carrera 4s Advice
Discussion
After a lot of hard work over the past year, i have just printed off my profit loss account for the past 12 months and as a new year present to myself i am going to be looking for a Carrera 4s upto 12months old.
I have had a Tvr Cerbera before and i could not live with that as my only car.
But my question is could i live with a Porsche on a daily basis.
I do around 5000 to 6000 miles a year on average plus a possible road trip in to france circa 2000 miles.
I have 2 young Kids 9 months and 2 years. and obiviously a wife. Would it be practical to use it as a daily car?? plus fit the luggage in for a 7 day trip to france??
We use a Clio at the moment as our runabout and have got to france twice this year and got all cloths etc in for a 10 day break.
Advice appriciated
Steve
I have had a Tvr Cerbera before and i could not live with that as my only car.
But my question is could i live with a Porsche on a daily basis.
I do around 5000 to 6000 miles a year on average plus a possible road trip in to france circa 2000 miles.
I have 2 young Kids 9 months and 2 years. and obiviously a wife. Would it be practical to use it as a daily car?? plus fit the luggage in for a 7 day trip to france??
We use a Clio at the moment as our runabout and have got to france twice this year and got all cloths etc in for a 10 day break.
Advice appriciated
Steve
stc_bennett said:
After a lot of hard work over the past year, i have just printed off my profit loss account for the past 12 months and as a new year present to myself i am going to be looking for a Carrera 4s upto 12months old.
I have had a Tvr Cerbera before and i could not live with that as my only car.
But my question is could i live with a Porsche on a daily basis.
I do around 5000 to 6000 miles a year on average plus a possible road trip in to france circa 2000 miles.
I have 2 young Kids 9 months and 2 years. and obiviously a wife. Would it be practical to use it as a daily car?? plus fit the luggage in for a 7 day trip to france??
We use a Clio at the moment as our runabout and have got to france twice this year and got all cloths etc in for a 10 day break.
Advice appriciated
Steve
I have a C4 that I use for the same purpose.
The kids should be fine as they can see out of the windows but I am not sure about the availability of a rear baby seat.
The ride on 4S is meant to be very harsh because it runs the sports chassis and 18" alloys and 30 profile tyres. I spoke to a Porsche rep at the motorshow who openly admitted that it is downright harsh (though I know that PHers like it that way).
The cars are pretty good for long journies but road noise really lets them down and I find the car quite tiring on long runs.
The boot on any of the 4 wheel drive 996 is very small due to the diff being in place and the spare wheel being moved to the floor. I think that you would seriously stuggle to get all your stuff in.
In terms of everyday use..its not an issue..Porsche always have good seats and ancilliaries such as good heaters and are ease of driveability in traffic etc and are pretty reliable. They are quite cheap to run both in terms of servicing and fuel economy but eat rear tyres for fun (reckon on 6 to 9k miles per rear set)
Look at it another way...what are the alternatives????
I suppose you could look at Hard core Audis such as RS6 or S8s
stc_bennett said:
Ive had a drive in the S8 but its a bit Tame same with the RS6
Wanted something a bit more sporty to be honest
A TVR is not reliable enough so a german marque is the way forward with me
I wouldnt really descibe 4 wheel drive Porsches as "extreme" They only thrill when pushing very hard or else they feel like sporty Audis and Mercs. A 993 really provides that raw sports feel..
I have yet to drive an RS6 but heard they are a monster...see what you mean though...best friend has an M5. I got bored of driving it after an afternoon and he finds it all a bit dull after only 3 months of ownership. You just dont get the feel good factor.
Guess you should drive the 4S and see if you can live with the ride. Its a stunning looking car and I am sure you will have fun in those roads around cumbria
stc_bennett said:
After a lot of hard work over the past year, i have just printed off my profit loss account for the past 12 months and as a new year present to myself i am going to be looking for a Carrera 4s upto 12months old.
I have had a Tvr Cerbera before and i could not live with that as my only car.
But my question is could i live with a Porsche on a daily basis.
