help in understanding the handling of a c4s

c14ops · 7 Sep 2009

Well ive had my c4s for almost 3 weeks now and am loving it. Its my first 911 and im moving on from front engine rear wheel drive cars to a totally different experience. Grip levels are incredible coming out of corners and mid corner when the 4wd seems to pull me through.

I havent switched the PSM off yet.... Trying to treat the car with respect from all the horror stories of 911s of old losing control. So far the car feels so planted i would need to be fairly insane to really really let it step out of line.

So does anyone have any tips on how to drive the car? I appreciate smoothness is very important, it doesnt like to be thrown around like other cars ive driven and if i go into bends at high speed, the grip is so much i have no idea when it will let go and im a touch uncomfortable to find out what happens. I have driven c2s' before and its a lot more traditional in terms of how it handles and you can feel the back end step out ever so slightly without much effort - this 4wd is a different animal in my limited experience. Any pointers / comments for this newbie?

Cunno · 7 Sep 2009

Can't give you much advise on how to drive a C4S, as I've only driven one once.
But if I was you I'd get down to car limits (carlimits.com). They do driver training on an Airfield which is very safe place to explore your cars grip levels. For £200 you get an instructor (Andy) who knows his stuff for a day shared with 3 other drivers. Well worth it. :thumb:

Wattie · 7 Sep 2009

Had C4s for 8 years and 110,000 miles and Audi quattros before that, so I'm a 4WD enthusiast!

The trick is very much slow in and fast out to start with, but as you get used to it, start using a little bit of left-foot braking to balance the car and allow faster entry speeds (practice that in a straight line at low speed first, else you might end up hitting the windscreen, or going through a hedge if it's slippery! :grin: )

The traction is immense, so you can get the power down quite a bit earlier than you can in a 2WD car - almost as soon as you've turned into the corner in fact. I also found that a sharper turn-in, with a wider exit helped maximise cornering speed.

I learned a lot from taking an off-duty race instructor as my passenger on my first track-day! Myself and a mate shared him for the whole day at Silverstone and it made a huge difference - even though I was already a reasonably accomplished road-rally driver before-hand.

The problem with 4WD though, is that once you find the limits, the next thing that happens is inevitably expensive and painful (unless you are at Bedford or one of the 'Car Limits' type venues!)

An expertly driven C4 will always beat its equivalent C2 in anything but perfect track conditions - that's why the Audis got banned from the BTCC in the '90s - so good choice :thumb: and enjoy... :thumbs:

apw2007 · 7 Sep 2009

IMO the only real problem is having to lift off in a high speed corner - approach with caution on public roads when you can't see what's waiting for you around the bend. While the car is accelerating the rear wheels stay firmly planted but lifting off unsettles the car and allows the weight behind the rear axle to react like a pendulum and you will be heading backwards towards that hedge a lot faster than you would think possible.

The saying about the 911 in a corner is 'slow in and fast out' .. only when you can see your way out the corner, then it's time to get on the gas

Karcsi · 13 Sep 2009

apw2007 said:
IMO the only real problem is having to lift off in a high speed corner - approach with caution on public roads when you can't see what's waiting for you around the bend. While the car is accelerating the rear wheels stay firmly planted but lifting off unsettles the car and allows the weight behind the rear axle to react like a pendulum and you will be heading backwards towards that hedge a lot faster than you would think possible.

Apparently the new PASM on the Gen 2 helps out with that hugely - according to the instructor at the Silverstone Porsche Experience. The new version of the system detects that you have lifted off in a corner, so reapplies some gas to try to avoid the rear end overtaking you. In the 4, it also move power to the fronts to help drag you out.

I found the 4 extremely stable compared to the 2 - and very much suited to a novice (and heavy right footed) RWD driver like me. The 2 is undoubtedly more fun and challenging on the track.

I'm not too sure whether the 'slow in fast out' mantra still holds. The instructor was encouraging me to take more and more speed into the corners, and I didn't feel I was doing anything different than I had done in my Audi TT on the track before. Go on the power too early, and both 4 and 2 will understeer. More power more quickly, and the 4 will just drift off line and the 2 will start to oversteer.

