Boxster in my Future?

So, I've heard conflicting opinion on this topic: The C4 (NOT C4S) is the least desirable and "slowest" 991 one can get. That it takes the fun out of driving a rear-wheel sports car by dumbing down the liveliness of the rear end, and because of the added weight - the car is not as quick as a base C2. As mentioned - I've heard yes this is true, and no - it is not a big deal; especially if you drive the car in wet and/or snow conditions where the AWD feature IS desirable. The fact that the C4 is slower than the C2 is not debatable.... but it is fractions of a second difference at worst. I would wonder more about the quickness off the line vs the overall 0-60 times.

So - what are your thoughts on this? (I can't afford the C4S version, but I do intend to drive the car year round in northeast Ohio. Is the C4 an undesirable version of the 911?

Thanks for your opinions/advice !

Doug

shammerman

Personally I don't think that comes into play in "normal' and even very spirited road driving. On the track or driving at the edge of performance envelope yes. For most owners 95% of the time no big deal. I have always had 4 (S) versions and absolutely truly enjoyed every second never wishing not having a 4. If you are planning to drive in the winter or in cold weather the 4 is a smart way to go. Especially if you are going to mount snows and drive in the winter conditions.

Rich_Jenkins

I test drove a 991.2 C4S MT (the only MT they had) at my local Tampa dealership in 2019. According to the salesman, it "would be similar to a C2 MT due to the weight/4WD". In his mind a C4S and a C2 would be equivalent, power to weight? I am not sure about that. Although a quick drive was not sufficient really for me to confirm this, as my butt dyno is not that well calibrated, it did *feel* fairly heavy; certainly in comparison to my C2 MT I later bought. Whether a PDK would make a difference, I don't know. I'll defer to actual C4/C4S owners with more experience.

But feelings lie, so it would be instructive to go look at what the actual weights of the 4WD cars, as opposed to the 2WD, given similar outputs.

Subquestion: since unsprung weight can have a major impact on perception of "quickness" (and indeed, actual quickness) is the unsprung mass of the 4WD cars more or less than 2WD? (I don't know the answer to this.)

Interesting question.

JW911

Think of it this way. The extra weight of a 4 is roughly equivalent to having a passenger in the car with you. Does a powerful car feel sluggish when carrying a passenger? No. Can you notice the difference at all? I sure can't. Maybe if measured with a precise stop watch, but it is imperceptible.

The 4 does tame the beast a bit and make it less tail happy. But it feels planted and sure and even more so in rain and snow. Sounds like the perfect model for you. Be sure to get winter tires and then drive and enjoy!

BSO

The back end WILL NOT come around as readily on a C4S, when I did the Atlanta pick up (plus a track stint) of my C4S back in January '19, my driving coach said that we wouldn't bother with the low friction pad in the C4S we were driving, hard to break loose.

Living in an area of frequent rain, I prefer AWD, it's quite stable. The C4S may be a tick behind a C2S in acceleration, however, when I go WOT from a standing start, the car's front end rises and it's gone, no muss, no fuss, no wheel spin.

There's no right or wrong here, just personal choice.

Jack F

I was lent a c4 convertible for the weekend in 2017. The car was very quick. Probably would have ordered a C4 but allocations were slim. Ended up with 4 GTS and have not regretted it. Go drive it and decide for yourself. Don’t buy a car you dont want because you cant afford the car you want.

DBH

Car & Driver 0-60 and 1/4 mile tests show: base coupe (C2) M/T = 3.9 and 12.3, DCT = 3.3 and 11.8. base coupe 4 (C4) M/T = N/A, DCT = 3.3 and 11.8. So, slowest here is the rear wheel drive M/T. With DCT, both the rear wheel and four wheel come out the same.

911-140.6

To the OP-

FWIW, I can probably give you a real world answer regarding if the 991.1 C4 is undesirable or not.

My 2014 C4 blows me away every single time I drive it . Its definitely not slow , ( I also own a 981 GT4 ) and has more than enough power to give cars with 100hp more fits . The 3.4 is an angry little motor that just loves to rev and besides it's rear biased enough not to be " Audi " like as far as 60/40 or 70/30 split.

