[Duckman]

I selected handling. Like several of us, I had a lot of difficulty picking only one. I love the look but there are lots of great looking cars. I love the exclusivity but there are many more exclusive. I love the power but it's not a screamer, by any measure.



It's very well engineered but there are some serious engineering quirks and flaws, in my opinion: Rear hatch; the need to practically dismantle the entire front end of the car to change the water pump; timing belts that fail and bend your valves; well, you get the idea.



Of all the good stuff about the car, maybe handling is best. It's awesome.



However, I also really love the practicality of my coupe. Open the hatch, fold down the seats, and you have a small station wagon.



No, it's not the fastest or most powerful car around but it's really an incredible balance of power, sophistication, handling, and enjoyment. You've got to love that.

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[Scott Collins]

When I was about 15 or so, I saw a burgundy 944 with the Fuchs rims cruising slowly through my high school's parking lot.



Closing my eyes I can see it like it was yesterday. In the drivers seat, the cars are essentially identical, but on the outside and under the hood, the 968 is better in every way.



While far from "bulletproof" from a maintainance standpoint, it has held it's own better than any other car I have had, and of course, it's much more fun to work on a Porsche. Oil and filter on the Toyota is something I HAVE to do, but oil and a filter on the 968 is something I WANT to do.



I have never felt the 968 to be slow. In fact, I feel that is very quick where it matters most, which is not 0-60 in a straight line.

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[sbdrivingdotcom]

Like Scott, I saw a 1993 968 in cobalt blue at the LA Auto Show. I always thought that I would someday own that car. The round headlights, muscular fenders and good leg room sold me on the car then. Now, I love how solid the car is built, how reliable it has been (fingers crossed) and I absolutely love leaving the door to the garage open so I can watch tv and keep an eye on the twins!

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[Cloud9...68]

[quote name='rxter' post='60887' date='Sep 30 2008, 07:49 PM']Ouch <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/huh.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />[/quote]



Not the most flattering description, I admit, but pretty accurate, don't you think? Though it's amazing how unimportant horsepower is at the track for drivers (like myself) who are rank beginnners, in the racing scheme of things. Seen plenty of Miata's and 914's go zipping past 'Vettes, on the straights, no less...

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[gryphon]

My first choice was not included:



Ex wife did NOT like 968s [ ]



Which means I kept it.



Tom

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[flash]

roflmao - now THAT'S funny

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[ds968]

not sure how anyone can categorize our car as being somewhat "slow" - what in the world are we comparing it to - $ 300,000 V12 supercars ? and I'm talking about straight line fast, not just on a track where it outcorners 90% of almost anything you put up against it..



yes, true that it's not geared to compete from 0-60 with many new cars, but with a $ 150 investment in a chip and an airbox with 4 holes in it <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/rolleyes.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> flat out in a quarter mile the 968 crosses the line a mere second and a half behind a stock Shelby 427 Cobra, a 2003 Ferrari Maranello, or a fraction of one second behind a Lamborghini Countach ! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/ohmy.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



sure, I understand that in a race one second or two seconds difference may be an eternity, but get your mind off racing for a second, and visualize that monster powerplant Lambo and the 968 taking off in the distance and you're wating by the finish line ; the Lambo roars by crossing the line, and you can't even finish counting " a thousand one.. " the 968 is there ! In my book, to stay little more than a car length behind a Countach in a 1/4 mile run, is

pretty friggin' fast. ! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[Cloud9...68]

I would never describe the 968 as slow, especially with the mods you describe. I actually think that the 968 is a very good balance of power, cornering, and braking. It's just that compared to today's cars, it's pretty mediocre in the power department. In a straight line, a race with a V6 Camry or Accord would be a tossup. But who cares? The 968 has plenty of usable real-world power, and it's overall a lot more fun and satisfying to drive than plenty of much newer cars. And besides, the era of high performance cars is drawing to a close with increasing demand for fuel economy, so the 968 will look even more appealing in comparison to new cars as the years go by.

