You'll know which car you want (C2 or C4S) after you drive each, preferrably back-to-back. Nothing said on these pages matters.

-DT

 

I concur with Dirk. I agree with all of the rationalization. I went through the same thing. C2 = less expensive, lighter weight, more pocket money, etc. C4S = wide body, all wheel drive, Big Red brakes, aerodynamics, full leather, PSM, etc. I decided finally after months of debate to get the C2. I went to the dealer, drove both and bought the C4S. For me personally, I fell in love with the wide body and loved the handling of the all wheel drive. I have not regretted my decision and both are great cars. You need to drive them to choose your weapon.

 

Both are excellent examples of the Porsche 911. Salient differences have already been mentioned. If you search the archives, there have been multiple debates on the subject matter.

Arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can about the differences, then test drive them both to see which one actually grabs you. For me, I bought the 2002 C4S since it was the best performing NA 996 straight out of the box (no GT3 yet at that time). I also got it due to the relative value, as the total cost of the car was cheaper than if I loaded up a C2 to be equivalent. It also looked to be the most awesome model, with the front nostrils and the wide butt. After I bought the car, I got hooked on running on a race track. I've learned to appreciate the C4S choice even more, since it is so much easier to learn to drive fast.

 

Absolutely correct.

But if track performance is high on your list of priorities, and you are willing to spend $$ for the C4S for that reason, then you should probably just stretch a little further and get the GT3.

Then again, I guess this isn't a C4S v. GT3 thread is it?

 

I went through this exact dilemma and chose the C4s.

The stock Porsche plastic interior is crap. So I would be ordering the leather interior with the C2. Add to it the other options and suddenly the price differences become minimal. Plus, I got the C4s for like $83K, below MSRP (about $5K). The residual on the C4s was higher than the C2, and right now, it'd be tough to find a C4s coupe, versus a C2.

Visually, I like the widebody better, and for me, it offered the perfect list of amenities, features, and performance, so I went with the C4s.

Had the GT3 been out, I would have probably gotten the GT3, because for me, the track part outweighs the street part. Even though, for some purists, the C2 is more track savvy.

Oh well.

 

Please don't crucify me for asking. I have an excuse, I'm green. Is the 99' C4 considered a wide body? Dose it have the same body and suspension as a 99' Turbo? Also, other than the bump in engine displacement and available interior options, what are the major differences between a 99' C4 and a current C4 or C4S?

Thanks.

 

The "S" versions are the widebody and also the turbo. The C4 is C2 (barrow body) with an AWD transmission. Between the 99's and current ones, I do not know the difference.

 

a C4 is AWD that the only difference from a C2
a C4S is awd has the turbo's wide body, brakes, psm, full leather interior and turbo wheels.
guess you all ready know the differnence between engine in a 99 and the lader so I won't waste time.

 

C4S (widebody) came in MY02 w/the 3.6l motor. The 3.4l C4s don't have the turbo brakes, suspension, or the standard interior options (leather,etc.). They do have silver brakes instead of black like C2, silver model designation on the rear, and PSM standard.

 

Remember the C4s wheels (current) aren't hollow spoke like the Turbo's or the GT2.

 

I believe the GT2's 18x12 and 18x8.5 are solid like the C4S's. That is until the '04 GT2 model, when they were switched to GT3 style.

-Scott

 

Thanks for the info guys.

E

 

Hey Jyoteen, not to nit-pick but shouldn't your engine size be something like 3.596 as opposed to 3.600? Great color choice though...

I'm not concerned with the non-hollow spokes as I wouldn't want to bend a wheel and I've heard some people with hollow spokes have done that.

 

just another reason the C4S in stock form rules!

 

If you get the C4S with the Techno II wheels, they are hollow spoke. It's about a 2k upgrade, so I got that without much thought on mine.