GRocky

I hate to say it, but it felt really good getting back into the S4 afterward. Maybe a 996 would have been a little bit different.

The R

What are your impressions?

GRocky

Like every 993, it was kind of quirky, with a really stiff gas pedal and an odd clutch (compared to 99% of the cars on the road)... the steering was pretty heavy, too. The beauty of this car is really it's power curve. That boxer 6 opens up a can of whoopass with its consistent torque from idle to the redline. You've gotta love that aircooled sound, too. What really amazes me about the 993s is that they all have that old school VDO-style gauge setup. They look like something from the early 1900s... they're pretty cool, nonetheless. As far as the AWD goes, it was actually pretty hard for me to notice a difference between that and a C2. The C2's engine is planted right over the rear, so it's pretty stable at all times. What I liked about Porsche's AWD (and powertrain etc) setup, was that you could revv 'er up to about 5 large and dump the clutch. With a touch of wheelspin, the thing takes off like a scalded dog... no bogging there. Overall, though, I didn't feel too comfortable behind the wheel of the beast. The pedal feel always got me a little jittery, and it seemed hard just to "cruise" with the beast, since it was either no throttle or FULL throttle. The handling, however, is world class (as it is with every Porsche).... again I have to say that the daily driving experience is just leaps and bounds ahead with the S4.... nice and smooth. I'm sure I'll be saying different things when/if I take out a 996 C4... those things are stunning!

lionsfan54

thought 1996 was the last year for air-cooled?

GRocky

Well, this one didn't have a water temp gauge inside. :-)

RM

I had a 95 C4 and your impressions are on the money. For everyday driving the S4 beats the 993 hands down. On the highway the C4 was just a pleasure to drive. Cruising at 100 is effortless and the power at that speed is much better than the S4 not to mention the great sounding Porsche engine.

s4demie

That's it. I love the quirkiness of the 993,it's what makes the car F-U-N.

TM

No, 1998 was the last 993 for the US