Porsche 911 996 Carrera 4S - Raw Review | Dave's Supercars

[@kszendi]

The red strip in the back is what makes a C4S

[@grahammorley9442]

Interesting commentary bit light on accurate detail! C4S is a widebody Carrera (not to be confused with the narrow body C4) and the factory default sizes are 225/40 x 18 front and 295/30 x 18 rears. Spacers are not required on this car, they can affect steering geometry and wheel balance. Further detail on exhausts and the C4S is best bought with the switchable version. Very low % of cars actually had full failure IMS bearings. However at 19 years old they will have had or will likely require some serious maintenance budgeting. Expect to replace the IMS bearing and seal, coil packs if not replaced in the last 8 years, heat shields, discs & pads, suspension parts, exhaust silencers and components, brake pipes, air con pipes, air con seals and rads, cooling system rads bills can easily hit £8k plus with labour. So watch what you pay for one with work required! or you can soon exceed its market value. Buy a good well maintained one and they are great, manual as a first choice, however the tiptronic is underrated and most cars are now moving away from manual. The tiptronic works well and can be paddle converted too. These are the next generation affordable classic Porsche, what do you get for £30k that will still be worth £30k in 4 years? This car is now becoming iconic, air cooled was done in 1998 no where to go with horsepower and loosing ground to BMW and Mercedes, then the 996 saved the 911. So yes buy one if you can!

[@umirza]

Bought mine for £19k 5 years ago......Also re: the IMS bearing, get a car thats been driven. If its got some miles on it and the IMS hasnt gone yet chances are it wont go. The issue is overblown and affected a very small percentage of cars. Id be wary of a low mileage car.

[@van_dutch]

@@umirza what is considered low miles? It's all relative. I was looking at an '03 Targa that blew up at 41k, and got a new M96 engine installed in '09. The car now has an additional 41k miles on it (82k total). It's curious to me that the owner is selling at the same mileage that the previous motor blew, perhaps nothing to think about, but if it were to blow I would not be happy that I ignored the red flag of sorts. Looking at another '03 C4S, and they want $49k for it!

[@GT380man]

Agree totally. I just picked up a very well maintained, low mileage 2004 996 40th anniversary edition. It feels like a year old car in every way. IMS, clutch and RMS just done. Also plugs, coil packs and shields, oil, oil filter, air filter. Everything else on your list has been done in recent years. This car has an extra 25 bhp and an additional feature making oil starvation in extreme driving less likely & so I don’t worry about bore scoring. I expect it’ll hold its value. I chose also to have four new premium tyres, a genuine Porsche switchable exhaust and the recently released Porsche Classic Communication Management Plus system installed. Together that was £7K extra, but it’s made a nearly new car feel like a top spec nearly new car. These have what I consider is extended leather everywhere and the roof lining is dark alcantara. Top tint windscreen. When I’m driving, it’s like it’s 2004 all over again and I can play whatever music I like from iPhone, iPod, DAB radio and anything capable of Bluetooth or having a USB or Aux Jack output. With the sports exhaust valves open, it sounds very cool at town speeds. At more exuberant speeds & letting the motor sing, it’s well worth cracking the windows. I have been fortunate to have bought a car that’s been dark garaged most of its life. It’s now also in a dark, cool but bone dry garage in my hands. I know many will consider it a garage Queen but someone’s got to own it 😊

[@JohnBaxendale]

Great info - worth pointing out that on a *manual* car, the IMS can (and should) be done when the clutch is replaced. The bearing itself is about 30 euros and done with the clutch the whole job including parts should be around 1500 euros, basically nothing.

[@paulchurchouse4585]

Really great looking 9964S . One of the best looking 911’s

[@std882]

Actually I think the fried egg headlight description fits the early gen 1 cars and not the gen 2. This configuration headlights is really very nice. It actually looked stylish.

