jefe_not

GSIRM3: Have you set a reasonable price on that death trap yet?

+1 on the track time, driving instruction, and enjoying the limits of the car!

targa996

Take the car to autocross to see how it handles. Even with PSM off, the car is quite controllable, and not that easy to make the back-end break loose - of course eventually you reach the laws of physics - but with PSM on - you have to be doign something very stupid to get into trouble ,,, Understeer was much more of an issue than oversteer for me ...

Turkertwo

Cars are dangerous
Having said that, I love the rear weight bias of all 911s including my current 2000 model with PSM. Driving a 911 aggressively is a challenge. Even with the chassis nanny switch on these cars can still bite. That is part of their great charm as a site like this attests.
On the other hand, I am reminded each time I drive a Boxster how much better the mid engine design is in terms of balance and tossibility at, say, 8/10ths on the street. Not that they are necessarily more fun to drive, but I'll bet I could beat my own 911's autocross times in a similarly equiped Boxster with equal power. For an amature (like myself), the Boxster is a little easier to wring speed out of quickly.

TomF

Kurt, as a fellow C4 owner in Seattle, I can tell you it is fantastic car both in the wet and in the snow, with proper tires. Having owned a number of 911s over 25 years, I can say that the 996 C4 is a completely different animal compared to a two-wheel drive 911. In the NW, in the wet and snow a C4 will allow you to push it a bit farther without going over the edge. A C2, on the other hand, has completely different handling characteristics and limits. I prefer the C2 at the very edge, but for safety in daily and overall driving, I love the C4. Having said all that, be careful when you first get behind the wheel of a two-wheel drive 911- they are very different. I'd love to hear your impressions of a C2 and a C4 driven back to back...

nick49

Journalists are just people in general. One that wrote for a well know motorcycle mag for years hadn't a clue about anything mechanical and would write in depth articles about the latest and greatest techno wizardly in the industry often tripping over himself and struggling all the while. It's like he'd use a press release from the manufacturer and try to reword it. Too bad he didn't get it. I lost all what little credence I had in that publication.

A neighbor of mine was the guy that did the Saturday automotive reviews for our local paper. He didn't get it either. Often he'd have me drive him up the canyons to test the latest suspension, handling or braking features. He wrote the Mitsubishi Galant sport handling control and ABS brakes without understanding what they really did. I'd pilot the car and give him a first hand demo. It amazed him as he didn't feel comfortable pushing vehicles at all. I'm sure there are a lot like this.

Zurichgnome

I know this thread is more about handling safety -- but I would like to see Porsche at some point puts its cars through the same crash tests that other manufacturers do. Over the years, I've heard the 911 family is extremely safe in a crash. But I'd like to see a relative comparison.

GSIRM3

LOL. Do you think I could get anything for it?

PJorgen

All 911s are deathtraps, you should get rid of yours right now.

As a service to all 911 owners I will take the car off your hands for no charge and give you a full release of liability. PM for details.

nick49

Look at the pics, both driver and passenger lived. This happened a few miles from home and 3-4 miles below where my avatar pic was taken. They went off a steep canyon road, down a steep long embankment and I believe upside down in the icy stream.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=14382034

Divot

PM sent. I'll be glad to be rid of that death-trap.

Thundertub

I think that data is out there in massive abundance, and has been since 1973 when the 5mph bumpers first began. You need to consider reading a wider range of information. ALL MODELS and ALL MANUFACTURERS must go through ALL of the exact same crash testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration EVERY model year. All automobile models must be crash tested every time there is a change to that model.

Here is their home page:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/

You can browse it at your leisure.

That means there are already a minimum of FIVE 991 coupes and FIVE 991 cabriolets sitting in the NHTSA junk yard out back, and results are available on their site.

Crash testing is MANDATORY. Nobody is allow to sell an automobile in the United States until NHTSA and DOT sign off on it.

vwillo1

The engine is in the rear! Some bitch, I hadn't noticed. Really, an autocross or DE is the best learning experience you can get and calm your fears about the *** end coming around.

MrTomT

Thanks for all of the responses.

Don't mean to ruffle any feathers. Just asking the question from an unbiased position.

It's a bit hard to name the exact articles I have read over the years that use the 'throwing a hammer handle first' quote. I've also read terms like 'defying the laws of physics' or 'lift-off oversteer' I'm sure others have read this stuff over the years also.

Listen to this Porsche technical instructor describe the handling to Jay Leno in this video (at about 6:42 to 7:30)...

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/...911-gt2/966781

I understand the argument that if the car is driven properly & within it's limits, by an adequately experienced/skilled driver, then there should be no problem, but this does not account for all situations on the road.
Other drivers, mechanical failures, dangerous road surfaces, weather condition etc. All of these external factors come into play also.

I'm not looking to buy a Volvo & understand that all mechanical designs are compromises. Just looking to get a bit more of an idea of the 996 in particular before I bother people for test-drives.

Anyhow, I think these are fascinating cars. Thanks again for all of the responses.

MICHAELWWW

If you can see the creek, understeer. If you come to and don't know how you got in the creek, oversteer. If there are no skid marks you are avoiding a trip to *** pounding prison by going to the hospital

Gonzo911

Before I owned a 996, I couldn't drive from here to there without hitting something. A tree. A curb. The occasional pedestrian. However, since I have been driving the 996, I have been accident free for over 6 months! I assume that accelerating through turns, jack rabbit starts, +100mph sprints (allegedly) and last minute braking have been handled much better by my Porsche 911 than my Jaguar XK.