missmy993

I live in west MI and drive a Subaru and 330xi. I have a '99 C4 that I drove over the winter one year. The car was great in the snow w/ dedicated snow tires, mostly I worried about someone hitting me. It's hard to see your car dirty all of the time. If I was going to do it again I would get C2 because the C4 adds a level of maintenance and expense. I also suspect that the 2 wheel drive car is more pure to drive. At DE events I kick butt when the track is wet.

michael573114

What does the C4 really add for maintenance and expense, other than changing the front diff lube once in a while?

ervtx

Perhaps if you are a DIY kind who has to discover the nuances here and there. But I doubt that any Porsche dealership charges different rates for a C4 vs. a C2 for basic maintenance and servicing, and I can't think of anything that required extra work just due to AWD over a 7 year period of C4 ownership.

The commonly held view is that a C2 will perform better at a DE than a C4. But just like every other car, the C4 must be driven differently in order to exploit its advantages and accommodate its weaknesses. Once mastered, the C4 can be just as quick (on some tracks, quicker) than a C2. (I kick butt when the track is dry).

But the same is not true when the track is wet. AWD has a distinct advantage and requires much less mastery to outperform a C2. You might say if you learn how to drive a C4 the way a C4 must be driven, you can kick butt wet or dry.

redridge

c4 was designed for stability, rather than the awd functionality. Besides the heavy steering, very few can tell the diff between the c2/c4 in the dry... but on loose dirt or slippery conditions... that is where the c4 shines. Walter Rohrl's weapon of choice for the road.