[@robinoconnor1203]

Some points worth noting. The so called fried egg healights are normally associated with the Gen1 996 and Boxster. The rear callipers are further inset because someone fitted wheel spacers, which look dreadful and are unnecessary. I thought the rear tyres should be 295 section!

[@DavesSupercars]

Thanks for the comments Robin. Which is your favourite 911?

[@robinoconnor1203]

@@DavesSupercars I like my C4S, if money was not an issue my favourite would be one of the extremely rare and very expensive 930 Turbo S cars.

[@DavesSupercars]

I have to agree completely, the 930 Turbo S is my dream Porsche. That’s my childhood dream!

[@wacker2286]

I gotta disagree about the spacers, they look great.

[@liammckin6478]

I own a red 2002 4S coupe. My 1st was a targa, but it was blue. I just prefer red on my Porsches. The comments about the 4 wheel drive are spot on. With PSM it is almost impossible to loose control on a wet hairpin corner in the mountains. (I own a 991.1 and had an ‘88 factory “turbo look” car as well as the non S/4S targa.) The 4S seems magnetically pulled to earth, (a bit more than the others I owned.) Also correct on the fried eggs. For their price, forget they are there. The rear makes up and more. I do think they as all 911s will go up as the years see them wrecked or collector bought and stored. 911 at 30 k is a great buy if you get a well maintained unit, (just like every other used vehicle…)

[@desiday7070]

I like these lights and it was the first gen that got most dislike because it was the same as the Boxter.

[@grecopena]

Excellent example! At the price of these cars, you can’t find a better value in a true drivers car.

[@satlal9802]

Good video overall. But they are not at the bottom of the market in terms of the price going up - that point was a few years ago and the price has been increasing steadily since.

[@chrisweber2573]

Great review. I don't mind the lights except the odd chrome oval - what is that for? The 4 wheel drive is awesome and is great in corners and feeling solid and in control. I have the tiptronic which is great for Los Angeles traffic but enjoy the shifting on Pacific Coast Highway. Slightly dated entertainment system but hardly have it on as I enjoy the sound of the car so much!

[@jagdpanzers4406]

It's the washing of the headlights, it moves forward to allow valves to spread water onto the headlights. No idea why anyone would need that though

[@JohnBaxendale]

@@jagdpanzers4406 Legal requirement in some markets due to the light pattern of the litronic (xenon) headlights. Halogen equipped cars didn't have it.

[@kewlbug]

I like how you say Tach - O - Meter

[@toddsteve6794]

lights were developed by Porsches engineers for aerodynamic Advantage at higher speeds the 996.2 body appreciated it was twice as aerodynamic than his predecessor and significantly more stable

[@juryca]

The reviewer’s car would never pass a PPI

[@9jfd1]

Spoiler raises at 120km/h

[@JohnBaxendale]

Think it might depend on market, mine doesn't!

[@9jfd1]

I have a 2003 c2 cab and if had more money would not touch those huge 992 would go more back in time. This review was actually quite negative not impressed nor desservant of this beauty. Enough with the ims they are all sorted out these days, stigma 4ever

[@Khalidsvt101]

i like fried eggs more than boiled eggs

[@cabby0120]

Those GT1 - like lights on the 996.1 series are great.

[@DavesSupercars]

What’s your favourite 911?

[@RicknWRX]

I own a 996 c4s. Love the car. Too many 911's to chose from. Other than my c4s I am thinking 997.2 gt3 is my favorite. I don't have any desire for the new cars. They look great, I just don't like all the electronics of modern cars.

[@cabby0120]

2004 C4S with X51 Package. Very small numbers of them. Low torque makes the car great fun to drive and they are a great daily driver. Right behind it, 991.1 C2S with PDK or manual. It’s another often underrated and under-appreciated 911 due to fly by wire steering and slightly larger size but it’s great fun and the last of the non-turbo models. You can throw it around for great fun and the brakes are sublime.

[@JohnBaxendale]

Mine :)

[@alanwayte432]

Not a great review