OK, nothing I would try on the open road, but like most modern cars, it alls seems rather safe unless you are being a fool. I'll still probably go for the 4 - I have 3 hours experience in a RWD so far, all last Thursday afternoon.

apw2007 · 13 Sep 2009

Karcsi said:
I'm not too sure whether the 'slow in fast out' mantra still holds.

I was referring to public roads where you not always able to see what is waiting for you around a corner - track is of course another story. :thumbs:

Karcsi · 14 Sep 2009

apw2007 said:
Karcsi said:

I'm not too sure whether the 'slow in fast out' mantra still holds.

Click to expand...

I was referring to public roads where you not always able to see what is waiting for you around a corner - track is of course another story. :thumbs:

Just commenting on the sophistication of the electronics - it seems 'slow in fast out' is longer something that needs to be adhered to in a 911, even for a numptee driver like me. Of course there are whole load of other factors you need to consider when driving on the road, but at least whether you will swop ends when you do have to brake suddenly mid-corner seems no longer to be as high on that list.

freddie44 · 15 Sep 2009

Haven't had a go in a C4S and would love to compare one to my C2S.
A bit random but one thing I found on my first track day was how much difference having a full tank of petrol upfront made to the handling. I'd been told this already by the organisers but couldnt agree more with them by the end. I span off on the last lap (admit v. excited) but thinking back to it I had held the slide perfectly all day and this one (with the empty tank) felt very different

I'm sure it's probably the same for a C4, you just get more help from the front wheels I suppose

Whatever you do just book up a track day and have a blinder! :thumbs:

c14ops · 15 Sep 2009

thanks to all of you. i will now try progressively more lift off mid corner to get a feel for things. sounds like i need to get on the track quickly! 8)

mike brown · 15 Sep 2009

996c4s handling

As the owner of a C4S I pretty much agree with all thats been said especially if you get to confident it will snap and end up being costly, I was totally taken aback by mine when I exited a roundabout and accelerated hard, I got ahuge wadge of understeer but I was lucky I had some room. I should add that I am no expert driver. But what I can say with certainty is that they are bloody brilliant cars and I would never change mine for anything. Best regards Mike

apw2007 · 15 Sep 2009

Karcsi said:
...... but at least whether you will swop ends when you do have to brake suddenly mid-corner seems no longer to be as high on that list.

Porsche has finally turned the 911 into a girls car! :wack:

Karcsi · 15 Sep 2009

apw2007 said:
Karcsi said:

...... but at least whether you will swop ends when you do have to brake suddenly mid-corner seems no longer to be as high on that list.

Click to expand...

Porsche has finally turned the 911 into a girls car! :wack:

It wasn't my first thought, but after about 20 minutes I did think to myself, this is like driving any other car - no drama at all. But if you do want a bit of drama you can always switch off the PSM.

Wattie · 15 Sep 2009

apw2007 said:
Karcsi said:

...... but at least whether you will swop ends when you do have to brake suddenly mid-corner seems no longer to be as high on that list.

Click to expand...

Porsche has finally turned the 911 into a girls car! :wack:

Actually that is a lot closer to the truth than you might believe... According to someone I spoke to within Porsche GB back in 2001, their records indicated that almost 50% of 996 Carrera buyers were female! :what:

In contrast, previous 911 Carrera models were very heavily male biased (can't remember the statistics, but I'm sure it was more than 70% male)

mike brown · 16 Sep 2009

C4S handling

So whats the big deal with girls cars, girls captain 747s they drive very large trucks,one even flies in the US with artificial legs and shes got a Purple heart for her bravery, shes more than a match for any man, :roll: they drive coaches, shoot guns in Afghanistan, and the world over, or do I detect some inferiortiy complex amongst the hardened 911 brigade. Anyway every Porcshe out there is a girls car really, if anyone wants a mans car perhaps they should be looking towards an old MG or some such.

help in understanding the handling of a c4s

c14ops

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