Porsche On-Line/Internet Discussion Groups

December 22, 2007

First off I want to say a quick hello to all the folks who keep dropping by from the 911uk.com discussion board(s). I’ve only just joined up over there and everyone has been quite welcoming and friendly (kind of scary almost). I’m still waiting to get flamed, but it will probably come soon enough (as soon as I put my foot in my mouth as I usually do) If you’re so inclined, please feel free to subscribe via RSS or email over there on the right ————>.

The thing that I find interesting is that I know there were 10’s of thousands of Porsche 993(s) produced from 1994 to 1998, but I simply don’t find a lot of people talking about them. What am I missing? More to the point, where are all the sites that those of us interested in the Porsche 993 and other air-cooled Porsches can interact on? Don’t get me wrong, I know that forums like Rennlist and 911uk exist and are used, but it seems to be the same people over and over.

I’ve tried various Google searches and other search engines and keep coming up with the same groups.

Here’s what I’ve found so far -

www.911uk.com
www.RennTech.org
www.roadfly.com
www.rennlist.com
www.porschegroups.com

What else is out there? Anything worth looking at? I would appreciate any comments or suggestions that anyone might have.

Written by 993C4S · Filed Under Resources | 1 Comment

Porsch 993 C4S vs. BMW M3

December 21, 2007

One of the guys in my office recently purchased a used BMW M3 (it’s a 2001 so an E46 model) and he hasn’t stopped bragging about it and talking about how fast the car is and how well it handles, etc. etc. So, as a dedicated Porsche guy I challenged him to a little comparison testing.

The results were surprising:

Acceleration - To my surprise, the M3 was/is faster than my 993, I guess after seeing the spec I shouldn’t have been so surprised. The BMW has 333 HP which takes you from zero to sixty in 4.8 seconds vs. 4.9 for my 97 C4S with a M64/21 engine producing 285hp. So, while it’s not getting blown away, it is still a touch faster in a straight-line.

Top Speed - Very close call here. The BMW has a published top speed of 155 mhp while the 97 C4S has published top speed of 157 mph (on a side note, the C2S has top speed of 160 mph).

Transmission - To the best of my knowledge the 993C4S was not available with Tiptronic (which is a good thing). The 6 speed, close ratio transmission is easy to use and has nice, quick, short throws for fast gear changes. My friend’s BMW has the SMG Drivelogic tranny or SMG II. This is a Formula 1-style electrohydraulic manual gearbox with no clutch pedal. Basically, it is an F1 style paddle shifter on the steering wheel. From a coolness factor, I think this wins, but I still prefer the feel of the clutch and a short-throw shifter.

Handling - This is purely subjective. I think the Porsche 993 C4S is the winner hands down. It basically sticks to the road and with the all-wheel drive and is much more forgiving than most other Porsches. I also think you have a better “road-feel” in the 993 than in the BMW.

Brakes - The Porsche is the clear winner here! I mean come on we’re talking about the “Big Red Brakes” from the Turbo series. This car stops when you want it to and where you want it to. That’s all there is to it.

Consumables and Maintenance - Both cars have their pros and cons in this area. While I don’t have exact numbers on costs of ownership, the Porsche seems to have a slight advantage for a few reasons. 1. The Porsche 911 model has been around much longer and as a result has a larger number of service techs and shops available to choose from. 2. I personally know of at least four (4) 993s being driven as daily drivers with an excess of 100,000 miles each. I can’t say the same for any M3 (I’m sure they exist, I just don’t know of them). 3. The 993 C4S if driven lightly can receive well in excess of 24 miles per gallon; while the BMW is known to consume gas at a much higher rate.

Interior - Again, this is a subjective choice. The BMW has a more modern feel to it with a more conspicuous amount of electronics and computers. I personally like the big dials of the Porsche and that same look and feel that is uniquely Porsche from the 1960s on (my aluminum gauges don’t hurt either from an aesthetic point of view). The BMW has more interior space and more trunk space, but most likely you’re not buying either of these cars to store luggage or tote around a family. From a driver’s perspective, the 993 is more driver friendly with the gauge layout and has more legroom than the BMW.

