medtech

Manny,

Do you get pulled over a lot in those red cars? Or is that a myth?

smackboy1

The Carrera (C2) and Carrera 4 (C4) have the narrow body. The C4 body is slightly stiffer to accommodate the AWD. GT3s were built on the C4 platform for increased stiffness even though they don't have the AWD.

The Mk I 996 (3.4L) was available US model years 1999-2001 in C2 and C4 coupe or cabrio. No "S" model. The Turbo was introduced in 2001 with the fried egg headlights and wide body.

The Mk II (3.6L) was available US model years 2002-2004 with the face lift i.e. turbo style headlights to differentiate the 911s from the Boxters. The C2 was available as a coupe or cabrio, but the C4 narrow body was only available as a cabrio in the US. In the rest of the world C4 coupes were available. The C4S was basically a turbo-style wide body car without the turbo engine. It was available initially as a coupe then later (2004-2005?) as a cabrio too. There was no 996 C2S model. The C4S and the C2 and C4 all had the same base engine.

Malakas

Thanks for the compliments on the color guys! She's a beaut-

I love driving this car. While many elude to the benefts of the awd system in bad weather, reading Porsche's description of the awd system (and other materials), it is clear they made the awd system foremost for better dry performance. Obviously, there are inherent wet and snow benefits from having awd - but a mechical center diff (with locking) would have been far better if Porsches goal was to make an all weather beast. That said, there really is no performance gain in the real world - in fact the extra weight cancels the better traction. But it is a different feel - and you get the sexy ****!

shustermeister

Former C4S owner here- had 02 Lapis/Savanna that I loved, but just didn't get to use enough and didn't need heavily depreciating 'art' in the garage
Yes, absolutely there are C4S Cabriolets - Eric-Plug Guy has a beautiful one.
You can see the few differences between the C4S and the 996TT are:
- TT has factory rear turbo wing, C4S has one very similar to standard Carrera
- TT has large ducts in front of rear fenders (I believe for fresh air to the
intercoolers)
- TT has a slightly different front lip spoiler
- TT has torque, torque, and some more torque compared to the standard carrera engine in the C4S
- TT and C4S suspension are tuned slightly differently (I read somewhere, to account for the lighter weight of the C4S)
- TT came with hollow spoke wheels, which were lighter weight than the C4S wheels that otherwise look identical. (note: some of the earliest TT's may have come with solid spoke wheels, if I recall, due to supply issues with the hollows)
Otherwise, as stated earlier, it's a Turbo without the turbos...

ArneeA

I think it's a myth.

russo

Unfortunately, the C4S is nothing like a 911 on steroids. Using the analogy of a 911 on steroids, would be the the GT3 and or the Turbo. The C4S is just looks and nothing else, period. The only 996 with greater hp is the 40th anniversary edition, a 2004, that has increased hp due to engine modifications, also known as the x51. To summarize, 2002 and later are 3.6L engines producing approximately 320 hp, 345 with x51. GT3 and Turbo's producing 381 and 415 hp, with an x50 option boosting the turbo to 450 hp.

pongobaz

so the better brakes, stiffer chassis and suspension are only cosmetic in your opinion?

ArneeA

That's because he only considers "upgrades" as horsepower only and does not look at brakes, suspension, and overall chassis.

zroadhouse

Can a C4S be refitted with an X51? i.e. will an X51 mate to the AWD tranny?

medtech

Yes

DCP

This thread is not complete without a link to this:

Videos

Then find the video labeled "TopGear 996TT vs C4S." It is critical that you watch the last minute to fully understand the 996 model line up.

smackboy1

Sure, the X51 option is an engine modification (IIRC headers, intake, cams and some other bits and pieces) nothing to do with the AWD system. You will need around $16,000 and change. Porsche claims a conservative 25 hp increase.

Although in today's market for an extra $16K you could be in either 996 TT or 997 price range.

gota911

Or look for a 40th Anniversary Edition......

SKooT1027

haha that was a good video. He really does seem to dislike the c4s compared to the c4. Doesnt seem at all performance based tho, but rather bitter about it looking like a turbo. He made it sound like it's 100% c4 + bodykit.

pongobaz

Drive a C4 and a C4S back to back (I did) and if you can't tell the difference, I'll be VERY surprised.
And another thing: not every p-car enthusiast lusts for a turbo, some of us prefer the lighter cars (including the C4S) with NA engines, since they will still be more capable than most of our driving abilities... unless your name is Patrick Long and your workday is spent behind the wheel of an RS.