Considering my first 997 - don't care about weather so much as driving experience - can anybody comment on the primary experience between the two - all wheel or rear drive?

I've heard C2= Pure Porsche while C4 is for those who want to (for some reason) take it out in bad weather....

More detail on the feel of the car with the two drive systems would be certainly appreciated....I'm leaning toward a C2 since I feel that would fit how I like to drive better....

Thanks - T

 

you shouldn't pay attention to all the BS like that you read on these boards (especially this board). A lot of people here feel that if you're not driving a six speed S stripped down with only sport shifter, SportChrono and PSE you might as well be driving a Miata.

The C4 has a wider stance is more stable during aggressive maneuvers. Traction is insane. More balanced drive. Faster out of turns. A bit heavier though.

The back end on the C2 is going to be a bit looser (esp if you have spacers) and require more driver skill during the same maneuvers.

I drove both hard and bought the 4 for the increased traction and handling since 90% of my driving is on streets where your speed is limited.

The 997TT is AWD, if that car isn't "purely porsche" nothing is. I don't think that car was designed just for those who want to drive in bad weather.

You can't miss with any Pcar. They're all fun as hell to drive.

 

take out both for a number of extended test drives and then decide.

do not decide after driving in each for 15 mins.

personally I much prefer rear wheel drive.

jlingk, I agree the awd 997TT is "purely porsche", but I bet the 997GT2 will be and then some ;p

 

I echo that sentiment: drive both over extended journeys and then decide. They feel very different; and depending what you're used to one will feel natural and the other odd. Neither is right or wrong: just don't get caught up in the bad weather bs. Porsche did not engineer the awd system specifically to counter bad weather. Either way you can't go wrong.

 

how can you drive them both for extensive time?
they will only let u test drive for like 15 minutes.

raja

 

This is just me talking, but I would say the GT3/2 is purely Porsche. I can't see an AWD luxo Porsche being pure. Again, that's just me.

I can't agree with your last statement more, however.

 

Interesting viewpoint. The very first Porsche Car (Type 360 Cisitalia) was AWD. Appealing interiors have been a big part of Porsche's focus since the 356. Underneath the "Luxo" interior, the 997TT is a straight up racer and the most mechanically and electronically advanced production sports car ever built.

The GT cars are built for entirely different purposes. You might as well throw the RS Spyder in there too.

 

I guess it depends on your dealership. Mine invited me out to a unused airfield and then also let me try a number of versions at my convenience.

I certainly would not be parting with £70-80k (US$129,436 - US$147,927) or £103000 (US$190,457) for the Turbo with no options, to any dealership that expected me to place an order off the back of a short test drive.

 

If your dealer is only letting you drive for 15 minutes he's not interested in your business. Find another dealer who will let you try both for up to half a day each.

 

Exactly. Present yourself as a serious customer (you shouldn't have to prove your intentions to the dealer to purchase- but pulling up in your current Cayenne S couldn't hurt), if the dealer won't find some way to get you a few hours with whatever demo's they have access to, then the dealer isn't hungry enough for your business; there are plenty of dealers who are.

 

I'd get a C2S over a C4.....however, a C4S would be my first pic if that were an option.

 

AWD in Carreras were meant for BAD WEATHER and that's it!

It does not have anything to do with an AWD TT. The TT MUST have AWD since it has insane power when a regular carrera doesn't!!!

I know you are asking "Then how come GT3/GT2 or CGT" are not AWD... the answer is simple... Those cars are the closest thing to a RACE CAR. Better suspension and other thingies will make it handle a lot better than AWD systems.

ALSO... AWD is better grip, not better handling.

So... from what I've driven and had in the past and present i think AWD is not only a waste of weight but a waste of money if you are not gonna be driving in bad weather conditions. But this is just me, remember that.

 

These are the kinds of people that I'm talking about. AWD in the Turbo is not simply implemented because of the power. PTM handles transfer of the torque to the road. Any question about this, read the Porsche website.

"Car Handling is a description of the way wheeled vehicles perform transverse to their direction of motion, particularly during cornering and swerving. It also includes their stability when moving in a straight line."

You cannot separate traction from handling. If you don't think that an AWD does the above better than a squirrely C2 at speed you have never driven them both.

Here's what Porsche has to say about the AWD system in the C4 and what the approach was behind it:

"At the center of the Carrera 4’s intelligent all-wheel drive is a viscous clutch that reads traction at all four corners and instantly transfers an additional 5 to 40 percent of the engine’s power to the front axle for maximum grip, even on changing road surfaces. The multiple-disc clutch consists of a series of interleaved plates. The space between these plates is filled with a high-viscosity silicone fluid. If the front and rear axles begin to rotate at different speeds, the frictional properties of the silicone fluid cause torque to be directed towards the plates that are rotating more slowly. At least 5 percent of drive torque is applied to the front wheels at all times. Under daily driving conditions, the average rear/front torque split is approximately 65/35, resulting in laser-true tracking at speed and unprecedented control through the tightest corners."

 

You should see the BEST MOTORING video that tested the 997C2S(RWD) 997C(RWD) and 996TT (AWD)...

Guess who won?

I used to have a 996TT... It has amazing GRIP!!! But it doesn't handle as better as the 997S!!! It just doesn't!!! I know that 997TT with PASM will do it for sure. But that's my point, again, improved chasis and suspension.

 

I think the C2 has more skills...it should be better to drive to have fun!
I'd go for it! better with an " S "