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Turbo Vs S2

R

rav

Member
As some of you maybe aware, ive been looking for a 944 turbo.

At my budget (£4k to £5k max) all the Turbos that i have seen have been groggy. Either rusty or with shady history or x million miles/owners.

Ive now come to the conclusion at this limited budget - maybe i should opt for a S2. Ive found a nice looking S2 that i will enquire about shortly.
My questions to you guys are :
  • Is this the right thing to do?
  • Is the S2 a slow car?
  • What will i loose out on by getting the S2 rather than the turbo?
  • Is the S2 likely to loose value faster than a Turbo?
  • What mods can be made to the S2 and how much does this improve power by?
My plans for the car would be to use for road use only and maybe the odd long jaunt across to the 'Ring or the new Porsche museum.

Your help is appreciated.

 
  • Is this the right thing to do? - Yes (or save up some more money [:D] )
  • Is the S2 a slow car? - No - suggest you try one though.
  • What will i loose out on by getting the S2 rather than the turbo? - Boost [:D] - midrange torque (you'll also lose out on the chance to throw lots of money at power mods [;)] )
  • Is the S2 likely to loose value faster than a Turbo? - Possibly, S2's don't appear to be going for much at the moment, but maybe we're just seeing the inevitable separation of cars that are getting tatty, & ones that have been looked after.
  • What mods can be made to the S2 and how much does this improve power by? - not much, chip & exhaust is probably the end of it - don't forget fresh suspension will make the biggest difference to the car's performance
 

Im my (extremely limited) view

  • Is this the right thing to do? - Only you can answer that one. Try both if possible.
  • Is the S2 a slow car? - define 'slow' [;)] . Book figures( although they never tell the whole story) indicate a sub 7sec 0-60, quick enough for most people
  • What will i loose out on by getting the S2 rather than the turbo? - by all accounts ' Booooooost' ! [:D]
  • Is the S2 likely to loose value faster than a Turbo? - Depends, One could argue that S2's must be close to reaching their floor now, if they get any cheaper 944 Lux and S drivers will have to give their cars away ! Turbo's always seem to command a premium, even tatty ones.
  • What mods can be made to the S2 and how much does this improve power by? - I know Promax recken their chip adds around 15 BHP and costs around £100. Anything beyond and your into big money. NA cars arent particulalry cheap to attempt to mod compared to turbo cars.
If I had known prices were going to plummet over the last 6 months I probably wouldn't have bought my S (good though it is) but when I was looking you couldn't find a decent S2 for under 5k

 
FWIW and judging by my own search some yeas ago, I'd say:

Is it the right thing to do?
Probably...I too started looking at Turbos but became concerned about the state of what I was seeing. If the advice to "buy on condition above all else" is sound, then widening the scope of your search has to be a good thing, doesn't it? On that basis I ended up with an S2 and I'm very happy with it, but recall one Turbo I saw early on before I got my eye in that I probably should have bought. Ah well!

Performance?
It's the old chestnut of boost vs a fat torque curve. There's plenty of people on here that find the Turbo driveable, and just look at the power some of the modders are getting. On the other hand the S2 does have a seamless delivery of torque...with pedal to the metal it just keeps on going!!

Value?
Well, down at this price point depreciation's not a lot of money compared to repairs and maintenance (about £1k pa so far).

Just get the best you can find, but if buying an S2 would leave you with a Turbo itch then you'll just have to be patient, won't you?!!
 
I've seen this kind of post before on various owners clubs when you have two otherwise similar models that come in N/A and F/I versions, each time the OP regrets settling for the cheaper car and wishes he/she bought what they wanted in the first place (which would have worked out cheaper too in the end). In all cases it's always cheaper to by the turbocharged version than to buy the n/a and tune it.
 

ORIGINAL: Flick

I've seen this kind of post before on various owners clubs when you have two otherwise similar models that come in N/A and F/I versions, each time the OP regrets settling for the cheaper car and wishes he/she bought what they wanted in the first place (which would have worked out cheaper too in the end). In all cases it's always cheaper to by the turbocharged version than to buy the n/a and tune it.
Click to expand...

Although I own an S2, I agree with Flick. From your sig, you've owned a 944 Turbo before and you want one again because presumably you enjoyed how it drove. I've never driven a Turbo, and I probably won't ever which is fine, but I suspect you'lll miss the fireworks of the power delivery.

However if you like the Turbo/S2 shape and are likely to get more enjoyment out of having a mint example of the "shape" than having the Turbo driving experience (or one upmanship if you are that kind of person) then an S2 will suit you fine. In isolation they are fabulous cars, and have a very nice power delivery. It's the thinking man's 944 [;)]

As an aside I remember the review of a Clio 16v vs. a Clio Williams in Performance Car in the 90s and the conclusion was that they were both great cars but that if you bought the 16v, every time you saw a Williams you'd wished you saved/borrowed a bit more.

Finally, experience has taught me to buy the best there is on the market at the time as it's by far a cheaper way to own a car even over, say 12 months, than buying something that needs works (Unless you want the challenge etc, etc). You can pay now, or you can pay later, but eventually you'll pay so you might as well get a nice one.
 
I have just been to Le Mans in my S2 cab. We drove down with a group of 9, including two tuscans, one chimera, a 300hp Atom, 420hp Supra, 450hp Camaro and various other fun tools!
Only one of the Tusacans could keep up with the hack along pace of the S2! On normal roads, they are truly great machines I think, so easy to drive quick, never have to " be in the right gear" and when we arrived (first!) at the campsite, no one in the group could believe it was a stock NA 20 year old 4 pot! !

