Hello everyone, new member intro

[Carrera Kurt]

Hello All,

My name is Kurt. I'm currently in the Audi world, but I think it's time to move on to something else. I like to turn my own wrenches, always have. I'm also a big believer in preventative maintenance. Basically, I'm looking for a daily driver to replace my slightly modified A4. I live in New England so all wheel drive is a must for me. There is a huge tuning scene for the Audi/VW (similar to Porsche) and was going to spend a lot of money doing a bigger turbo and heavier motor modifications, but I've come to the conclusion that it's not worth it on my current car. The A4 is a brilliant sports sedan, but it will never be a sports car and thats what I want. I'm currently looking at the 996 C4S. I've been lurking around and reading as many posts as possible so I can contribute some intelligent questions instead of just the mundane new member stuff that I'm sure you are all sick of.

Here is a link to my car on my Audi forum so you can see where I'm coming from. I just looked at it, and it needs to be updated, but I feel it's a good introduction.

2003 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro

Few questions,

1) I read the sticky post up top about the reliability of the 996 H6, and that made me feel a little better, but how realistic is it to have a C4S as a daily driver? Right now I commute about 60 miles per day for work, however (hopefully) starting in August I will be in medical school full time which will drastically cut my commuter miles. I plan to live very close to campus like in undergrad.

2) With proper winter tires like the Blizzzak LM-25s I use on my Audi, how good of a winter car is the C4S? Living in New England we get hammered with snow and ice every year. I also spend a lot of time skiing so back road mountain trips are frequent for me. I grew up in New England in the snow, I know how to handle a car on the ice, but still, how does the C4S do in those conditions?

3) What is the tuning scene like with the non-turbo engine? I'm sure there are many exhaust options, but without forced induction like a turbo or supercharger, it must be very difficult to get usable power from an ECU upgrade. I ask because most of the Audi tuners also work with Porsche. My concern is that is it even worth the money to modify a naturally aspirated motor? Modifying the Porsche while important to me as a hobby, isn't mandatory. A tasteful yet aggressive exhaust note and some better throttle response is all I'm concerned about.

Sorry for writing the novel, but I'm really excited about this.

Let me know what you guys think. I hope to become a valuable member to this forum. I can tell all ready you are a bunch of good guys with lots of knowledge. I hope to get to know a lot of you.

Cheers,

Kurt

[judgejon]

Hello All,

My name is Kurt. I'm currently in the Audi world, but I think it's time to move on to something else. I like to turn my own wrenches, always have. I'm also a big believer in preventative maintenance. Basically, I'm looking for a daily driver to replace my slightly modified A4. I live in New England so all wheel drive is a must for me. There is a huge tuning scene for the Audi/VW (similar to Porsche) and was going to spend a lot of money doing a bigger turbo and heavier motor modifications, but I've come to the conclusion that it's not worth it on my current car. The A4 is a brilliant sports sedan, but it will never be a sports car and thats what I want. I'm currently looking at the 996 C4S. I've been lurking around and reading as many posts as possible so I can contribute some intelligent questions instead of just the mundane new member stuff that I'm sure you are all sick of.

Here is a link to my car on my Audi forum so you can see where I'm coming from. I just looked at it, and it needs to be updated, but I feel it's a good introduction.

2003 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro

Few questions,

1) I read the sticky post up top about the reliability of the 996 H6, and that made me feel a little better, but how realistic is it to have a C4S as a daily driver? Right now I commute about 60 miles per day for work, however (hopefully) starting in August I will be in medical school full time which will drastically cut my commuter miles. I plan to live very close to campus like in undergrad.

2) With proper winter tires like the Blizzzak LM-25s I use on my Audi, how good of a winter car is the C4S? Living in New England we get hammered with snow and ice every year. I also spend a lot of time skiing so back road mountain trips are frequent for me. I grew up in New England in the snow, I know how to handle a car on the ice, but still, how does the C4S do in those conditions?

3) What is the tuning scene like with the non-turbo engine? I'm sure there are many exhaust options, but without forced induction like a turbo or supercharger, it must be very difficult to get usable power from an ECU upgrade. I ask because most of the Audi tuners also work with Porsche. My concern is that is it even worth the money to modify a naturally aspirated motor? Modifying the Porsche while important to me as a hobby, isn't mandatory. A tasteful yet aggressive exhaust note and some better throttle response is all I'm concerned about.

