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Turbo vs C4S

C4-STORM said:
The comparison being C4S and Turbo..

I didn't source a C4 as I wanted the wide body, Turbo wheels, brakes, bumpers etc.

C4S v Turbo = nearly all the weight with c95 less bhp.

My experience was with a C4 but as it has the same engine as your C4S I deemed that my comments were valid.
 
I drove both the turbo and the c4s very recently and prior to that had a c2s and a bentley gt sport.

I personally found the turbo a bit of a let down, both on the noise front and drive-ability....I have no doubt that on a racetrack or mile upon mile of empty country roads a turbo would be blisteringly quick....but I live in South West London and spend most of my time driving in and around London, where the motoring benefits of a 997 turbo or indeed a Bentley GT are completely voided.

I love the sound of the c4s with its PSE and sports chrono plus. I also appreciate the better tech to be found in the c4s that I purchased over a 997.1 turbo.

Its a great car to drive, feels very involved right through the range and just ticked too many boxes for me to ignore compared to a turbo....where in all honesty I'd be spending thousands on an after market exhaust to get any kind of decent sound (the forums are full of this info), swapping out the useless and antiquated PCM 2, changing to a paddle shift wheel, worrying about the mileage/future value etc..etc..

We all have our reasons but for me the c4s was the car that suited my lifestyle and driving environment the most. It's a stunningly good looking car that for me, needs to be a daily driver with the odd blast and/or weekend away thrown in.

As much as I'd like to be...I'm no racing driver...so not hugely interested in the extreme limits of handling or 0.3 or 0.4 seconds speed differentials and will probably never turn off the traction control!!.... finally, having suffered huge depreciation on a Bentley GT owning ANY kind of Porsche makes a welcome change :D
 
Firstly I love them both...

If it was 2003 again I would take the turbo... But..and as always it's a big butt with a red stripe across it...

Now in 2018 I would take the C4s... my reasoning being..
1. The price gap has widened between them both (or appears to have on decent examples)

2. As they both get older... I would imagine the turbo engine would be under more stress mechanically so as the miles creep up will this result in more turbo engine failures? :dont know: I've not heard of many higher mileage M96 engines failing or needing rebuilds... so the reliability issues may be flipped and in financial terms £ for £ the m96 vs mezger engines would cost a lot more to rebuild :dont know:

3. N/a 911 sound better when being given full beans.

-1. Turbo's are insanely fast

-2. It not a 911 turbo... That's a better answer if a guy asks you in the pub "is it a turbo?"

4. You can just tell the bloke in the pub who asked is your C4s "a turbo" yes it is.... if he knew he wouldn't have asked
:lol:
 
The turbo does everything the C4S can do and more.

I have questioned the point of my turbo on many occasions as it really is difficult (and illegal in most cases) to use even 8/10th of it's power on public roads (and they are pretty quiet round here), my old E46 M3 was way easier to exploit.

That said, when you do get chance to have a bit of a hoon, it's just ridiculous and effortless, it never seems to be stressed, certainly not in my hands anyway. Always said it's got bigger balls than I'll ever have (and that includes use on a few track days).
 
T8 said:
C4-STORM said:
The comparison being C4S and Turbo..

I didn't source a C4 as I wanted the wide body, Turbo wheels, brakes, bumpers etc.

C4S v Turbo = nearly all the weight with c95 less bhp.

My experience was with a C4 but as it has the same engine as your C4S I deemed that my comments were valid.

:thumb: All and any comments are interesting to read.

The C4S being lower, wider and sharing the running gear of the Turbo is surely a different driving experience to a C4 though, no :?:

And then the looks..
 
911TEL said:
The answer lies here ....

'I have not driven a Turbo so I am not in a position to make an educated comment either way. '

I was reading through your earlier comments and it was obvious to me that you hadn't .... this is essential ....drive them both , then , you can decide ...
Of course all owners thoughts are great but do this and I could almost bank on knowing what your thought are after that ...

Not many people don't like to have the ability to step on the throttle and do what the Turbo does ......
You can always drive in 'Normal' if you want ....

Do it , then come back and let's us know your thoughts ....

I get that, I really do but respectfully I am asking the views of others. If I had driven or owned both I would have already concluded my own question and not started this thread.. :dont know:
 
Well you already like fat arses so that point is covered :mrgreen:

I prefer how the n/a cars drive, you can really wring the neck of one down and extract all of the power far more than you can in a Turbo. I also prefer how they sound compared to the Turbo. That said a Turbo on full song is something else!

