Porsche Carrera 4S

[o0OBillO0o]

I'm considering a Porsche Carrera 4S as a daily driver. Any experience, pit-falls or recommendations?

[Masterlu]

Bill... Superb car, I have had a few.

[PHC1]

If you are after a C4 of the 996 generation, they can be picked up at very, very good prices but I would advise to put aside some $$$ in case it needs to be repaired. They are usually fairly reliable but the added complexity of the all wheel drive system sometimes needs attention and can be rather expensive to fix. It is a $10k repair bill for the C4 should the all wheel drive system fail. That's not to say it will but it has happened before....

I personally like the 996 generation for the fact that it was a lighter car and the styling kind of grew on me... They feel light, nimble and are fun, fun cars just as deserving of the Porsche 911 badge as any Porsche before or after them, even if the enthusiasts had a hard time adjusting to them after the 993 generation!


My son drives a 2001 996 TT by the way and it is a hoot to drive, fast, fun car and we picked it up at a fraction of the original cost....

I would also consider a C2 and some snow tires if you are really going to drive it year round in light snow conditions... The C2 is less complicated, even lighter and is also a tremendous bang for the buck.

Do a search on cars.com and autotrader.com, plenty for sale. Good luck!

[PHC1]

Oh yeah, one suggestion I would make is be sure to get a pre-purchase inspection of any of the preowned Porsche you are seriously considering at a Porsche dealer... AKA, "PPI". It will be the best few hundred bucks you have spent. If the owner is not willing to meet you at a Porsche dealer for a PPI, run, don't walk away from the deal.

[PHC1]

A 996 generation C2 also makes an excellent choice for a "track day and driving event" car. Inexpensive and a very good performance car. There are plenty of "DI" days at just about any track or local autocross clubs.

[Freestone]

Originally Posted by PHC1

If you are after a C4 of the 996 generation, they can be picked up at very, very good prices but I would advise to put aside some $$$ in case it needs to be repaired. They are usually fairly reliable but the added complexity of the all wheel drive system sometimes needs attention and can be rather expensive to fix. It is a $10k repair bill for the C4 should the all wheel drive system fail. That's not to say it will but it has happened before....

I personally like the 996 generation for the fact that it was a lighter car and the styling kind of grew on me... They feel light, nimble and are fun, fun cars just as deserving of the Porsche 911 badge as any Porsche before or after them, even if the enthusiasts had a hard time adjusting to them after the 993 generation!

My son drives a 2001 996 TT by the way and it is a hoot to drive, fast, fun car and we picked it up at a fraction of the original cost....

I would also consider a C2 and some snow tires if you are really going to drive it year round in light snow conditions... The C2 is less complicated, even lighter and is also a tremendous bang for the buck.

Do a search on cars.com and autotrader.com, plenty for sale. Good luck!

Serge and I disagree just this once - I dislike the 996 or maybe I just don't love it.

I agree with his logic as a daily and the pricing. I just don't love the car. Generation ahead or later.

It was a big step down from the earlier hand built 993 which is far better built. It was where Porsche really cost economized with Toyota consulting help. And I think the design lacks without beautiful curves.

I do agree they are a bargain and much less expensive - but for a reason.

I would go up or down a generation.

Serge - lucky son! How old and a TT? I was driving an Alfa Duetto in college...and thought I was lucky.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Freestone

Serge and I disagree just this once - I dislike the 996 or maybe I just don't love it.

I agree with his logic as a daily and the pricing. I just don't love the car. Generation ahead or later.

It was a big step down from the earlier hand built 993 which is far better built. It was where Porsche really cost economized with Toyota consulting help. And I think the design lacks without beautiful curves.

I do agree they are a bargain and much less expensive - but for a reason.

I would go up or down a generation.

Serge - lucky son! How old and a TT? I was driving an Alfa Duetto in college...and thought I was lucky.

This is true, a 993 used to take Porsche 300 hrs to build. A 996 is less than half and the 997 is probably less hrs still. I don't necessarily feel the 996 feels or looks inferior in quality although Porsche did implement use of much more plastic parts. They are still well enough designed and put together that a 996 is a pleasure to own and drive. The 993 are starting to command a nice premium with the lower mileage examples out there so one will get a much higher mileage 993 for the same money as a 996. The earlier 996 did have some teething problems with the rear main seal leaks, porous metal engine issues and a few others most of which were fixed under warranty. The 993s can also leak oil and their o2 sensors tend to go, not a big deal.

Ultimately I would be less inclined to drive a 993 daily and more as a weekend car since they are getting to be more of a future collector car status and many, many of them have been shipped back over seas lately with the weakness of the dollar vs euro! It will be progressively more difficult to find a truly nice 993 and earlier examples in the years to come.

The 996 is still has a "use and have as much fun as you want" status out there with the sometimes ridiculously low prices to reflect and reinforce that status.

My son is turning 18 and his Turbo is performance chipped and faaaast. He is a great driver with a healthy respect for all that power and understanding of driving dynamics and limits. Unlike ALL of his friends and including my older son, he does not want anything to do with automatic, dual clutch or any other "automated" transmission. It is 6 speed manual or it is BORING!

[Freestone]

I am glad you have such a mature son. I wouldn't trust my 17 year old self - or my 22 year old self - with a TT. But what a treat...

The biggestl area of concern to me on the 993 is carbon build up in the intake valves. Heads needed to be cleaned and rebuilt far too early. Look for the dreaded codes when the CEL comes on. And put in an additive and run them hard to heat them up periodically.

[Masterlu]

LuJr drives a 650hp 997TT he respects the power and has a flawless record to prove it.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Freestone

I am glad you have such a mature son. I wouldn't trust my 17 year old self - or my 22 year old self - with a TT. But what a treat...

The biggestl area of concern to me on the 993 is carbon build up in the intake valves. Heads needed to be cleaned and rebuilt far too early. Look for the dreaded codes when the CEL comes on. And put in an additive and run them hard to heat them up periodically.

I don't think I could trust my 17 year-old-self either. I raced a friend coming home from school on the first day I got my license... against traffic! That was just the beginning. It was only a 110HP V6 Buick Skylark, not a 470HP Turbo 911. I guess that is why I started teaching my kids from early age about driving responsibly and getting them involved with all kinds of motorized toys.

I have not owned a 993 but I do recall hearing about the secondary air injection getting clogged, the CEL and emission problems they cause, etc. That I believe applied to the OBDII 96-98 MY cars. The 95's do not have OBDII so no issues but have been prone to valve guide issues? I also don't think you necessarily need a top end rebuild based on the conversations over the years. I am not 100% sure.