So yes, there are quilcer things out there, but if you know what you're doing, its plenty quick enough IMO. Anything that will nudge 150mph is not slow by anyone's standards.
Also, we had 6 360 Fezzas, two diablos, two murcielagos, about 20 355s, but only ONE 944, and ONE 928 (a nice GTS!) on the campsite! So go for it!
 
Clearly I am keeping the wrong company!! The weekend's car park was my 944 S2, Hyundai Coupe 2.7 Auto V6, Vauxhall Meriva 1.6 and an Audi A5 2.0t

Alas I wasn't at Le Mans either.
 
hiya rav, reading your previous posts, it seems your still in love with your turbo,i think if you go with an s2,you might still long for your turbo even with a mint s2, you know that at some point whatever you buy money will need spending i say go with what you love,mindful you will have to spend a few quid over time.
 
ORIGINAL: simch1

I have just been to Le Mans in my S2 cab. We drove down with a group of 9, including two tuscans, one chimera, a 300hp Atom, 420hp Supra, 450hp Camaro and various other fun tools!
Only one of the Tusacans could keep up with the hack along pace of the S2! On normal roads, they are truly great machines I think, so easy to drive quick, never have to " be in the right gear" and when we arrived (first!) at the campsite, no one in the group could believe it was a stock NA 20 year old 4 pot! !
Click to expand...

An Atom struggled to keep up with a 944?
 
and the other Tuscan...........I think much of your lead may have been down to driver input rather than the machinary ? [;)]

Mike
 
Before Oli arrives [;)], I'll just say that once you have experienced the boost, then nothing else will quite satisfy you!

If you don't want to modify it, then go for the S2, but make sure you have deep pockets if you opt for the Turbo modification route!!

Ask me how i know.....[8|][:D][:D]
 
To me it's simple. If you like the Turbo you'll be underwhelmed by the S2. If you like the fact that the S2 is easy to drive and own, with little temptation to try to up the power, you'll not want the turbo.

Just save a bit more and buy a decent one, Rav! [;)]
 
Personally my choice didn't come down to money...........I prefer the power delivery of the S2. I found that the the turbo and S2 drove very differently. My advice would be to test a good example of each and then decide......its a personal choice and bear in mind there are some very strong opinions in this forum (check out the oil threads!)......turbo lovers vs NA! I personally don't think you'd be disappointed with either.

Condition is clearly a big consideration......patience my friend! I had to wait 9 months for the S2 I wanted.

The S2 is not slow........go and drive one. Bear in mind you are looking for a road car.......real world performance? I'm not convinced there is a big difference. Again comes down to personal preference so make sure you drive both.

In the long run I am totally convinced these cars are heading for classic status if they aren't already there. If you buy a great car now it will repay you in the future providing you keep it in tip top condition regardless of whether its a turbo or not.

I'm not terribly up to date on "mods".......I like original. From my limited research there is stuff available for both models. Certainly its easier to get big power from fitting an enormous turbo charger (you could probably get a dump valve too!!!).......you have to decide if thats you are looking for.

Have you driven an S2?



 
The only real answer is to drive an S2 and judge for yourself.

I have one each and they both have their own place - the S2 is relaxed, quiet and comfy all day long, the Turbo is a nutter!

I fear that if you are harking back to your old Turbo then you will find the S2 very sedate in comparison. The S2 will feel familiar, a little lighter and nimbler around town but when you put your foot down you will find it has infinite lag [&o]

If you want to mod them then a few hundred quid will bring the S2 to circa 220bhp, a few hundred quid on a 250 Turbo will see you knocking on the door of 300bhp with much less lag than standard.
 
Thanks for the advice freinds.
I have been looking for a turbo for about 12 months now, since i sold my carerra 3.2.

Your all right, its the nuttiness of the turbo boooost that i long to get again.
I havent driven a S2 before, but did have a 968 sport, which is practicaly the same engine but with a variocam and 6 spd gearbox. It was a nice car but didnt give me many smiles per mile as the power delivery was so predictable.It was more of a GT car than a point to point racer (IMHO).

Dare i say it, but i already own a Audi diesel and VW touran, i want somthing nutty.

I will continue my search and keep saving. Thanks for your help.

BTW: I was even looking at getting a LHD car from Germany. I looked on Mobile.de (Autotrader in Germany) and was shocked at prices. Decent turbos start at 6000 Euros and go up to around 10 000 Euros.
Are these experiencing a come back and increase in values? Is this cult status?

 
Reckon thats all good sound advice. Really want to have a drive of an S2 one day to see how it feels, certainly a convertible example has quite an appeal to me.
 
I havent driven a S2 before, but did have a 968 sport, which is practicaly the same engine but with a variocam and 6 spd gearbox. It was a nice car but didnt give me many smiles per mile as the power delivery was so predictable.It was more of a GT car than a point to point racer (IMHO).
Click to expand...

You've answered the question then. [:)]

As an S2 is a 968 without the unreliable variocam and the weaker 6-speed gearbox, and the dodgy body mods, you know how it compares to a turbo.

Only attempting humour, of course. Not trying to get the new 968 Register Secretary paying me a visit! [;)]
 
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