I think it's down to personal preference, some people prefer n/a to Turbo. Try one and see what you think
 
paul987 said:
2. As they both get older... I would imagine the turbo engine would be under more stress mechanically so as the miles creep up will this result in more turbo engine failures? :dont know: I've not heard of many higher mileage M96 engines failing or needing rebuilds... so the reliability issues may be flipped and in financial terms £ for £ the m96 vs mezger engines would cost a lot more to rebuild :dont know:

I'm not sure about that:

The Mezger based Turbo engine is (a) far superior in terms of build quality and (b) offers power at far lower revs than a Carrera so it is actually far less stressed.

In standard form I suspect that, as a %, far fewer Turbo engines will ever need to be rebuilt because of mechanical failure compared to Carreras.
 
T8 said:
paul987 said:
2. As they both get older... I would imagine the turbo engine would be under more stress mechanically so as the miles creep up will this result in more turbo engine failures? :dont know: I've not heard of many higher mileage M96 engines failing or needing rebuilds... so the reliability issues may be flipped and in financial terms £ for £ the m96 vs mezger engines would cost a lot more to rebuild :dont know:

I'm not sure about that:

The Mezger based Turbo engine is (a) far superior in terms of build quality and (b) offers power at far lower revs than a Carrera so it is actually far less stressed.

In standard form I suspect that, as a %, far fewer Turbo engines will ever need to be rebuilt because of mechanical failure compared to Carreras.

This being one of the key benefits and as you say Tony a reason why you changed from the M96
 
T8 said:
paul987 said:
2. As they both get older... I would imagine the turbo engine would be under more stress mechanically so as the miles creep up will this result in more turbo engine failures? :dont know: I've not heard of many higher mileage M96 engines failing or needing rebuilds... so the reliability issues may be flipped and in financial terms £ for £ the m96 vs mezger engines would cost a lot more to rebuild :dont know:

I'm not sure about that:

The Mezger based Turbo engine is (a) far superior in terms of build quality and (b) offers power at far lower revs than a Carrera so it is actually far less stressed.

In standard form I suspect that, as a %, far fewer Turbo engines will ever need to be rebuilt because of mechanical failure compared to Carreras.

^^^ What he said. Spot-on and backed up by my and other local indys.
The power of the turbo is phenomenal and makes possible overtaking manoeuvres that are out of bounds for many cars - 2nd and 3rd gear just blows everything into a haze in the rear-view mirror. Simply stunning and 4WD traction with PSM gives a big envelope of safety. For the OP, I hope the comments have helped you decide.
 
Is the turbo a full on Mezger engine or Mezger in part?....the reason I ask is that a friend of mine who had one until very recently, had all sorts of issues, not with the metal block itself but with just about every ancilliary that was stuck to it?!!

He mentioned several cooling hoses (glued in??) and the turbos themselves having to be repaired at great cost???

His disillusionment with his car also helped me finally decide on an updated 4s.
 
Last time I was at my indi they had a Turbo in for new Turbos and intercoolers, they can still spit big bills
 
shabs

full on mezger as far as i know

Coolant hose glue can go brittle over time and i would reccoment pin/weld and reglue on all pipes if modified output is implemented

Turbos are prone to weather and road rash and all turbos will detorate over time

Normal maintenance prevails ! turbos need care and attention much the same as any other car !

Still a 4s is great ENJOY !
 
The engine in the 996/997 Turbo is not actually a true Mezger. The design is based on it but ........

"Turbocharged engine type M96/70 was designed from scratch. It's not a derivative of any other engine, but is hybrid engine with water cooled heads and cylinder sleeves, an air-cooled crankcase utilising dry sump lubrication system. the external oil tank is mounted on the engine."

Source = 996 The Essential Companion. Author: Adrian Streather.
 
To be honest, It's a bit like splitting hairs...we all drive great cars, yes there are differences between each model (probably between each car!!) but having gone over to the dark side once and now returned...there is nothing out there that combines the looks, performance, drivability and heritage of a 911,...what the hell, sometimes I open my front door just to look at my car!! (something I never did with the Bentley GT)....to the OP, you are right to do some research, hopefully you will get a chance to test a few variants out and whichever one you choose...you will not be disappointed :D :D
 

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