AWD performance characteristics in the C4
 

Having owned a C2 and really getting used to the handling the car had to offer, moving up to the C4 i'm not really sure what to expect. How much of a noticable difference is the feel of the car(especially in an autocross situation)?? AWD cars are also known to be stoplight warriors but I can't imagine these are the dump-the-clutch at 5K RPM kind of cars... I guess i'm just trying to get an idea of what kind of feel to expect(aggressive understeer/Great grip on acceleration?)

Thanks for any input!

Rob

Understeer, with a capital U.

what can be done to correct that?? The car i'm picking up currently has h&r's, bilstein's and an adjustable front sway bar along with pilot cup sports.. I'm sure the tires would help but those wont be on the car long(they're on the D90s)

Put larger tires up front - 225's
Change the rear sway bar to a 21 or 22mm
Lower it to ROW settings
Change to 17" wheels and lower the rear pressure to 36psi

would 18s compromise the handling of the car??

I don't know. I do know that 18's are not officially supported on 964's. Folks run them, but Porsche never qualified them. It's a bit of a debate as to whether it's wise to run them on a 964.

Well, if you have a stock C4, that will likely be the case. Relatively speaking a stock C2 can be an understeering pig as well.

If you set it up properly, and learn how to drive it properly, it is a fantastic handling car. It is definitely different than a rear wheel drive car which is what I enjoy. I've raced my C4 for two years, and absolutely love it. It oversteers quite readily and predictably which is why I like it. I have another C4 that I drive on the street which is also a fantastic handling car.

There are numerous threads in this forum that discuss the handling characteristics of the C4 and how to influence them via setup and/or driving style.

I found the 225s up front and a strut brace up front made all the difference in the world.

All the set up stuff mentioned and sort the 4 wheel alignment. Start with the RS setup and move from there.
I guess you have tried a test drive ?C2 and C4 are different . I preffered the C4 !

Geoff

Are you saying to run 225 50 16 up front? Do I use the stock 16" front rims on the front with these larger tires? If I do that, the profile of the front and rear will be different since the front rim is narrower?

Or, are you talking about 17" rims where a 245 would be used in the rear and a 225 in front?

Thanks!

You need 17" wheels

225/45 at the front -- See if the car has the steering stops upgraded to 10MM to prevent rubbing or put 5MM spacers

255/40 at the rear

I was waiting for you to reply Garrett. Spot on advice as always. ;-)

Yes. Whenever this topic arises, I wait for Garrett's entrance. :-) I'm almost persuaded. Persuaded to have both. It would be fun to debate myself. In private.

Noah

You may also want to check these articles out...

http://www.porsche964.co.uk/rev_rep/excellence.htm

I believe many Rennlister have used it as a resource.