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[flash]

perspective i suppose - i have always had much faster cars, from supercharged big block american muscle, to twin turbocharged japanese lightweights, to V8 stuffed british and italian sportscars - this one is slow by comparison - even the M3 feels faster, and i'm not sure it isn't - heck, i have to go out and time the denali, but i think it's even faster from 30 to 70



that doesn't make the 968 less fun than the rest for me to drive, just not for reasons of power - i still like it more than the rest

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[scaldwell]

I love the practicality of the car. This is my first foray back into sports cars since I had a Triumph GT6 in university. As such it has more than enough usable performance. Unfortunately in Ontario they've just passed a law which says that 30 mph over the limit could see your car seized for a week, so I'll have to take in some DE's in the spring to fully enjoy the car. The practicality combined with performance is the great selling point for me. My wife and I were able to pick the car up in San Francisco and drive it home (4000 miles) via the Grand Canyon with lots of room for luggage and virtually no problems. I can throw in my hockey equipment (for the morning) and golf clubs and pullcart (for the afternoon) and still have room to spare and still hit 100 mph on an onramp, in fourth, on the way home, while turning heads.



That's great, for now anyway.



Cheers.



Steve

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[Glau]

For me its just the entire package. I would have a hard time distilling it down to one or two favorite things about the 968, except to say, I just love the way this car makes me feel. No other car has made me smile as much, and my dad owned a car dealership for many years, which meant growing up we had different cars (smiles) in the driveway every week.



There are certainly some more expensive cars I could love more but the stress/worry that also come with having too much money tied up in a car (value depreciation, leaving unattended in public, theft, etc.) detracts too much from the enjoyment. The price point of the 968 makes it an unbelievably great love/price balance for my budget.



Then again, the 968 does get credit with turning my wife into a car person, so maybe I should consider myself lucky and go with that.

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[blue968]

Exclusivity and Rarity!!!

People still ask me if my car is a brand new version!!!

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[prj24149]

Can't really limit it to multiple choice above. Just the pure joy of driving with the power and solid feel in while cornering.

ie. most driving pleasure of any car I've ever driven.

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[flash]

this one constantly seems to amaze me - there is ALWAYS one thing that stands out above the rest about ANYTHING, whether it is a car or a person or a meal or a suit - there is always one trait that makes you lean one way or another - it does not mean that you are excluding any of the other traits or features



that being said, the above perfectly describes "handling", which is entirely different than "cornering" - handling is how a car feels as you toss it around - cornering is the ability to go fast through a corner - common misnomer

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[Joel968]

How about the fact that my car now has a Turbo and 400 RWHP!!!!!!!



Cheers, Joel

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[smj]

I went with "handling" because of the pure pleasure the car provides whenever it's in motion.



But I do have to point out that it's only after it gets moving off the line that it's a pleasure. I've always found the 924/944/968 series to be a bit reluctant to move off the line. And I'm not sure what it is about the combo of RS Barn-supplied single-mass flywheel-clutch-pressure plate, but this still-new-to-me car loves to stall if you don't get the revs up pretty well to pull away. The alternative is to take forever to move those first 10 feet, and then there's plenty of slipping and juddering...



Biggest negative would probably be pricing and availability of parts. It's tough when the production numbers are this low.

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[prj24149]

You got it right Flash, Handling is exactly what I meant.

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[p65356sc]

Handling without a question. As someone who has owned a 356sc for too many years..........I just so appreciate the way she stays on the road. The other Porsche's I have owned have all been that ass end light enough to give you second thought about powering into a corner. There are a few roads near me here that I'm sure wouldn't excite too many of you pro types but I get such a rush form this little buggy sticking those corners. No matter how often I do it. When I drive her you couldn't take the smile off my face with a 2x4. Garage queens have their place but if you aren't out there pushing it you are missing soooooooooooo much fun. I have a triptonic and started working again so now all as I can think of is getting a 6 speed and chipping it.

Ross

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[Anchorman]

After having just spend two days "tossing" the car around the track at VIR, I can't say enough about its handling. Although I trailered to and from the track this time, usually I drive the car back and forth. To me, it's remarkable that a car that is so comfortable to drive routinely is also so capable on the track. I was particularly struck by this at VIR, where there was one spot in the uphill esses where the feel of the car lifting was quite noticeable. It handled this quite well, though, and was an absolute blast to drive around this track. Can't wait until next year!

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[Ryan]

We need to be able to pick 3 off the list. This car can not be categorized by one choice off this list.

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