Collin Chapin

Hey everyone,

As I get closer and closer to finally getting my 911 I now have different circumstances to consider as I am suddenly moving to Florida.

I will be driving the car as my DD and I have a significant commute, about 100 mi each way 10-15 days a month (unless I stay the night which is possible, but i'll be doing a fair amount of driving). Should I consider a 4S for better traction in the rain?

I know it rains a lot in FL but I figured i'd ask anyways, i'm sure there are tons of people driving RWD cars with the rain etc.

semicycler

At that commuting distance it's lots of highway driving with gentle curves. It's probably more important to have a decent amount of tread on your tires. Watch your tire wear and replace early.

Macster

It is tires all the way down...

I've driven both my RWD only car (Boxster) and my AWD car (Turbo) in the rain (and in the snow) and the only thing that really matters is the condition of the tires.

Either car can be a bit skittish in the wet if the tires are worn. If they are near replacement I either avoid driving the car with the worn tires or bite the bullet and have new tires fitted. 'course, out here in CA about the time the new tires are fitted the rains stop and I drive the rest of the "rainy season" on dry pavement.

Even with new tires on the car though I still slow down. These tires are not the best in real wet weather. The tread depth starts out a bit shallow and they are wide and the car not very heavy so the tires have a tendency to hydroplane. Slow down is the key.

It ain't the going that is a problem in marginal traction conditions it is the turning and the stopping. RWD or AWD plays no real role in how well a car turns or stops.

Like I said above, its tires all the way down...

millertimefl

Florida 4S driver here. Although mine is not a daily driver and I try to avoid driving in the rain as much as I can, I do feel the AWD a lot in the rain. Mostly when I drive spirited in the wet. Also helps when you hit huge puddles or encounter crazy downpours because those wide 305s in the back can hydroplane easily so the support of the front wheels is always a good thing. 4S not needed in FL but I will take the AWD and wide body every time.

Collin Chapin

This is what I was hoping to hear. I had originally planned on a 4S for winters in the Northeast but I loved the idea of going RWD in FL until I started to worry about rain.

I know I shouldn't over think this stuff but i've wanted this car for 15+ years and now that i'm here I want to do it right.

Collin Chapin

This was my main concern which made me post the thread. I'm nervous that if it totally downpours i'll have much better traction if I go with AWD.

At this point I guess it depends on whether I find a 4S or an S first

mdrums

S... No question

yashagrawal

4S is better, no real downside to it for a enthusiast driver. With a car such as this, more grip is better, unless you fancy yourself as Steve McQueen.

Ynot

For normal driving, you hardly feel the difference between an S and 4S, for a non pro driver, the 4S feels better, feels like it grips better, feels like it handles better, and gives you more confidence to drive faster. If I lived in Florida, I would just get a C2S cabriolet.

Collin Chapin

I've driven both RWD, FWD, and AWD cars over my 11 years of driving but never anything this fast other than the 5-8 test drives i've taken Porsches on. For that reason i'm leaning towards a 4S due to the extra grip giving me more confidence etc


I do plan on doing a couple track days with an instructor the first 3-6 months of ownership to make me more comfortable with the car. DECISIONS DECISIONS!!

tomc_mets

Your heart seems inclined to the 4S. Follow your heart!
T

Augustomf

Rain or no Rain I drive my 2S as much as I can. No need for 4S, but buy it if you like the looks. You lose some agility.

A great improvement on any one of them is to get rid of the PZero and put som Michelin PSS. The PZero are worthless after you got to 50% of thread.

CosmosC4S

I've owned both, don't really think it matters much.
I would suggest you get whichever right one that shows up first!

Ynot

I agree, the PZero's are noisy too, much smoother and more quiet with PSS.

I was dead set in getting a C2S but ended up with a C4S, no regrets.

SpeedyD

Performance-wise, there is absolutely no disadvantage with the 4S. Dry acceleration / dry track times have all matched the 2S. You have a very slight weight penalty offset by better traction when exiting the corners (my hypothesis) and better traction at launch. Wet/damp, the 4S has the advantage by a wide margin.

Experience-wise, on public roads from my test drives you can get a 2S to step out a bit. There is a very slight difference in feel, the 4S giving the impression of being more planted (steering feel of feeling the road through your hands is great in both). There is a MUCH bigger difference in feel between 991 and 997. 997.2 has different feel btw vs. 997.1 (.2 feels more planted in the front imho).

Looks-wise, I prefer the widebody look by quite a bit, but I can see why some prefer the NB look too. Frankly, both are beautiful cars and you can't go wrong.

If you want to hoon the car on the track and test your driving skills to the max, I'd do the 2S. My personal preference is the 4S, which is why I bought/own one. I like the better wet traction, I like the look, I don't lose anything on performance, and I won't be power sliding (intentionally) very often...

Enjoy either way!