Porsche itch won't go away....time for a C4S!?

[dank]

So once again my mind has swung to Porshe, even though iI was hoping to keep both my Vx and get a Porsche, it's financially not going to work out like that, so 996 GT3, 997 CS, Boxster S, Cayman S are all out the window, so i am now Seriously considering the 996 C4S !

Drove a very nice Lapis blue coupe yesterday and was very very surprised by how pointy, accurate and light, nimble it felt. Standard exhausts as well and it sounded great in my opinion, and overall feel and look was amazing, loved it! I was also surprised how fast it felt, it seemed much quicker than my vx off the line, and much quicker then at the gen 2 cayman s i had for a month, am i deluded?

I thought it did feel like it was the closet thing to the 996 GT3 you could get without getting a GT3, and for a lot less cash.

So now my dilemma, is should it be the cabriolet C4S or the coupe, love the looks of the coupe, but would miss the cab of my vx220...

Are there any known gremlins or major expenses with the power hood, it looks a complex bit of kit with potentially huge amount of things tat could go wrong, is there any performance reduction with the cab?

I understand the sat nab is vital spec, why is that, i was led to believe it's crap!?

any advice buying a C4S appreciated

[Crimp a Length!]

You've just mist out on a 2005 C4S Cab i had for sale, 54k miles.
Great car went to trade £20k!!

Wrong time of year to sell cabs.

[RatBoy M3CSL]

dank said:

I understand the sat nab is vital spec, why is that, i was led to believe it's crap!?

The sat nav is not quite as good as having Stevie Wonder sat next to you map reading

[Martian O]

Crimp a Length! said:

You've just mist out.....

Is it foggy where you are CAL?

[gerradiuk]

If you are looking for an immaculate C4S then look no further than Tuscman's car, he may be thinking odf selling.

[Crimp a Length!]

Martian O said:

Crimp a Length! said:

You've just mist out.....

Is it foggy where you are CAL?

Ha ha, just got up matey.

[Tydeides]

I went from an S1 Elise 111S to a 997 C4S, because I wanted to have just one car, whereas the Elise was a second car.

Running costs have been spectacular compared to the Elise, so I guess it would be the same for the VX.

The car is obviously much faster, but in my opinion too fast for my own driving skill. I had more fun in the Elise, though the power and the noise of the sports exhaust of the 997 is fabulous.

I personally don't like the lines of 911 cabs, but that's personal taste. My experience of running a 911 is that it is very expensive, and on a 10 year old car I'm guessing the roof will need attention at some point if you are using it as your daily driver.

Funnily enough I've been toying with buying a VXT next year, as I miss the rawness of the Elise driving experience. In your post you suggest that the 996 C4S will be close to a GT3, I think you need to drive them both to realise that unfortunately this is not really the case. I would be tempted if I were you to save a bit longer and get a 996 GT3. For two reasons, 1. it will be a better driving comparator to the VX, and 2. it will lose less in depreciation which will offset the marginally higher running costs.

Without a doubt though the C4S is a capable beastie, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Just drive a few, as I certainly got to the point of feeling I'd bought the wrong car (I really wish I had bought the 997 GT3).

[hungry_hog]

I have one, 04 model.

Fantastic car, plenty quick, rides well.

Options wise, nav is not great. No postcode option, so you have to input town / street. Still does the job.
Switchable PSE essential. PSE on = lion, off = mouse.

Have driven a 996GT3 (mark 2), magnificent car but the clutch is too heavy for everyday use IMO.

Not sure what to replace with when it goes. Maybe 997gts, or R8.

You may want to consider the turbo as well as they are great value for not much more $.

Edited by hungry_hog on Monday 29th October 08:38

[bullettneil]

i bought my 03 plate c4s last month.havent ha much chance to use it just yet but when i have i love it.the car is suprising quick compared to what i was expecting.coming from big turbo'd cosworths with 400 odd bhp i was expecting it to feel slow but i was happily suprised at its readiness to pull.
the handling is superb and fuel consumption is far less than the old cars.
ok it has higher miles but everything has been done and it drives lovely.
just needs my detailing touch before im happy

[Shewie]

gerradiuk said:

If you are looking for an immaculate C4S then look no further than Tuscman's car, he may be thinking odf selling.