I do around 5000 to 6000 miles a year on average plus a possible road trip in to france circa 2000 miles.
I have 2 young Kids 9 months and 2 years. and obiviously a wife. Would it be practical to use it as a daily car?? plus fit the luggage in for a 7 day trip to france??
We use a Clio at the moment as our runabout and have got to france twice this year and got all cloths etc in for a 10 day break.
Advice appriciated
Steve
...the suspension on a C4S is the same as the Turbo, I believe, so I wouldn't describe the ride as harsh, unless you're comparing to a Merc or BMW. The C4S is not an 'extreme' variant by any stretch of the imagination.
It's an ultra reliable and comfortable sports car, but I think you'd struggle to get luggage for 4 in the car - two people, plus luggage for a week max.
There aren't any classy saloons around that will give you the same involvement as the Porsche, I'm afraid. They're all compromised in some way - RS6, E55AMG, XJR, M5.
I'd advise - buy the C4S and get a trailer for the kids!
You've still got a few years with the little ones in the back, make sure they can see out or it's 
Bare in mind that their little leggies won't reach the footwells which happen to be just the right size for wine bottles!! Does wonders for the handling too.....
Also there is room below your pax knees for a small squashy bag.
Careful packing the bonnet when you close it though -easy to put a dent in from the inside.
Melv
Bare in mind that their little leggies won't reach the footwells which happen to be just the right size for wine bottles!! Does wonders for the handling too.....
Also there is room below your pax knees for a small squashy bag.
Careful packing the bonnet when you close it though -easy to put a dent in from the inside.
Melv
Thanks for the advice, i have been reading the reviews etc some mention there is room behind the rear seats for some luggage on the C4S and the targa has the rear opening window.
If there is space behind the rear seats on the C4S if there is how does it compare to the Targa.
Without seeing seeing them or been on one its a bit hard to imagine but i have been out in a mates GT3 a couple of weeks ago.
Steve
If there is space behind the rear seats on the C4S if there is how does it compare to the Targa.
Without seeing seeing them or been on one its a bit hard to imagine but i have been out in a mates GT3 a couple of weeks ago.
Steve
Steve,
the Porker really is fine as a daily car, that's the beauty of them. It won't be as quick as your cerbera in a straight line but point to point you won't see it for dust !
A C4S is a great choice, Kamal seems to have a thing about sports suspension, but believe me (& most other Piston headers) when I say that you need it if you are a press on driver who enjoys a "sports car". The standard set up has FAR MORE understeer & rolls & floats in extreeme, although is fine up to 7/10ths. The car is far more "as one & cohesive" with the 10mm lower set up...which is standard on the c4S.i have owned both set ups so speak from the experience of 6 different Porkers (not all at the same time I hasten to add). The Gt3 you have been in has the 30mm lower set up, now that is HARSH...but a must have if you go on track all the time.
The wider track, 10mm sports set up & 4wd (with extra weight over the nose) really seem to suit the "feel" of the 996 cars & I think you have chosen the ideal model with the C4S. Although the 4wd does take away about 1/3rd of the boot space.With a family on board the handling & security of the C4S is also a big plus, it has Porsches excellent PSM traction control as standard. Without wishing to upset any one ..the Targa, although this is a great car, it's between "bests", neither fish nor fowl..the CAB does proper wind in the hair, the standard coupe is lighter & stiffer, hence a better drivers choice. The "sunroof" is also very noisy at speed, but the hatch is very pratical & it has a much lighter cabin because of the glass roof !
If it was my money I would go the whole hog & get an older Turbo rather than a new C4s, or wait for the new 997 which is out next September.But which ever way you go I think the C4S is probably the best value overall current 996, just add a sports exhaust & go.
the Porker really is fine as a daily car, that's the beauty of them. It won't be as quick as your cerbera in a straight line but point to point you won't see it for dust !
