Well that would be the best thing, but it is easier said than done. Finding a time that my dealer has both an S and a 4S on the lot at the same time is going to be tricky !! Panamera and Cayenne are the big sellers, so those tend to be on the lots more.

 

Since I would consider all performance aspects between the S and 4s equal, it comes down to looks for me. IMO, wider is better, looks more exotic.

 

Yes, that would be problematic. However, for a sale with a $5,000-8,000 profit margin attached - a dealer will do some amazing things when you signal you are a serious buyer and not just a lookie-loo.

 

4WD for rain and winter weather. Must say that I like the solid "wrestle -me" feeling that my 996T steering offers. The car wants to go straight and you have to "wrestle" command to make it turn. It's very different from the bobbing - light C2 - ride.

 

Also not going to happen till at least December/January which is when the 4/4S is expected to hit dealer showrooms. Having had the 4S and driven it as a DD I will say that its super grippy and very planted. I test drove the new 991 C2S for quite some time and it also feels very planted but a little lighter on its toes - not sure if this is a 991 thing or just C2 versus C4.

Coming from an M3 you may miss the playfulness of the RWD car because in Porsche world the C4 is literally like glue to the ground. Gives amazing confidence in all road conditions and with winter tires is probably one of the best cars for that season I have ever driven.

 

I haven't driven 4S and I don't want to until 9914S comes out but I just love the rear end and the trim connecting 2 tailights! I can imagine how planted this car could be...I drive e92 335I for past 5 years (was one of the first ones owning it when it came out in fall '06) and want to move on to something normally aspirated and 4 wheels traction...don't like Audi...all eyes on 9914S!!

 

Traditionally 4 wheel drive would be chosen here for dirt road use. However, the 991 S does so amazingly well here that it almost seems 4S is no longer needed so the extra "fun" factor of the RWD is perhaps overriding in my opinion.

The 991 S has a very well proportioned rear end - just right to be sexy. It's the same width now as the 997 4S The photos I have thus far seen of the 991 4S seem to make the rear just a bit too fat from certain angles - but I would need to see this in real life to make a proper judgement.

Rainier

 

As someone who lives in a city that sees snow coverage for almost half the year, i'd have to say that the only purposes AWD serves is the ability to accelerate slightly faster at the lights, and reduced likelihood of getting stuck. I drove a 996 carrera without traction control through winter with no problem. All it takes is proper winter tires and some attention to the road conditions.

I just wish a guy could get a widebody carrera s. It doesn't make sense to me that the C4S is widebody. It would be more logical for the Carrera 2S to be widebody as wide tires in the rear would be more beneficial than on the 4S model.

 

I have 991 C2S: asking for grip? What a load of it on this car!

Really unbelivable...

Moreover, i like 2WD drivestyle and i'll never change it.

I'LL ONLY BUY A 4WD BECAUSE USUALLY IS WIDER, FOR NO OTHER REASON...

Other guys are right: it's not a snow car, unless you put on SNOW TIRES...

Wheel drive distribution on axis 4x4 50% Front - 50 % Rear? Never been like that on Porsches (if i'm not wrong...), but very different.

Yes, i'd buy a 4wd one day, if ever i would buy a SUBARU.

I'm not able to give up on my Carrera's tail swingin' around on wet surafces...

 

Depends on how you want to use it, but 4WD might be helpful in the snow- if there is any in MA any more.

ChuckJ

 

I would go 4S all day long. I just like the extra width out back, so for me more visual than functional. However the awd could come in handy up north if I decided to put snows on and drive year round. I am still wondering when they will hit showrooms. My dealer said a 12k premium over a S, but that sounds high to me.

 

OP : Try to get the two under you on a rainy day. They don't have to be on the same lot nor tested on the same day. Plan with the Weather Channel two visits if necessary. I suggest the tire spec. (and inflation) be carefully considered on the two rides; ask the dealer contact for the spec's.

The awd helps every time I drive in the rain (and of course in the white as well). The c2s will move about a lot more at Launch. On a dry surface accelerating without some steering input the c4s will almost never break loose. If Mass. travel during the winter is in the future then a full set of snows is essential but the again the rubber spec. is important. The 997.2's awd is more direct then the 997.1.

My c4s is a swing'in in the rain !
Quote Elias74: "I'm not able to give up on my Carrera's tail swingin' around on wet surfaces... "

This statement doesn't make engineering sense:
Quote split: "I just wish a guy could get a widebody carrera s. It doesn't make sense to me that the C4S is widebody. It would be more logical for the Carrera 2S to be widebody as wide tires in the rear would be more beneficial than on the 4S model."

 

^ how does my comment not making engineering sense? If you only have RWD, you need wider tires in the rear. Look at corvette zr1's, ford gt's, vipers, ferrari's, etc. With a wider rear end, you can accommodate wider tires.

with AWD, the torque will get routed to the front eliminating the need for such wide rear tires.

 

Split : These rides don't have the engine atop the rear axle, just the drive wheels. When you add the additional load and the awd then the wider tire is necessary distribute the load across a larger contact patch, thereby assuring sufficient grip. Not intended as a putdown.

The Porsche Engineering is well aware of the issues, they've been trying to get this beast to behave since 1965; it's not an aesthetic question.

 

I just don't like the push you get with an awd car. That is one of the main reasons I traded my S5 for my current 991s; along with the MT verses the dual-clutch in the S5 which I got bored with in only a few months.