Ultimately ...hard not to love the wider hips and the ability to drive it in pouring rain or snow. A PDK one is the way to go imho.

asellus

For a practical car? C4, no questions asked. A smidge more forgiving at the limits. I live in a northern state and drive year round, and I also like to be able to put down all the power with the wheels turned when it's dry.

For something competitive? Sure, C2, if I have to be in a 911.

As said above, in the probably 100% of driving anyone reading this does, there is no practical difference in performance or handling between the C2 and C4. Once you start pushing it the differences become clear, but since most of the owners on RL get no closer to autosports than stoplight racing or doing 60 in a 40 mph backroad, the C4 will be the better option.

Unless you're asking about desirability in terms of which one carries the most clout, in which case I have no idea. Probably the one with the longer badge?

As far as off-the-line quickness, the C4 wins. More traction, more hook, more launch. 60 foot times are almost always completely dominated by AWD, with the back half being won by the more efficient 2WD drivetrains. As you said though, we're talking fractions of a second. Things that just won't come up unless you're doing some real precise dick measuring in a parking lot.

Bud Taylor

The awd makes sense. For warmer states another consideration is the sunroof factor (something to maintain that will fail).

ICU991812

Because you live in the NE of Ohio and you want to year-round it, then get the C4 for those days where there are snow. For anyone else not in areas that get very little or no snow, take the C2.

desmotesta

Agree pretty much with everything others have said.

I will add that Porsche "4" system is rear biased. That is, rear wheels have majority of Tq and power, and only 30% (if memory serves me right) at the Most will be sent to front wheels if needed.

I am an ex 2 wheel racer and not the best 4 wheel driver, so take this with a grain of salt.. I can count on one hand how many times my stability control/traction control has kicked in on my C2 GTS no matter how hard I try.. (in bone dry). Knowing what I know now, I would have been just as happy with a C4 GTS if I had to choose.

my .02 cents

spiderv6

I went from a C2 to a C4S. The C2 was a total hoot, even in the snow with winter rubber. Very easy to get the tail out. The 4S ain’t wagging no tail - it is solidly planted at all times. That’s great for winter driving and giving you absolute confidence in 99% of situations (and allows you to push it a bit more than you would in a C2…so it’s “faster”) but it does extract some fun with the lack of tail.

Is my C4S fast enough, hell yeah (could I take a little more….always!)

And if you ever looked at the info screen in a 4S that shows you which wheels are getting the power it is almost constantly sitting at a total rear bias. This isn’t a 4x4.

AlexZTuned

Curious of thoughts on the TT/TTS, obviously AWD and weighs 250-300 lbs more than a base C4.

I’m in Texas and intentionally went with the C4 for traction off the line and stability in the corners - also love the widebody and lightbar. Coming from a RWD front engine AMG, I had enough tire smoke and power sliding. I just want to grip and go.

My C4 with no sunroof and PDK weighs about 3400 lbs. A similarly equipped C2 weighs 3300 lbs - 100 lb difference is less than a passenger.

And if you want to shave some weight off the front end of a C4 because of the driven front axles, you can do what I’m doing and install an antigravity battery which will reduce front end weight by 35 lbs. That reduces the weight difference to just 65 lbs between a base C2 and C4.

I wouldn’t trade my C4 for a C2S - sounds crazy, but I love the AWD grip off the line and added confidence in corners.

Remember when MotorTrend named the 991.1 C4S as the best drivers car years back? You’re certainly not missing out on the dynamics of a rear engine 911 with AWD. When I look at my torque split it’s 90%+ RWD when cruising. The only time the front axles are sent power is when the rear detects slip and additional traction is needed.

Boxster in my Future?

You guys are GREAT! Thank you all very much for your excellent responses. This is more reliable information than I've been able to get over the past two years. I should have posted this question a long time ago.... and..... it is very gratifying to hear such positive opinions on the C4. Thanks again!

Doug