I went and test drove a few at the local Porsche dealer. The car sucked big time... and to me those 3.4 cars still suck. Would not spend my money on them... for a lot of reasons that have been mentioned in many threads over and over again...
When they came out with the revised looks, changes to the interior, bigger engine, the C4S, etc. I had the opportunity of testing a C2 and a C4S. Wow. Those drove and felt very nice and very different to the first cars. Plus it also helped that the cars I drove were equiped with full leather, that seemed to improve the look and feel of the interior.
To me the C4S 996 is the most beautiful car of the 996 line up (TT, GT2, GT3 aside) and the only one I would own (again, TT, GT2, GT3 aside). Congratulations on your new baby. And I wish you many miles of trouble free and safe driving!!!!
When they came out with the revised looks, changes to the interior, bigger engine, the C4S, etc. I had the opportunity of testing a C2 and a C4S. Wow. Those drove and felt very nice and very different to the first cars. Plus it also helped that the cars I drove were equiped with full leather, that seemed to improve the look and feel of the interior.
To me the C4S 996 is the most beautiful car of the 996 line up (TT, GT2, GT3 aside) and the only one I would own (again, TT, GT2, GT3 aside). Congratulations on your new baby. And I wish you many miles of trouble free and safe driving!!!!
12-15-2005, 01:32 PM
#13
Burning Brakes
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Yeah, the interior mods make a huge difference.
Shopping around, I looked at some base 996's with flat black interiors, and it was pretty drab - dont even get me started on the gray interior. But this one, with the aluminum, leather package and even the red seat belts really works - the interior feels a match for the exterior.
I'm thinking about adding a few swanky bits to the 964 interior now, although in it's present form, it looks a lot better than the base 996.
In the new EVO magazine, (I still can't fathom how their car mags are so much better than ours) they bought a 1996 993 to use as a project car, and the guy running it says "I still can't believe that they made this interior all the way up to 1998!" Amazing.
Shopping around, I looked at some base 996's with flat black interiors, and it was pretty drab - dont even get me started on the gray interior. But this one, with the aluminum, leather package and even the red seat belts really works - the interior feels a match for the exterior.
I'm thinking about adding a few swanky bits to the 964 interior now, although in it's present form, it looks a lot better than the base 996.
In the new EVO magazine, (I still can't fathom how their car mags are so much better than ours) they bought a 1996 993 to use as a project car, and the guy running it says "I still can't believe that they made this interior all the way up to 1998!" Amazing.
12-15-2005, 02:02 PM
#14
Rick,
Last year, I spent two hours test driving a 2002 C4S in a major metropolitan area and drove it in all kinds of traffic from stop and go to full throttle runs on empty side roads to twisty ramps. That car was a hoot and even in this large city, the car still got looks. I agree, it's the best 996 variant out there and that 2+ hours really changed my opinion on the 996 model.
Good luck with the new car!
Jay
90 964
Last year, I spent two hours test driving a 2002 C4S in a major metropolitan area and drove it in all kinds of traffic from stop and go to full throttle runs on empty side roads to twisty ramps. That car was a hoot and even in this large city, the car still got looks. I agree, it's the best 996 variant out there and that 2+ hours really changed my opinion on the 996 model.
Good luck with the new car!
Jay
90 964
