2wd or 4wd 911 - Pros and Cons of Different Drivetrains

How do they drive

If you drive each of them on the road under normal conditions you’re not going to see any difference. Start pushing the pace and you’re going to see a noticeable difference, specifically on corner exits. The 4S really steamrolls out of corners. It puts traction down very well thanks to the ability to shift torque around. They both have massive mechanical grip, but the 4S feels more planted. They both rotate incredibly well and the difference is hardly perceived by even very experienced drivers.

>>Join the conversation about Pros and Cons of Different Drivetrains right here in the Renn List Forum!

Lap times

Obviously, the AWD car is heavier, but does that mean slower lap times? Not necessarily. Pooling data from a few different tracks give us interesting results: At AMS Driving Center, which is a tight technical track,  the AWD car is slower by 1.11 seconds. At Laguna Seca with Randy Pobst behind the wheel, the AWD car is faster by 0.3 seconds. On tracks with more transitions, the weight will significantly matter more. On tracks with fewer transitions, they become more equal. The question of which is faster really depends on where you take them.

>>Join the conversation about Pros and Cons of Different Drivetrains right here in the Renn List Forum!

Rain or low grip

This is where the biggest difference occurs. The AWD car is definitely more fun in the rain than the RWD Carrera because of how it drifts. If you’ve read my article on how to drift an AWD 991 you’ll know how much I love these things in the rain. There is really nothing more mind blowing than holding 90 degrees of yaw in a corner with the steering wheel dead straight. The front wheels just beautifully claw the car back to pointing in the right direction again.

>>Join the conversation about Pros and Cons of Different Drivetrains right here in the Renn List Forum!

Scalpel vs. Sledge Hammer

The 991 Carrera S moves around a little more an tends to be more “lively.” You get the feeling that the car rotates a little more freely and you treat the two of them very differently. The 4S forgives a lead-footed brute where the RWD car will punish you. It really depends on what you value in a driving experience.

>>Join the conversation about Pros and Cons of Different Drivetrains right here in the Renn List Forum!

Environment

Where you live is a major factor in what car you buy. In California its a Carrera S for canyon carving in Malibu every weekend. On the East Coast or a place where you actually have to deal with weather, it's the AWD version all day. In the dry, the two are pretty much only identifiable on corner exit, but in the wet or low friction, they become immediately distinguishable.

>>Join the conversation about Pros and Cons of Different Drivetrains right here in the Renn List Forum!

Win Win No Matter What

You can’t go wrong with either of these cars. They are so finely honed that it’s just down to whether or not you need AWD or if you simply think it’s better. Asking which one you prefer after you have a lot of experience driving them does become like picking which one of your kids you love more. You really can’t make up your mind. They both have strengths and weaknesses in respective areas, but when you take a step back and evaluate them as the sum of their parts they are truly incredible in their own right. I hope you enjoyed this article! If there are any questions about specifics please email me and I will respond with an article. Thanks for reading! 

>>Join the conversation about Pros and Cons of Different Drivetrains right here in the Renn List Forum!

For help with service of your car, check out the how to section of RennList.com