01-03-2007, 04:39 PM
It's been along time since I posted anything on this forum, but I guess that I now have to chime in on the 3.2 shootout article. I have never owned nor driven a 996, but I have had (5) 911's (from a 1965 Euro 911 up to an 89 Carerra). I've also had both a 944 and a 968. In my minds eye, if the name of the game is pushing a Porsche through twisty mountain roads, the 911 is much more fun to drive hard than is the 968. The 968 is so mild mannered and balanced that it doesn't take a lot of driver input to drive the car well. With the 911, and it's tendancy towards polar moments, where you can swap ends in a heart beat.....there is an exhilleration to being able to drive one hard, using throttle steer to move the tail in or out. It's living on the edge. And, it's a test of the driver's abilities and guts! In other words......it's incredibly fun!
That being said, the 968 is a much more competent car than the 911 (remember that I can not speak of the 996, since I have never driven one). The availabiliity of low end torqe is superior to the 89 911. When I drove the 911, the car wouldn't come "on the cam" until close to 5000 rpm, which does not make for a fun ride going down a residential street. Coming off the line is not really much fun either, unless you rev the hell out of the boxer engine and slip the clutch in to take off. A lot more work........and not superior results in comparison to the 968.
Flash's comment was well taken earlier in this string, as well. The 968 is more of a boulevard car than a 911. I personally like that attribute. There are days when I just don't feel like thrashing the car about, but want a nice competent and controlled ride home from work! You'll get that with the 968. You have to work at that to get the same experience with the 911.
Comfort is another issue with the 911. My first 911 (a 1965 Euro delivered car) rode on 165X15 skinny tires. My 89 was very similar, except that it carried 225's up front. To make room for the wider tires, the wheel wells were enlarged. As a result.....there was no place to comfortably put your left foot when it wasn't on the clutch! I had the 89 for about a year, and was always wondering where the hell to put my foot!
Then there is the HVAC system on the 911.......which was a disaster. And, the fact that the headlights were wired directly though the ignition switch! The 968 was the antithesis of all that. A well refined and thought out car that is very easy to drive fast..........but, with less effort!
Since I have owned different types of P-cars, I enjoy reading Excellence. True that it is biased towards the 911.......but, hey, look at the P-car population out there!! 90% of the cars ARE 911's!!!
So, what do I disagree with? The vehicles chosen for the article should have been in an "equal" state of tune. If you are going to take a 996 with an M030 suspension and a 911, that has been turned to be equivalent of the M030.....then the 968 should have been a "bone stock" Mo30 prepared car. As we are all aware, chipping our cars, doing the air box mod........putting on a better sounding exhaust.....and tightening up the suspension has made these cars a significant improvement over the stock factory delivered car. It was apparent that the 911 had been toyed with by a true enthusiast who was not satisfied with the standard offerings for the 911. That's, no doubt, why he made all the mods. Why not so for the 968? Sounds like there were a few of you who offered up modified cars.
In the end, I still believe that the 911 would have been determined to be the "more fun to drive hard" car......but the performance differentials would have been eliminated, and in fact, may have been more of a positive for the 968!
For my type of driving, there is no more affordable a joy car to drive than the 968. End of game.
That being said, the 968 is a much more competent car than the 911 (remember that I can not speak of the 996, since I have never driven one). The availabiliity of low end torqe is superior to the 89 911. When I drove the 911, the car wouldn't come "on the cam" until close to 5000 rpm, which does not make for a fun ride going down a residential street. Coming off the line is not really much fun either, unless you rev the hell out of the boxer engine and slip the clutch in to take off. A lot more work........and not superior results in comparison to the 968.
Flash's comment was well taken earlier in this string, as well. The 968 is more of a boulevard car than a 911. I personally like that attribute. There are days when I just don't feel like thrashing the car about, but want a nice competent and controlled ride home from work! You'll get that with the 968. You have to work at that to get the same experience with the 911.
Comfort is another issue with the 911. My first 911 (a 1965 Euro delivered car) rode on 165X15 skinny tires. My 89 was very similar, except that it carried 225's up front. To make room for the wider tires, the wheel wells were enlarged. As a result.....there was no place to comfortably put your left foot when it wasn't on the clutch! I had the 89 for about a year, and was always wondering where the hell to put my foot!
Then there is the HVAC system on the 911.......which was a disaster. And, the fact that the headlights were wired directly though the ignition switch! The 968 was the antithesis of all that. A well refined and thought out car that is very easy to drive fast..........but, with less effort!
Since I have owned different types of P-cars, I enjoy reading Excellence. True that it is biased towards the 911.......but, hey, look at the P-car population out there!! 90% of the cars ARE 911's!!!
So, what do I disagree with? The vehicles chosen for the article should have been in an "equal" state of tune. If you are going to take a 996 with an M030 suspension and a 911, that has been turned to be equivalent of the M030.....then the 968 should have been a "bone stock" Mo30 prepared car. As we are all aware, chipping our cars, doing the air box mod........putting on a better sounding exhaust.....and tightening up the suspension has made these cars a significant improvement over the stock factory delivered car. It was apparent that the 911 had been toyed with by a true enthusiast who was not satisfied with the standard offerings for the 911. That's, no doubt, why he made all the mods. Why not so for the 968? Sounds like there were a few of you who offered up modified cars.
In the end, I still believe that the 911 would have been determined to be the "more fun to drive hard" car......but the performance differentials would have been eliminated, and in fact, may have been more of a positive for the 968!
For my type of driving, there is no more affordable a joy car to drive than the 968. End of game.
