How do 944 or 968 handling compare to modern Japs
Discussion
I have a 944 S2 which has superb handling although it,s a bit soft for realy hard driving,i know that the 968 is sharper and firmer, as are the 944 se turbo,s .
I,ve read a lot of stuff commending the handling as being very very good,but how do these cars stand up to the imprezza,s and evo,s in the dry with a decent driver behind the wheel(possibly me)ha ha.
I would imagine 4 wheel drive and lots of driver aids would flatter the average driver and in the wet these latter cars must surely kick the old porsches in to touch but i,ve never driven them,has any one else??.
Just how much has 15 yrs moved on .
I,ve read a lot of stuff commending the handling as being very very good,but how do these cars stand up to the imprezza,s and evo,s in the dry with a decent driver behind the wheel(possibly me)ha ha.
I would imagine 4 wheel drive and lots of driver aids would flatter the average driver and in the wet these latter cars must surely kick the old porsches in to touch but i,ve never driven them,has any one else??.
Just how much has 15 yrs moved on .
Being an average driver and having owned 2 Impreza turbos prior to my current 944 Turbo S, I would say that handling-wise my 16 year old 944 is much better than an Impreza. Imprezas really dont handle very well, generally understeering quite badly unless really provoked. What they do have is lots of grip, which tends to hide the handling shortcomings. Without a doubt they are very flattering to an average driver (like me!) making you feel like a rallying god when you blast round a corner with the tyres glued to the tarmac. It was quite a shock when i started driving the 944 and realized I had forgotten everything I used to know about car control - the impreza used to drive itself! On dry tarmac I am certain that the 944 is noticeably quicker. But in the wet it is a different story, although even then the natural balance of the 944 inspires more confidence than the fairly lifeless steering of the Impreza. Impreza is faster though.
I think the difference is that if a 944 steps out of line, an average driver has a reasonable chance of catching it. In an Impreza there is not much warning of impending trouble and the car does not have the balance to respond quickly to driver inputs.
Both the Imprezas I had were 1999 vintage, so I cant comment on the latest versions with manually controllable centre diffs etc. No doubt they are a step ahead, assuming the driver knows how to use all the toys.
Steve
I think the difference is that if a 944 steps out of line, an average driver has a reasonable chance of catching it. In an Impreza there is not much warning of impending trouble and the car does not have the balance to respond quickly to driver inputs.
Both the Imprezas I had were 1999 vintage, so I cant comment on the latest versions with manually controllable centre diffs etc. No doubt they are a step ahead, assuming the driver knows how to use all the toys.
Steve
4 WD gives you more grip. Cornering speeds can increase.
But the result is a car that has so much grip that it is not as much fun. You can't play with it like you can a 968, and so IMO they are nowhere near as much fun.
And they understeer.
But it if its sheer speed on an A to B point to point, then sure the Impreza should get there faster.
They also, of course, look hideous and have absolutely no coolness whatsoever.
Blue with gold wheels...I mean, come on. You'd have to be blind....
IMO of course.
But the result is a car that has so much grip that it is not as much fun. You can't play with it like you can a 968, and so IMO they are nowhere near as much fun.
And they understeer.
But it if its sheer speed on an A to B point to point, then sure the Impreza should get there faster.
They also, of course, look hideous and have absolutely no coolness whatsoever.
Blue with gold wheels...I mean, come on. You'd have to be blind....
IMO of course.
Never really understood this claim that all AWD drive cars do is understeer.
If too much speed is carried into a corner understeer will always be experienced. That said with AWD you'll end up carrying more speed as you feel so invincible.
You drive any car in a way to make it fun, if that means a slight dab with your left foot on the brakes as you enter a roundabout to induce a small slide and then power out then that's what you'll end up doing.
However, when the tuning bug bites (and it always seems to) the power delivery increases. A small stab on the throttle always gets the tail out and from there it's a small step to huge slides and loads of opposite lock.
Enjoy your car and start counting the number of flies on your passenger window ;o)
If too much speed is carried into a corner understeer will always be experienced. That said with AWD you'll end up carrying more speed as you feel so invincible.
