Carrera C2 versus Carrera 4

[porschestuff]

Hi Folks,

Am looking at a few 996's but am undecided which to go for, any thoughts on the differences in carrera 2 versus carrera 4.

I've narrowed it to either a Carrera 2 Manual with Traction Control and LSD

or Carrera 4 Tiptronic with PSM

Is the carrera 4 with tiptronic much slower (and you only get 5 gears).

Any advice by folks who have tried both appreciated.

Cheers.

[1999Porsche911]

If you want more of a true sports car where less of the computer controls the car and your mistakes, go with the 99 C2 with LSD. This is the one and ONLY watercooled 911 that is a driver's car. Beginning with the 99 C4, Porsche uses Egas, no true LSD and PSM. These can greatly interferes with development of proper driving skills for many reasons, including lessening the power to the wheels when a wheel loses traction rather than maintaining power and balancing it between the wheels. The AWD, IMO, just is not right for a sport's car and although it may perform better in some situations, it's performance is not necessarily due to the driver's skill. The C2 requires much more skill to drive to the same degree. A driver of a C2 that can make it around the track in a specific amount of time, will also be able to get the C4 around the track in the same amount of time. This is not necessarily true for a skilled C4 driver.

If you are just going to tool around like probably 90% of sportcar owners, it makes no difference which one you buy since it is for the prestige only. Same thing goes with getting a TIP unless you are unable to drive a manual transmission.

Edited February 22, 2007 by 1999Porsche911

[Karl]

A driver of a C2 that can make it around the track in a specific amount of time, will also be able to get the C4 around the track in the same amount of time. This is not necessarily true for a skilled C4 driver.

:censored:

Regards,

Karl

Edited February 23, 2007 by Karl

[johnj.moran]

Hi Folks,

Am looking at a few 996's but am undecided which to go for, any thoughts on the differences in carrera 2 versus carrera 4.

I've narrowed it to either a Carrera 2 Manual with Traction Control and LSD

or Carrera 4 Tiptronic with PSM

Is the carrera 4 with tiptronic much slower (and you only get 5 gears).

Any advice by folks who have tried both appreciated.

Cheers.

I own a 1999 C4 with tiptronic and love the car. After having several manual transmission sports cars over the years, I swore that I'd never buy a manual again. There's a lot of traffic in the Bay Area and using a clutch in stop and go traffic is unpleasant after 20 minutes.

The tiptronic is really impressive to operate. In fact, the professional drivers interviewed by many Porcshe focused magazines, state that a non-expert driver that has a C2 Tiptronic will easily beat a driver with similar experience or skills that has a manual transmission C2 (a C4 Tip will result in similar success). The professional driver goes on to explain that if a manual transmission C2 driver with modest driving skills were to compete against a C2 Tiptronic driver with similar driving experience on a drag strip, the C2 with Tiptronic would win in most cases. This is because to shift a manual C2 in a drag race to 60mph (or 100 mph for that matter) requires quite a bit of skill, especially if you're trying to hit 0-60 times close to 5 seconds. With a Tiptronic, you just plant your foot full force on the throttle and you're going to have success every time. The Tiptronic is also supposed to be very durable, and can stand up to serious hard driving.

[1999Porsche911]

A driver of a C2 that can make it around the track in a specific amount of time, will also be able to get the C4 around the track in the same amount of time. This is not necessarily true for a skilled C4 driver.

:censored:

Are you for real? The driving characteristics of the C4 is a (little) bit different than of the C2. But to say that a C4 driver would be slower in a C2 is just plain stupid and a lack of judgment from your side...

Regards,

Karl

You must be smoking something real good if you think it does not take more skill to get a RWD car around a track as fast as the same car with AWD. Maybe you started your weekend early?

[Loren]

Let's get back on topic folks - or this topic will be closed.

[PeterK]

I've driven 996 and 997 C4 and overall came up very unimpressed. If I wanted an AWD sports car I would have gotten an RS4 or EVO or STI over C4. Not to mention that extra heft and extra wheels to drive make the car feel slower.

As far as LSD, it was available in 04 996 C2 cars.

[1999Porsche911]

I've driven 996 and 997 C4 and overall came up very unimpressed. If I wanted an AWD sports car I would have gotten an RS4 or EVO or STI over C4. Not to mention that extra heft and extra wheels to drive make the car feel slower.

As far as LSD, it was available in 04 996 C2 cars.

Because of PMS or PSM, whichever it is called, the LSD in the 2004 was extremely weak. I think it was something like only 22% because anything stronger would interfere with the stability managemnt system.

[viper501]

c2 is lighter and more 'raw' than a c4. If you don't like shifting, the tip is fine, as autos go. The AWD and PSM will make you look like a better driver but may give you a seriously flawed sense of safety. PSM is great but can't defy the laws of physics.