gobs

Hello All,
I am just getting into the Porsche world and I was told to look here in the rennlist forums for info. I am looking to purchase a 996 but what do you recommend in regards to basic rear wheel or all wheel drive? I have seen both in my price range but need some advice from experts. Thank you for taking the time to look.

Dennis C

Many people prefer RWD cars because they are a little bit lighter and they offer a more nimble feel. That being said, the AWD cars offer excellent grip and handling. They are slightly more prone to understeer when pushed hard, but the difference isn't dramatic. The vast majority of drivers will not be able to tell the difference in the way the cars handle.

One thing worth mentioning is that the AWD cars aren't really designed to provide increased traction in winter conditions. The AWD cars utilize a mechanical viscous coupling to drive the front wheels. It only diverts power to the front wheels if there is a speed differential between front and rear wheels. If your rear wheels begin to slip because of slippery road conditions, the traction control system will intervene and brake the rear wheels before the AWD system can react. The 996 AWD system shines in corners. It allows you to accelerate out of a corner more aggressively than a RWD car.

If your concern is driving in winter conditions, then invest in a dedicated set of winter wheels and tires. A RWD car with the right tires will do fine in winter conditions. One final thing to note is that AWD cars are all equipped with PSM (Porsche Stability Management). This is an optional feature for RWD cars.

Good luck with your search.

gnat

Meh, our C4 does just fine in the winter without winter tires. As long as the snow isn't deep enough for the bumper to catch, it's a little beast.

Something else to know about the C4 Coupes (not sure if it applies to the C4S) is that it has the stiffer chassis of the GT3. So you can actually remove the front drive system to save most of the weight and you're still ahead of the RWD cars if hardcode tracking is your thing.

A final note on the final note, unlike the RWD cars you can not truly turn it off with the press of a button. Turning it "off" significantly retards it's intervention, but it will still intervene (though maybe too late which could make things worse). In the RWD cars, when equipped, off means off and you are on your own.

Petersa9

I'm not saying this is wrong, but in my C4S I've been able to completely wipe out when PSM is disabled. I've never experienced your note above. However, maybe it's intervention was so minimal that it's undetectable. Worth noting, even when PSM is on it lets you drive fairly hard before kicking in. I've been able to initiate minor oversteer without PSM intervention.

For my money, AWD is where it's at. But I'm not a hardcore racer, I just enjoy the feeling. And I also wrecked my rear drive 911 without PSM, so the wife requires PSM and AWD.

Dennis C

I found the PSM system in my C4S to be pretty intrusive. It wouldn't let you get the rear end out too far before it snapped you back into line. Deactivating it certainly eliminated that behavior! My understanding is that even if you turn it off, it will come back on in certain situations. I know that activation of the ABS braking system will turn it back on. There's a fuse you can pull to completely deactivate it if you want to do that for track days.

As for the winer tire question, it all comes down to where you drive and your tolerance for risk. Summer tires are never a good idea in winter conditions, AWD or not. All-season tires (aka no-season tires) are better than summer tires in slippery conditions, but they pale in comparison to proper winter tires. If you live in a place where there is lots of snow and ice or lots of hills, then winter tires are the only way to go.

5CHN3LL

Could not agree more. PSM with the front wheel drive stuff installed on my C4 was excessively intrusive.

After removing the FWD gear, PSM is MUCH less inclined to perk up. I also love the stiffness of the C4 chassis - the car does not creak or groan at all when one wheel is completely off the ground.

I have not found that ABS firing causes PSM to turn back on in my C4. I have only had the system reactivate ONCE - and that was after looping the car at an autocross.