STUARTQ

I have a dilema!

I've been searching for a Manual C2 that I want to heavily modify.

Favourite Colours. GP White, Forest green, Petrol Blue, Black, Amethyst.

I thought I had found the perfect car, Amazon green, not on my list, but very nice. A 1994 car 95k. But alas, it was not what it seemed and was over priced for what it was and the dealer was not prepared to come down enough to make it a worthwhile purchase.

So, I found another one.

GP White, in for a PPI as I type. a 1994 car, 125,000 miles, but thats not such an issue. Priced at what I believe to be the higher end of the market, still may need a new clutch and looks like it has an oil leak.
Now, if the dealer is prepared to do a deal, this looks like the car for me.

However, Forest Green is IMO one of the nicest colours I've seen a 964 in, and during a search today, I happened across one for sale, with a dark tan leather trim, my favourite combination.

The dilema.

It's a C4, a 1990, 95,000 miles, but it's $10,000 less than the C2.

$10,000 could resolve a lot of issues to make it a good car and I reckon the C2 will need close to that anyway.

So, what would you go for?

vagluv

i saw that car the other day. ive never seen that interior in anything else. looks really nice! not so sure about the dealer, but they do have good feedback.

as far as c4 vs c2, i can really only comment that i love my c4. from what ive heard its much more predictable than the 2wd that can get squirrely at times. especially if youre planning to modify and make more power.

greg1990964

I am C2 guy, But that being said I have never driven C4. I guess it is what you plan to do with it. For just street use, why not the C4 if ten grand cheeper and the color you really want. I hear the 4 wheel drive system is pretty bullet proof..

Laker

I figured if my first Porsche was a C2, it wouldn't be long before I ended up in a ditch or worse. YMMV

STUARTQ

I had a 2004 996 C4 and have to say it was a fantastic car and things I did in that car on fast cross country european roads would get me banned for life if the authorities knew about it.

A 964 is a different kettle of fish I would guess. I have driven a number of 964's but honestly, never in anger and I couldn't tell you if they were 2's or 4's.

I've heard the C2 is a bit livelier, nimble and easier to set up than the C4 for suspension and tuning and of course it's quite a few kilos lighter than the C4.

i'm still not sure, Forest green, very nice colour!!!!!!!

peterC2S

I had a 993 in that combo - forest green with tan interior - absolutely loved the combo and would love a 964 with that spec. I'm a C4 fan, current is a 92 but my first was a 90 - brilliant for daily driving and great on track also once the understeer is dialed out with suspension settings. However a few more issues with the pre 91 cars to check.

When you say - 'heavily modify' what are you looking to do as that may influence the C2/C4 choice.

STUARTQ

Originally, an RS rep, possibly to 3.8 spec.

I live in a place surrounded by mountain passes, twisty roads, the Route Napolean, Stelvio, St Bernadino pass, the Alps and Jura mountains are between 15 and 60 minutes away etc etc and thats where I really want to enjoy the car, so fast road use and occasional track days, hill climbs that sort of thing.

bolt

Hi Stuart, I had the same dilemma last year. I thought I wanted a C2 because is was more 'traditional and pure'. After looking a long time, I ended up finding a C4 in great condition at a fair price. I bought the C4 and never looked back. I live in the USA in Oregon. We have wet winters and a lot of twisty mountain roads. Last winter, we had a lot of frozen slippery conditions in the mountains, and I was SO HAPPY with the C4. It gave me much more confidence while I was sliding around. :-) In Switzerland, you probably have a lot of the same conditions.

After a lot of reading, I'm not worried about reliability. After a lot of driving, I find the handling to be great on the twisty highways even when I'm pushing it. After all of the talk of under-steer I read about, I am happy to say, my car feels very light in the corners the harder I push it. I will still probably do the recommended modifications to see if I can make it handle even better, but I have no complaints at all. I really have grown to appreciate this technology as leading edge for the time period.

All these cars are great, and I love the C4, but also believe that you should just buy the best example of whatever you find. Good luck and have fun with whatever you end up with!!!

peterC2S

Based on that I would say that a well set up C4 would do the job nicely and as Bolt says, you will appreciate it in slightly less perfect weather.

One of the few mods that is frustratingly more difficult on a C4 is getting a short shift kit to fit.

sml

C4 is way better than a C2.

Due to extra grip, C4 will be faster on:
(a) street
(b) dry tight slow tracks
(c) wet fast tracks

Due to 100kg lower weight, the C2 will be faster on:
(a) dry fast tracks

There is no clunky AWD feeling with the C4 .. just feels strong & grippy & solid & stable & fast.

The SUV original 964 suspension is crap hence the C4 understeer stories. Easily resolved with decent springs.

ras62

In your not so humble opinion of course!

The C4 car being faster in the wet would be down to driver and tyres far more than a traction advantage as grip levels still favor the C2 due to there being less weight.

The C2 is a quicker and more nimble car and certainly a better base for RS modifications. All imho of course

Andy Roe

I've had both and they're very similar to drive. The C4 does feel a bit heavier, but not that you'd really notice it. If you really want the "911" driving experience, then probably go with the C2, although based on where you're living, you might want to go for the C4 if you're planning on using the car all year round.

Both can be made to be great drivers cars, but in really bad conditions the C4 will probably always be the easier car to drive quickly, although not necessarily the quickest.

In the end, it's a decision only you can make!

mf_rsr

In standard guise dont the C4 and C2 have the same 0-60 time? For me this is a question of driving style and budget. If you want to enjoy the stilvio by hanging the back out round the hairpins then the C2 would be more fun...especially in fire breathing 3.8 LWF mode...

LM964

I too was initially undecided re C2 or C4. On my second C4 now and have never looked back. There is absolutely no difference to 'feel' under normal driving conditions. However, when things 'go wrong' (changing conditions or urgent direction changes) I know what I'd rather be in. I've tracked my previous C4 plenty and it's a hoot.

I've had a total geo spec and suspension change and it's transformed the car and no doubt handles better than the average C2. I can floor it out of the twisty bits earlier and the drive split means no twitchiness. For fast track the only driving style change needed is when late braking and turn in - tricky to perfect with different approach to r/w drive and PDAS doing its stuff and is not something I've got good at so far.

Born with larger 4-pot rear calipers (larger pad area), larger master cylinder and that awesome hi-pres brake boost system, it brakes better than most of today's cars on any given day! The 4-wheel system is bullet proof (just more CV boots to keep an eye on). Remember, the 4-wheel drive was derived more closely from the single 961 Le Mans entry (with an 80/20 split) in '86/'87 then the earlier 959 (with equal split).

Once you've done the typical mods of RS clutch/flywheel, RS engine mounts, remap and strut/coil changes it's yours to throw around with a high level of confidence (that I don't even get from rallying over the years...)

HTH

STUARTQ

Thanks guys, a few things to consider with your answers.

I don't really intend to use it in the rain, sleet or snow, it's really a spring, summer, autumn car, not for everyday use.

I've made an offer on the C2, but we will see if they will accept it.

I'll keep you posted.