Thinking about a 996 for a daily driver???
06-13-2017, 02:38 AM
#31
Rennlist Member
I'm retired and also a low annual mileage driver...so I just make my short trips a little longer and get the car up to temp. However getting in the car and firing up the engine and then pulling out onto the street...it is just so much nicer in the Porsche. It makes the dullest trip into a sensual pleasure. And isn't pleasure what you should try to fill your life with?
06-13-2017, 09:56 AM
#32
Racer
Join Date: Dec 2016
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Interesting write up about the Carrera 4:
Why Porsche offers the Carrera 4 is that customers demand "I want a four-wheel-drive car". Customers don't care that a 911 does with the mega traction at the rear axle as well as do other cars with 4-wheel-drive (RWD 911s have beated 4WD cars in rallies). Unfortunately, majority of the customers don't care how mechanical engineering works, they just have used to get what they want. And they demand 4WD, even if it is a rear-engined car.
To some, the "Carrera 4" might give great hopes on the paper, but on the snow it is rather hard to understand what is going on at the front axle. The reasons:
1. A rear-engined car has a light front end and less weight is less traction. The Carrera 4 has 40% of the weight on the front axle.
2. In normal driving conditions the viscous clutch sends only 5% of the drive power to the front axle and when the rear wheels completely lose grip, up to 40%. Considering the front is light, these number have even less impact than the percentage numbers tell.
3. There is no front differential lock, so the 5...40% that is sent to the front, is distributed between left and right front wheel from 100 to 0 to 100% in a split second.
4. Fourth factor that contributes to smashing the hopes is the Tiptronic. It has a torque converter between the engine and the gearbox and that does not transfer linear power at low rpm.
When it is really slippery, then a Carrera 4 Tiptronic is a thing to understand. How can you understand what the system does when the system itself cannot understand that - between the engine and the gearbox is a torque converter (non-linear power transfer), central differential has no lock (non-linear power transfer) and front differential has no lock. You cannot benefit from the front wheel traction in rear-engined car, so why drag around the 54 kg/120 lb extra weight of the 4WD system? You are better off with the real wheel drive manual Carrera - this is the original and the best configuration of the 911. Porsche has actually said "We did not intend the all-wheel drive system as an all-weather traction assistant". And "The focus here, however, is not so much on traction, but rather on supreme driving characteristics and safety to the limit". This is rather complicated wording, but you can read that you should not set hopes on the traction at the front axle. Finally, Porsche calls the 4WD in the 911 as "Drive system of your choice".
From Stuttcars.com https://www.stuttcars.com/porsche-models/911/996/
Why Porsche offers the Carrera 4 is that customers demand "I want a four-wheel-drive car". Customers don't care that a 911 does with the mega traction at the rear axle as well as do other cars with 4-wheel-drive (RWD 911s have beated 4WD cars in rallies). Unfortunately, majority of the customers don't care how mechanical engineering works, they just have used to get what they want. And they demand 4WD, even if it is a rear-engined car.
To some, the "Carrera 4" might give great hopes on the paper, but on the snow it is rather hard to understand what is going on at the front axle. The reasons:
1. A rear-engined car has a light front end and less weight is less traction. The Carrera 4 has 40% of the weight on the front axle.
2. In normal driving conditions the viscous clutch sends only 5% of the drive power to the front axle and when the rear wheels completely lose grip, up to 40%. Considering the front is light, these number have even less impact than the percentage numbers tell.
3. There is no front differential lock, so the 5...40% that is sent to the front, is distributed between left and right front wheel from 100 to 0 to 100% in a split second.
4. Fourth factor that contributes to smashing the hopes is the Tiptronic. It has a torque converter between the engine and the gearbox and that does not transfer linear power at low rpm.
When it is really slippery, then a Carrera 4 Tiptronic is a thing to understand. How can you understand what the system does when the system itself cannot understand that - between the engine and the gearbox is a torque converter (non-linear power transfer), central differential has no lock (non-linear power transfer) and front differential has no lock. You cannot benefit from the front wheel traction in rear-engined car, so why drag around the 54 kg/120 lb extra weight of the 4WD system? You are better off with the real wheel drive manual Carrera - this is the original and the best configuration of the 911. Porsche has actually said "We did not intend the all-wheel drive system as an all-weather traction assistant". And "The focus here, however, is not so much on traction, but rather on supreme driving characteristics and safety to the limit". This is rather complicated wording, but you can read that you should not set hopes on the traction at the front axle. Finally, Porsche calls the 4WD in the 911 as "Drive system of your choice".
From Stuttcars.com https://www.stuttcars.com/porsche-models/911/996/
06-13-2017, 10:48 AM
#33
Nordschleife Master
You've heard it all, so I'll just add one more voice to the choir. I bought my 996 C4S brand new with 14 miles on the odometer in 2002. It now has 68,000 miles. Have driven it as far north as Montreal, as far south as Hilton Head. Heavily used on the track as well. Excellent daily driver. Although you can get away with using regular tires in the winter, it is still a better idea to have a set of winter tires and wheels.
The only issue I have is the Rear Main Seal. Very, very slow drip of oil, maybe one drop a week. It was replaced several times under warranty with several iterations, and twice out of warranty. Still has a slow leak. Not catastrophic, but almost all 996's will have this issue.
On that treatise above regarding 2WD vs 4WD, I agree but only in part. I would get the Carrera 2 over the Carrera 4. However, I would definitely get the Carrera 4S over the Carrera 2. It has the better suspension, the bigger brakes, the better wheels/tire, the gorgeous wider hip, and the unique red reflector that goes across the back accentuating the low and wide stance of the wide body. I think the C4S is the best looking 996 out there. One of the reasons I bought it in the first place. On the track, the better suspension, brakes, and tires allows the C4S to dominate the C2.
The only issue I have is the Rear Main Seal. Very, very slow drip of oil, maybe one drop a week. It was replaced several times under warranty with several iterations, and twice out of warranty. Still has a slow leak. Not catastrophic, but almost all 996's will have this issue.
On that treatise above regarding 2WD vs 4WD, I agree but only in part. I would get the Carrera 2 over the Carrera 4. However, I would definitely get the Carrera 4S over the Carrera 2. It has the better suspension, the bigger brakes, the better wheels/tire, the gorgeous wider hip, and the unique red reflector that goes across the back accentuating the low and wide stance of the wide body. I think the C4S is the best looking 996 out there. One of the reasons I bought it in the first place. On the track, the better suspension, brakes, and tires allows the C4S to dominate the C2.
06-13-2017, 11:24 AM
#34
06-13-2017, 11:27 PM
#35
Cruisin'
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Thank you for all the feedback everyone. I feel a lot more comfortable knowing that I am not crazy (or at least not alone) in wanting to drive a 15 year old sports car as a daily driver. Now to educate myself on what to look for in a used 996. Time to dig into the forum. I'm in no hurry so I can take my time and find a clean, well documented car.
