The C4S launched as a coupe and the cabriolet was introduced a few years later. The 2002 and 2003 models in the US were only available as coupes. Typically (but not always), cars are available one model year earlier in Europe than they are in the US. My guess is that the C4S was available in Europe in 2001 and 2002 as a coupe.

Again - I'm guessing about the European options. They may have sold things there that we never got here (like the 996 MK I GT3, for example).

 

I'm looking at the '03/04 because they bumped up the displacement/HP to 3.6 liters/320 HP, though some of the things I've read say that the shorter stroke of the 3.4 make it a more responsive engine. Some of those same voices also suggested that the 3.6 is less prone to IMS bearing failure... but I really don't know. More to the point, the C4S has an incredible bulging back end, which with the air vents low on the rear quarter looks extremely aggressive. Love it!

Alpine...yes, lots of interesting choices here, including the Renault Alpine (pardon the pun), but I really want a Porsche, and it gives me the possibility of actually bringing it back to the US at some point (with DOT/EPA)...

 

It is not apples to apples, but with the top up my Boxster is a quieter car than my Turbo.

The Boxster is more softly sprung, has 17" wheels/tires (vs the 18" on the Turbo) and the top fits/seals very well and is lined.

I no longer care for the top down experience so it has been some time (years, maybe a decade) since I have driven the Boxster with the top down.

I have not experienced a Cab but I do not recall coming upon any posts by owners that would cause me to believe the Cab was a noisy car -- talking top up now -- or the top was prone to leaks.

'course, you need to drive comparable examples of both body styles to get first hand experience.

And you have to really decide if the top down experience is really that compelling to have you opt for the heavier, more complex Cab vs.the coupe.

While on paper and on the road the coupe has it over the Cab the difference is imho not compelling by itself to select one car over another.

The only real criterion to picking a Cab instead of a coupe is if one whats the top down driving experience and he resides/drives in a region that supports this style of driving and is OK with driving about with the top down.

I would not give any real weight to the thinking that the Cab would hold its value and better than a coupe. In fact the Cab would likely depreciate more. What I hear at the dealers is the only person who truly values the Cab, who is willing pay extra for Cab, is the first owner. 2nd and subsequent owners not so much.

I have heard about the confrontations Cab owners and the dealer have when the Cab owner comes to talk trade in and learns first hand how far in value a car he valued so dearly when new has fallen.

Buy a Cab if that is the driving experience you want. Or buy a coupe if that is the way you roll. Regardless of which car you buy buy a good one. But keep in mind the Cab will almost certainly depreciate more than its coupe counterpart.

 

If you're gonna bring it back, I would lean towards the C4S cab even though I'm not a cab person myself(assuming you can find a good one for a good price over there).

Or...get an older European model only Porsche(RUF CTR2 cough cough, Gemballa cough cough) that would time perfectly with your return. For example, if you plan on returning in 2 years, look for a 23yo model which would then be legal with the 25yr import law in the US(unless you plan on living in Cali). This way it would still be somewhat affordable(less demand from US) and since there's not a lot of guys already importing in now unlike the pre 1990 models.

 

You are a year off - the changes you listed above started in 2002.

 

I stand corrected...Thank you.

 

Thanks Macster, appreciate your time and insight. Truth be told, weather in Frankfurt is not exactly like Cali, the French or Italian rivieras. Summer is short, weather changes violently very quickly, and there are protracted periods of grey skies. Our first year here we had 47 days in a row of no sunshine...Wife almost split after that winter.....I'll test both and pick the best option available. Re resale, again, thanks.

 

I completely disagree with this when talking specifically about the C4S model, not to be confused with the C4 model.

 

Rainmn....They did have C4s in 2002... However, in Germany, cars are listed/sold by "year of first registration" not model year, so in my search, I was looking at 03/04, expecting to get some 2002 models first registered in 2003. If I search for 2002 cars, I could easily wind up with a 3.4 lt. 2001 that was first registered in 2002...

 

That's sort of correct. The two dates typically referred to are BJ (baujahr=year built) and EZ (erste zulassung = first registration). A good representation of the market (and searchable by region) is www.autoscout24.de. Good luck.

 

I thought the 3.4 motors had the least IMS failures because they were the double row bearings, is that wrong? I had a low mileage (18000) when I got it after 15 years, a 2000 with the 3.4 motor and a TIP. I had the IMSB replaced because thats my personality. The bearing turned out to be perfect. The car was never driven hard or often so I thought that it was an explosion waiting to happen. It did have 15 oil changes in 18000 miles, the PO was a stickler for maintenance, not so much actual driving. I still think when you get down to it the IMSB issue is just the luck of the draw.

 

Only 1999 and very few 2000 MY cars had the dual row. All other 3.4L cars were single row. I was under the same impression as OP that single row 3.4L cars had the highest failure rate, not that I care I just drive my car like I'll never drive it again every time I turn it on........ Which is several times a day.

 

Danke Mark I...Yes, I'm using Autoscout24.com and mobile.de to get a sense of the market availability, and leveraging the Porsche Owners Club Germany to identify shops endorsed by the organizations, as well as additional cars for sale. The due diligence will take a while, but the hunt is half the fun...

 

I claim no personal expertise, but have been doing a lot of research, and what I'm getting is that the 3.4liter engine is more prone to IMS Bearing failure than the 3.6., though double row 3.4liter is better than 3.4 single row. There seems to be a valid question about how weakness in the single row chain might be a contributing factor to bearing failure, though 3.6lt's are single row, generate more HP and have a longer stroke.....the other interesting bit that came out in a recent post is about harmonic imbalance at about 2800 RPM for the newer cars with Vario Cam Plus. The suggestion is at about 2800 RPMs the Vario Cam Plus changes the openings driven by the cams, and at that speed there an imbalance is created that might also be a contributing factor. Finally, I've also seen feedback that suggests underused cars are more prone to IMS failre as the seal arouond the bearing can break down and motor oil incursion contaimnates the grease in the bearing causing evenutal degradation of the bearings and failure....In short, countless hours of research have led me to conclude that it can happen to almost anyone, anywhere, regardless of mileage, driving style, displacement...etc. One normally covers this type of uncertainty with insurance, which in this case would be a thorough PPI coupled with an immediate investment in the LM retrofit....

 

Love my 04 C4s cab !! In 04 they came with a hard top !!