Appearance - The 993 is the clear winner here. Many say that the Porsche 993 C4S is the culmination of 40 years of design. The Turbo-wide body look, the aggressive stance, etc. I can’t even tell you how many nights I walk out to my garage just to look at my car. It looks fast just sitting there. Recently, the MOFA in Boston did a show on some of Ralph Lauren’s car collection. While the show did not include a 993 it did include a 959 (which we all know is just another 911 derivative from a styling standpoint). There wasn’t an M3 to be seen within a mile of the place.

I’m interested in knowing if we have any BMW readers and your thoughts on this comparison. My opinion is biased, obviously, but I still think I fairly described things.

My cousin is a big Subaru WRX fan and has been busting my chops about how good these “tuner” cars are. I’ll probably work on a little comparison of that next.

Written by 993C4S · Filed Under Porsche vs. | 2 Comments

Carrera versus Carrera 4

December 20, 2007

I’ve seen a lot of conversations lately on which is a better car, the Carrera 2 or the Carrera 4. What’s not always clear in these discussion is exactly which model(s) are they discussing? Are all non Carrera 4’s (excluding Turbo’s) considered a Carrera 2? It’s tough to say, and it may depend on who you talk to. So, for the sake of this discussion let’s separate them based on two-wheel/rear wheel drive versus all-wheel/four-wheel driver.

I’m biased as I own a C4S. I bought this car not only for the look (wide body Turbo look) but for the all wheel drive as well. I’ve driven quite a few Porsches and while I enjoy the “driving spirit” of the rear-engine two wheel drive versions, there is some comfort in knowing that with an all-wheel drive version the idea of going “ass over teakettle” has basically been taken out of the equation.

So, what are the major differences between the two and which one is a better car?

Major Differences:

Options - The Carrera 4 has certain standard equipment that is only available as options on the Carrera
- Braking System. The Carrera 4 has the ABD or Automatic Braking Differential
- Differential. The Carrera 4 has a mechanical 22 - 40% lock limited slip.
- 18″ Wheels
- Big Red Brakes/Turbo Brakes
- MacPherson Struts (same as option code MO33)
- Turbo look wide body
Weight -
- The Carrera weighs in roughly at 3014 lbs (1370 kilos) vs. 3120 lbs (1420 kilos)
Performance -
- The Carrera has a slight edge due to lower weight. However, this edge is only noticeable on the track as top speed is only 3mph more and doesn’t become really noticeable until you get to quarter mile times.
- As a note, any performance advantages are lost if weather conditions are anything less than dry. At this point the Carrera 4 takes over with a marked difference.
Resale -
- This remains to be seen. I’ve been thinking of starting a thread on this to track pricing and sales, but I’m still undecided.
- Based on my research and tracking of pricing the C4S carries a premium over everything but Turbo’s and other limited editions (such as the GTs, RS’s, etc.).

So, who’s the winner? I don’t think there is a clear one here. Again, as I’m biased, I would say the Carrera 4, specifically the C4S coupe wins each time, I know others would say different. Let me know what you think?

WARNING!!!! The following is outright blatant advertising. However, I am hoping that I can provide enough decent content that makes it worthwhile for people to read my blog. So, in an effort to help pay for my hosting costs, I’ll occasionaly provide links to things that I think are worthwhile with regard to Porsche 993(s).

In this instance, some of the information provided above came from “Porsche 993 The Essential Companion” written by Adrian Streather. I’ve done my best to make sure that the things I advertise or “recommend” are useful and are things that I use myself or have used in the past. In this case, Adrian’s book has been a constant companion and helped immensly in the purchase of my 993.

Written by 993C4S · Filed Under Porsche vs. | Leave a Comment