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Rav
Original Poster
1,013 posts
60 months
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My Porsche history started with a 1989 944 turbo SE (250bhp) somes time ago. Really nice car, plenty quick. I then upgraded to a Porshce 968 sport (220bhp) which felt slower but was very nice, well composed at speed and with the 6th gear made for effortless cruising.
I then realised my dream and bought a 1989 911 Carerra 3.2. A very nice car to look at, but in all honesty, it cost me a fortune to maintain (£5k in a year) and wasnt that fast.
I sold the 911 early last year and now want to go back to the cars i had more fun with. The 944/968. A decent 968 is out of my price range. So a 944 it is.
Can anyone tell me what a S2 is like to drive? I guess it hasnt got the bang of the 944 turbo? But is it still a competent car? Can it be used for track days? Can it be modified?
Thanks for your help.
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Ultra Violent
2,454 posts
99 months
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Its very hard to get a material boost from the NA 944. Get another Turbo.
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cuneus
3,817 posts
72 months
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Except for the missing gear the S2 is pretty much the same as the 968
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Jon951
121 posts
17 months
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Not much in the way of mods you can do to a S2 by way of upping the power. Aftermarket chips may give a few more horses (though only a few) but will improve the power curve. Have heard tales of attempts to supercharge them but in terms of expense and gains just doesn't seem worthwhile when the Turbos available.
Consensus seems to be that a S2 is a better drive in "real world" conditions than an unmodded turbo (certainly a 220 bhp example), however a few relatively straightforward mods to a turbo would change all that. Turbos over their production run also gained additional advantages in terms of suspension/brakes etc over the S2.
I have a reasonably modded turbo and couldn't conceive of swapping to a S2.
Folk do use S2's for trackdays. The 944 section of the PCGB forum is chock full of threads on the Turbo v S2 "debate" and is worth a browse.
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pauljmcnulty
206 posts
69 months
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As always, it depends what you prefer. If you liked the 968 you'll be happy with a decent S2, If you want to go down the route of spending loads and modifying it then a turbo is the only way forward.
Don't forget, in the real world of speed cameras and other drivers an S2 is plenty fast enough for most people. Things like alignment, suspension, tyres, brakes and driver ability or training will make you a lot quicker than bolting on a bigger turbo.
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NJH
750 posts
39 months
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Why not buy another 968? Have a look around there are some very good deals going. I own both an S2 and a 968 and TBH I find the 968 disapointing and wonderful in equal amounts compared to the S2. When one has a good close look around the car it is amazing just how different it is yet at the same time is basically an S2 + 10%.
The engine is a great example, its only a bit more powerful then the S2 and under 4K rpm is no better perhaps a bit smoother, however above 4k rpm it just seems to rev and rev like mad rather then falling of a cliff at 6K rpm like the S2 motor does (chips can take 968 well over 7K rpm). It also doesn't have that horrible tick tick sound in the exhaust and the stock exhaust system makes for a slightly deeper nicer sound. Its small things but for some ppl this will make all the difference whereas for others they will say what is the point.
The one thing I would say against the S2 is that IMHO the chassis on stock suspension really shows its age, I just couldn't live with a stock S2 far to boring, but on stiffer suspension the car really comes alive. I have 27mm torsion bars (220 Lb/inch) and 200 Lb/inch - ish front springs with M030 arbs, solid top mounts/strut brace and koni shocks on my S2 and it feels sooo massively agile and alive compared to my 968. In fact in terms of nimbleness it is a very close driving experience to our MX-5. IMHO with modded suspension you can really feel the weight difference as well.
Therein lies the rub though. If one was to buy a stock S2 and then completely refresh/upgrade the suspension it could end up costing as much as a 968 since you can pick up 968's now from 6K. However many 968 owners seem to end up doing all that stuff anyway.
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NJH
750 posts
39 months
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Forgot to say though that if I could only have one car from this entire series and wanted to keep it fairly stock I would without doubt get an 85 pre-ABS 944 turbo, keep the suspension etc. stock but do the typical level 1/2 mods on the engine. It would have to have Fuchs as well of course.
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blade7
1,255 posts
46 months
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There was a lowish miles 968 on ebay recently that I could have bought for not much over £5k, I think good S2's start around £4k, a similar turbo would probably be around £5.5k, that say's something to me about the 2 cars.
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rallycross
1,608 posts
67 months
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Having owned nice examples of S2, Turbo SE and 968 Sport I think you'd find a good S2 feels just like a 968, just less the 6th gear and maybe slightly less composed when pushed hard.
For me, getting into an SE or a 968 sport after a good example of a turbo Se felt like a backward step, the fun of having all that boost, the extra traction of the LSD, and the more composed handling really lift the turbo Se above the others (and that includes 968 CS which has no lsd and feels tame v's a good turbo).
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Rav
Original Poster
1,013 posts
60 months
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Thanks all. Youve convinced me. 944 turbo se (250bhp) it is then.
Anyone know where to start looking apart from the obvious? Any forums? There used to have a Titanic forum, but it doesnt seem to exist now.....
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cuneus
3,817 posts
72 months
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tr7v8
1,835 posts
58 months
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graeme36s
2,819 posts
47 months
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Hi Rav, personally I think you where unlucky with the 3.2 Carrera. I bought a good one many years ago and it was the cheapest car to run that I have ever owned. Spend your money on a top notch example of a 3.2 Carrera and it will always be worth what you paid for it.
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rallycross
1,608 posts
67 months
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graeme36s said: Hi Rav, personally I think you where unlucky with the 3.2 Carrera. I bought a good one many years ago and it was the cheapest car to run that I have ever owned. Spend your money on a top notch example of a 3.2 Carrera and it will always be worth what you paid for it. Not sure about that, I had a really good example of a 3.2 with the G50 g/b, yes it had loads of character, sounded fab, but take it to your local Porsche indi/OPC and they will always find a large bill for you! (plus if you are a keen driver and pushing on a bit the old 911 turns out to be a big dissapointment - compared to todays cars)
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hartech
971 posts
47 months
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It is an interesting comparison and when I visited the Porsche factory some years ago - the chief engineer when asked which was the best car Porsche ever made - replied the 944 turbo.
Having driven all models for years - I almost agree except that slight lag sometimes catches you out when overtaking and becomes irritating - and if you tune them up (which is easy) the pick up breaks the rear wheel traction and limits resulting performance - apart from which the car is brilliant.
That is why we built a 3 litre version to try and provide the bottom end torque that the S2 has and reduce the snatch when the turbo power is delivered and although we have a little more work to do - this outcome has already been achieved. What a great car the 968 Turbo S would have been in mass production!
Baz
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