Damian in NJ

With a couple of posts about people getting their rear windows replaced on their coupes, does anyone know the difference in the center of gravity between coupes vs cabs? I know the cabs have a weight disadvantage vs the coupes, but there's an awful large mass o' glass sitting on a coupe where there is blue sky on a cab.

FRporscheman

I don't know exactly where but it's definitely lower. And for cabs that still have the ballasts, the front/rear location of the COM is about the same as the coupe.

Rich Sandor

However much lower the CofG is on a cab, it doesn't make up for the wet-noodle-chassis caused by not having a roof. I'm not knocking the cabs, I love em, but no way in hell a cab has any performance edge over a coupe.

FRporscheman

+1 but let me say the coupe performs better, but most chicks like cabs way more.

Damian in NJ

Drive my car and then tell me about wet noodle-I went from a coupe to a cab, and with my mods it's narrowed the gap a lot.

Rich Sandor

Damian, do you track your cabriolet?

Damian in NJ

For this car 'track bad, wax good.' Had a track car (951) never got time to use it. I wouldn't get a 968 cab track car, I'd go all out for a Caterham type thingy for that.

ltc

Slightly OT, but I found several references to Porsche going with the heavy 2 piece Speedline OEM wheels on the 993 Targas to help offset the change in COG due to the glass Targa top.
I have no idea if it is true or not.

RajDatta

LOL put, couldn't agree more.
Raj

Rich Sandor

In my experience, you can feel the Cabs flexing under heavy cornering. No doubt your car handles better with the upgrades, but under hard cornering, all cabs are wet-noodles compared to a coupe. Just take the doors off the body and see what's left of the frame on a cab vs a coupe.

Damian in NJ

I've owned both, and I'm sure the difference on the track is much more pronounced than on the street. Remember, at the time the conversion on the 968 was lauded as maybe the best that had been done to prevent flex. Even modern Saab convertibles are much worse that my 13 year old Porsche.

Luis de Prat

About 140 lbs worth of structural reinforcements.

I love da wet noodles! Especially on boost with the wind in my hair...

Luis de Prat

Not that this pinpoints the COG but to add to the discussion, from the 924/944 & 968 Collector Guide, by Michael Cotton (MRP Publishing, 1990):

"Steve Kevlin, the 1989 Porsche Club GB racing champion, made a piece of history in 1990 with a 944S2 Cabriolet. An engineer with Porsche Cars Great Britain, Kevlin reckoned that the low-down weight of the Cabriolet would be to his advantage. The car was pictured at the BRSCC Racing Car Show, Olympia, in January 1990."

FRporscheman

Modern Saab convertibles are much worse than 13 year old anything.

A roll bar would help a lot. It wouldn't close the gap but it would help a lot.

Damian in NJ

How is a roll bar going to help-a cage yes, but not a roll bar.