A C4S is a great choice, Kamal seems to have a thing about sports suspension, but believe me (& most other Piston headers) when I say that you need it if you are a press on driver who enjoys a "sports car". The standard set up has FAR MORE understeer & rolls & floats in extreeme, although is fine up to 7/10ths. The car is far more "as one & cohesive" with the 10mm lower set up...which is standard on the c4S.i have owned both set ups so speak from the experience of 6 different Porkers (not all at the same time I hasten to add). The Gt3 you have been in has the 30mm lower set up, now that is HARSH...but a must have if you go on track all the time.
The wider track, 10mm sports set up & 4wd (with extra weight over the nose) really seem to suit the "feel" of the 996 cars & I think you have chosen the ideal model with the C4S. Although the 4wd does take away about 1/3rd of the boot space.With a family on board the handling & security of the C4S is also a big plus, it has Porsches excellent PSM traction control as standard. Without wishing to upset any one ..the Targa, although this is a great car, it's between "bests", neither fish nor fowl..the CAB does proper wind in the hair, the standard coupe is lighter & stiffer, hence a better drivers choice. The "sunroof" is also very noisy at speed, but the hatch is very pratical & it has a much lighter cabin because of the glass roof !
If it was my money I would go the whole hog & get an older Turbo rather than a new C4s, or wait for the new 997 which is out next September.But which ever way you go I think the C4S is probably the best value overall current 996, just add a sports exhaust & go.
Following on from Grants sensible suggestion, what about a used turbo and a roof box for those longhaul trips to France 
a pic of one on a 996 from the porsche web site
http://content3.eu.porsche.com/prod/911/carrera_models.nsf/0/CAB4BEC690B2468FC1256DB9005250B0
>> Edited by pesty on Saturday 27th December 16:57
Seriously you cant get a c4s as your everyday car with kids, holidays etc. It wouldnt take a single pram. You would need another car (people carrier or something) to enjoy your family trip. Keep C4S for yourself and children can go in it sometimes for fun. I have 2 kids and this is from experience.
Aamir
Aamir
targa said:
Seriously you cant get a c4s as your everyday car with kids, holidays etc. It wouldnt take a single pram. You would need another car (people carrier or something) to enjoy your family trip. Keep C4S for yourself and children can go in it sometimes for fun. I have 2 kids and this is from experience.
Aamir
The kids are virually out of the pram. I didnt really want the expense of running a second car esp a SUV (M class, X5 etc)
hence this was the reason i came down the porsche route we only need the Boot for hols The shopping gets delivered anyway
Everything is compromised now anyway with the Clio and 2 car seats etc, going to kendal monday hopefully if the partner can hold the fort at work.
steve
grant3 said:
Kamal seems to have a thing about sports suspension, but believe me (& most other Piston headers) when I say that you need it if you are a press on driver who enjoys a "sports car". The standard set up has FAR MORE understeer & rolls & floats in extreeme, although is fine up to 7/10ths.
The "sunroof" is also very noisy at speed, but the hatch is very pratical & it has a much lighter cabin because of the glass roof !
.
I too am fortunate to have owned lots of cars and in particular 4 Porsches (hey whose counting)
To once again clarify my position on sports chassis
My own use of my Porsche means that I cannot get to anywhere near or past 7/10ths of its performance as I would likely lose my license for reckless driving. I may have the oppotunity to do so for 1% of the time...say on track days.
The opportunities for accessing the last 3/10 are so few that the compromise in terms of ride quality on the appaling roads of London do not justify a sports chassis. All that happens is that you drive around in a car that is unable to damp out bumps and skips off line at the mere sign of a bump. Handling in even slow corners becomes a challenge becasue the car cannot smooth out mid corner bumps.
NOW....If I lived in an area that had great roads OR if I used the car for lots of track days then I would happily buy another Porsche with Sports Chassis and 18" wheels. You are correct in that the car does handle more precisely
This is the exact advice I have provided..ie go and drive the car on local roads and see how you find it.
No one on this board can deny that the sports chassis causes a deterioration in ride on medicore roads and similarly I cannot say that it doesnt improve handling in the right circumstances.
I point this out in the same way that you state that the Targa roof can be noisy but some people are accepting of the compromise for the overall benefit.
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