You drive any car in a way to make it fun, if that means a slight dab with your left foot on the brakes as you enter a roundabout to induce a small slide and then power out then that's what you'll end up doing.
However, when the tuning bug bites (and it always seems to) the power delivery increases. A small stab on the throttle always gets the tail out and from there it's a small step to huge slides and loads of opposite lock.
Enjoy your car and start counting the number of flies on your passenger window ;o)
toppstuff said:
toppstuff said:
4 WD gives you more grip. Cornering speeds can increase.
Nope.
Mark
How come?
Gives you potentially more traction on acceleraion, not outright grip, and cetrtainly not lateral grip, so cornering speeds won't be any higher.
Advantage is that when accelerating on the exit of a bend the power can be sent to 4 wheels rather than two, so in slippery conditions there's less liklihood of spinning all the power away, and you can accelerate quicker, but again that's traction.
I'll bet a 2WD 964 or 993 is faster round a dry track than it's 4WD counterparts.
Mark
Dificult to quantify if handling is 'better' it all depends on your criteria.
Do you mean faster? if yes then no doubt a new top nutter spec Evo or Scooby will murder a standard S2 in every respect, I drove a newish Mitsibanzi Evo RS sprint Viiiixxiiiixxii or what ever it was & yes it was an animal, more in the 996Turbo league power to weight wise (yet a lot more nimble) let alone an S2, it was like a Sopworth Camel vs Eurofighter comparison, but then just like those planes its hardly comparing eggs with eggs, the Mitsibanzi didnt cost £5k and unlike an S2 was hardly going to rack up a nice reliable 250,000 miles without an engine rebuild now was it! plus it looks likes minicab with a Halford spolier stuck to the tail!
I had a Subaru legacy turbo for a bit before the S2 & that was an interesting comparison, the scoobydoo was a tad quicker & handled better (although this one had bilstein suspension) & was an absolute hoot- fair bit of RWD bias on a legacy & IMHO a better handler than a Impreza, and my standard slightly worn suspension S2 was in truth some way behind dynamically. (scooby had absolute cack brakes tho!)
However with original worn shocks an S2 is bound to feel a tad soft by now- it was always more GT than hardcore sports car anyway, but when the suspension is worn its much more the case.
Replace shocks with Konis etc & preferably take the running gear to 968CS spec & replace the various bushes etc which no doubt are worn by now it would be vastly improved.
Do you mean faster? if yes then no doubt a new top nutter spec Evo or Scooby will murder a standard S2 in every respect, I drove a newish Mitsibanzi Evo RS sprint Viiiixxiiiixxii or what ever it was & yes it was an animal, more in the 996Turbo league power to weight wise (yet a lot more nimble) let alone an S2, it was like a Sopworth Camel vs Eurofighter comparison, but then just like those planes its hardly comparing eggs with eggs, the Mitsibanzi didnt cost £5k and unlike an S2 was hardly going to rack up a nice reliable 250,000 miles without an engine rebuild now was it! plus it looks likes minicab with a Halford spolier stuck to the tail!
I had a Subaru legacy turbo for a bit before the S2 & that was an interesting comparison, the scoobydoo was a tad quicker & handled better (although this one had bilstein suspension) & was an absolute hoot- fair bit of RWD bias on a legacy & IMHO a better handler than a Impreza, and my standard slightly worn suspension S2 was in truth some way behind dynamically. (scooby had absolute cack brakes tho!)
However with original worn shocks an S2 is bound to feel a tad soft by now- it was always more GT than hardcore sports car anyway, but when the suspension is worn its much more the case.
Replace shocks with Konis etc & preferably take the running gear to 968CS spec & replace the various bushes etc which no doubt are worn by now it would be vastly improved.
the balance and transient behavior has way more to do with it than "grip". My old Ford Bronco has PLENTY of "grip", with it's straight axles and leaf springs, but try flinging it around, and all the "4WD" action in the world won't help it. The 944 remains a world standard.
I would say the 944 could scoot through the standard 600-foot slalom, tires being equal, equal and probably faster than just about anything being sold today.
Dogsharks
I would say the 944 could scoot through the standard 600-foot slalom, tires being equal, equal and probably faster than just about anything being sold today.
Dogsharks
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