Nice pitch .. I know that car well and would agree it's a great spec low mileage C4S if you can live with the Savannah interior

OP - I wouldn't get hung up on the PCM Sat Nav as it's generally percieved to be st... When I was looking for my C4S, nav wasn't important in the decision making process. Personally my preferences were a good history, PSE (sports exhaust), a neutral interior with the small aluminium pack and Litronic headlights, but each to there own I suppose.

I wouldn't get too hung up on mileage as condition and history are better indicators of whether it's been looked after. Mine had done 75k when I bought it, but as everything else checked out I wasn't overly bothered (it's not my daily driver). I've now had it 2 years and done another 10k in that time and it's been very reliable with only consumable parts like brakes and tyres being replaced.

Great cars....

[willmac]

I know this is not a cab, but a lovely looking car nonetheless , and a bit different with the bucket seats.
Low mileage and strong money

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

[Shewie]

willmac said:

I know this is not a cab, but a lovely looking car nonetheless , and a bit different with the bucket seats.
Low mileage and strong money

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

Oooh... Thats nice . Think they look great in Cobalt.

Apart from the one Clarkson reviewed on Top Gear many moons ago, I think thats the only one I've ever seen with factory Clubsport seats. Can't have been a cheap option!

[uktrailmonster]

I'd say go for it, they are very capable and great value for money. I wouldn't personally worry about having an old outdated sat nav on a 10 year old car. I would be far more concerned about condition and service history than detailed spec, although the sports exhaust is a really nice option to have. I much prefer the looks of the Coupe, but open top motoring has a special appeal. Your choice, but expect to pay a little more for a decent cab. Worth noting that the rear seats are even less usable in a cab as the hood does take up some of the rear room.

[dank]

wow, yes the paul french car is very nice indeed, just unsure of the grey leather, but great spec and colour!

Off to see a cabriolet at the weekend, so will have a better idea of what i am after

[dank]

What do people think is a fair price for a decent C4S cabriolet, the prices of both seem to vary quite a lot, I have seen cabs and coupes at 20k and some much higher, and some high 80k milers at £21,000, is £23-25k a good budget for a decent cab?

I am swaying towards the cab over the coupe, as will miss my vx220 open top motoring!

[Obiwonkeyblokey]

age, mileage, spec, condition, servive history etc etc.

a low miler early car could be the same price as a leggy later one, why not post ones on here that interest you and invite comments / open bag of worms :-)

[uktrailmonster]

dank said:

the prices of both seem to vary quite a lot

As does their relative condition. They are quite old cars now and the differences in condition can be staggering.

[jkh112]

dank said:

I thought it did feel like it was the closet thing to the 996 GT3 you could get without getting a GT3, and for a lot less cash.

I would have thought that a narrow body 2 wheel drive Carrera would be closer to a gt3 than a C4S. Same engine in both the Carrera and the Carrera 4s.

[Dave Thornton]

I have an 04MY C4S coupe.

Points to consider, in order:
1. condition
2. condition
3. condition
4. history
5. options
6. colour
7. mileage

Options (in my opinion)
PSE - the only vital option
Bose upgrade
Litronics
Sports seats
PCM2 - no postcode entry but useful if you are lost
Aluminium or carbon fibre interior packs

Colour:
1. Black or seal grey
2. Silver
3. Blue metallics

Interior:
1. Black
3. Grey
6. Savannah

[Barry Ashcroft]

Dave Thornton said:

I have an 04MY C4S coupe.

Points to consider, in order:
1. condition
2. condition
3. condition
4. history
5. options
6. colour
7. mileage

Options (in my opinion)
PSE - the only vital option
Bose upgrade
Litronics
Sports seats
PCM2 - no postcode entry but useful if you are lost
Aluminium or carbon fibre interior packs

Colour:
1. Black or seal grey
2. Silver
3. Blue metallics

Interior:
1. Black
3. Grey
6. Savannah

Agree