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oversteer vs understeer
#1

I was told a long time ago by a person who raced / tracked porsches that the 944 was inherently safer than the 911 for inexperienced drivers due to the oversteer characteristics of a typical 911 vs the understeer characteristics of a 944. This seems different than what I seem to be reading online about 911's . I used to have a 944, now I have a 968. I don't want to start any wars here but I am curious about which car, 911 vs 944/968, is generally considered the better handling car. Any thoughts appreciated.
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#2

lol - yeah - touchy spot for sure



first, there is the whole issue of term definition



often confused are the terms "handling", "cornering", and "road feel"



cornering is the road holding ability of the car, generally measured in g-load on a skidpad



handling is the ability of the car to negotiate a series of tight turns, generally measured on a slalom course



road feel is what the car feels like, its characteristics, and translation of feedback to the driver - this is often ill-described as "handling"



as to which one is "better", in the first 2 categories, that is very much up to the setup of the car, and the driver skill



the third one is pretty much a slamdunk - the 944 platform is more receptive to input change, and translates to a general feeling of control much more easily than the 911 - it is more predictable, and more forgiving - this generally makes it a more pleasureable car to drive for more people
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94 Midnight Metallic Blue Cab Porsche 968 w/deviating cashmere/black interior and WAY too many mods to list - thanks to eric for creating www.968forums.com



"It isn't nearly as expensive to do it right as it is to do it wrong."
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#3

Thanks- I haven't posted in a while. Flash, its good to see you are still going for the world speed record for number of posts <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />. Can you elaborate on "it is more predictable, and more forgiving "? Thanks again
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#4

[quote name='19bwb67' date='Sep 16 2006, 01:58 PM']Thanks- I haven't posted in a while. Flash, its good to see you are still going for the world speed record for number of posts <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />. Can you elaborate on "it is more predictable, and more forgiving "?  Thanks again

[right][post="26155"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]



After driving a number of Porsches, I will give you several realistic ideas. I've tracked my current 968, a 951, a 964, 964 cup car, 930, 993, and 996 Cup. The 951 and 968 feel generally sloppy compared to any 911 in stock trim, i.e. stock for stock. The 911 has much more feedback in stock trim, well positive feedback. The general layout of the 911 with the engine in the rear gives the 911 incredible turn in, as well as a very good feel when driving hard. Many accuse the 911 of throwing around on you very easily, but I have yet to have this happen. Sure, inexperienced drivers may find there to be flaws, but one track day/DE and you will be golden. Its all physics, and unfortunately the 911 doesn't have much going for it in the fact that even under full braking, the entire load is never transfered to the front. So in essence, the car will always be rear biased. In stock trim, both understeer noticably, with the 968/951 being more. None of the cars have enough power for there to be much throttle induced oversteer. 99% of my experience is that it turns into throttle induced understeer, especially 911.



Now to the modified catagory. This is where it gets touchy. Both cars can be extensively modified from the factory. In fact, if you happen to get a hold of a Porsche Motorsports parts catalog, you would never need to order from any aftermarket vendors (so long as you don't have a budget). My current 968 is running OEM M030 sway bars, Bilstein Escort Cups (350F/400R), solid bushings everywhere, 225/255 PZero's. My general feeling is that if I follow a correct racing line, the car understeers still. This could be due to the fact that we are still trying to understand what exaclty is going on with the rear suspension, but something tells me to counteract this I would need to go to 500 or more lb rear springs. Instead of that, I adjusted the rear sway to its tightest setting, and it helped noticably. The car still doesn't have enough power to power over, but I can easily slide it using inertia. No hard driving or track days since this improvement. 951 is just about the same, but it will definantly have enough power to power over with very little mods. 911...well here is the toughest one. The 964 Cup is essentially a european RS, so there is still room to be gained. Using the stock setup, corner balanced, with Hoosier R Comps, the car felt very stable. I never felt that it was ever going to bite me. It was incredibly neutral, just keep turning and keep throttleing. The 993 felt heavier, less connected than the 964 Cup, but thats not comparing correctly since the 993 was stock. The 996 Cup was an entirely different beast all together. There was such an abundance of power, that it almost created some fright in the 1.5 mile track. Again, it was as stable as anything I have ever driven. It had much more meat, and I was never able to even get it as fast as it could. It was so far beyond my limits at that course that was scared. How did it feel though - same as the 964 cup...keep turning, keep driving, and just hold on.



Which would I choose - Well of course you can look at my profile and see. The 968/951 is much more enjoyable to me from day to day. The 911 is nice, but loud, twitchy, and well...I guess different. For the track though, I would much rather be in a setup 911 over a setup 968. Its my driving style. I like being on the edge, and I like having some mass over the rear. Gives me an exillerating feeling. My garage would ultimately be a 968 Cab daily, 964 Cup, and 996 GT3 (Maybe GT2 if my stocks split a dozen times).



Wes
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