Sorry for writing the novel, but I'm really excited about this.

Let me know what you guys think. I hope to become a valuable member to this forum. I can tell all ready you are a bunch of good guys with lots of knowledge. I hope to get to know a lot of you.

Cheers,

Kurt

I drove my 911sc every day for about 326k miles. I've been driving my c4s every day since about March, 2008, and enjoy it every day. The only problem I've had was after the car sat for a few weeks without being driven. the c4s combination of looks, comfort, driveability, power, and handling makes it a great daily driver. Mods available ad infinitum. for a thrill check out the twin turbo mod being done by Boochook, check that out on 6speed. I'm starting to appreciate the headlights. The rear end is the best of all the 996's by acclamation. good luck...

Edited January 13, 2010 by judgejon

[wross996TT]

Welcome aboard. IMO, the C4S would make an excellent DD, clearance is the only issue you will have in the white stuff. If you are really into mods though you would be better off with a turbo as they are much more modable. I would never add the turbo to a C4S...the cost of changing the tranny, clutch, internals to get there...it would be cheaper and more reliable to get a turbo to start. The one on the six has the turbo after the cats...go figure?

[Carrera Kurt]

Welcome aboard. IMO, the C4S would make an excellent DD, clearance is the only issue you will have in the white stuff. If you are really into mods though you would be better off with a turbo as they are much more modable. I would never add the turbo to a C4S...the cost of changing the tranny, clutch, internals to get there...it would be cheaper and more reliable to get a turbo to start. The one on the six has the turbo after the cats...go figure?

The turbo is AFTER the cat?? I'm not going to say I'm a better engineer than Porsche, but how does that make sense?

When I said I'm in to mods, I should clarify that whatever I do to a C4S it will be tame. Headers, high flow CATs, exhaust etc. Nothing like what I'm used to in the Audi scene. I totally agree, and I hinted to it in my first post, that if I was going to heavily mod this engine, then I would have already started with a turbo anyway.

Does anyone have any experience or opinions about the C4S characteristics in the snow?

[Dennis C]

Hi Kurt.

I drive a 2002 C4S as my daily driver in northern Indiana. My commute is about 30 miles each way. Winters in Indiana can be quite brutal, very cold with snow (sometimes significant). I have a dedicated set of winter wheels with Blizzaks on them for the winter. With proper winter tires, the C4S is great in the snow. The only issue is that the ground clearance is just over 4 inches. In deep snow, you could get "beached", or damage your front lip spoiler. If you mostly drive on snow packed or plowed roads. it will do great.

My 996 has been very reliable. I also believe in routine maintenance, and I turn my own wrench whenever I can. You'll have the occasional repair to make (window regulator, for example), but overall it is very good.

As for performance mods, I can't offer much. I'm considering an exhaust system upgrade, but not much more. You'll have more success there if you buy a 996 turbo. With prices coming down for used Porsches, maybe this is an option for you too.

Good luck.

[phillipj]

:welcome:

[Carrera Kurt]

Hi Kurt.

I drive a 2002 C4S as my daily driver in northern Indiana. My commute is about 30 miles each way. Winters in Indiana can be quite brutal, very cold with snow (sometimes significant). I have a dedicated set of winter wheels with Blizzaks on them for the winter. With proper winter tires, the C4S is great in the snow. The only issue is that the ground clearance is just over 4 inches. In deep snow, you could get "beached", or damage your front lip spoiler. If you mostly drive on snow packed or plowed roads. it will do great.

My 996 has been very reliable. I also believe in routine maintenance, and I turn my own wrench whenever I can. You'll have the occasional repair to make (window regulator, for example), but overall it is very good.

As for performance mods, I can't offer much. I'm considering an exhaust system upgrade, but not much more. You'll have more success there if you buy a 996 turbo. With prices coming down for used Porsches, maybe this is an option for you too.

Good luck.

Hey Dennis,

Thanks for the info on the winter driving for the C4S. I think I'm pretty much sold on it. As long as the reliability is as good as my current Audi and the winter driving is manageable, I'll be happy.

Are there any big things I need to look for or be mindful of when shopping for C4S'?