Porsche SC compared to Turbo (80s models)?

Question

A friend recently gave the SC a right slating, saying that they were too slow and that the Turbo was the only one to go for.

Are SCs underpowered (compared to the Turbo)- are they still considered quick, especially for someone who has never driven either? Thanks!

Answer 1

well they wont be terribly fast in a straight line, but if you really learn to drive one on a racetrack, theyll surprise the hell out of many modern sportscars.

but personally, the 930 turbos (up to 88) are one of my fav porsches ever made. theyre brutal, hard to drive, pure (no power steering, cable clutch, no ABS), and fast. I pull 350Zs, and can hold with mitsubishi EVOs and subaru STis in my 930 turbo. it was a car WAY WAY ahead of its time. The turbo is definately still considered a fast car.

Answer 2

Actually, the SC was internally known as 'super carrera'...why?

They took the best of the 911 2.7 RS, along with the best of the Turbo, and incorporated it into a new 3.0L package for the 1978-83 911SC. The 3.2L that came on the later "carrera's" between 1984-89 were a bit soft and lazy.

The torque, reliability, ease of maintainence, and gut-ripping sound of the 3.0L has made for a lot of happy Porsche drivers. The turbo's tended to be on-off power-wise, more adapted to the Autobahn(and racetracks) than real world driving. The 930(outlawed 1980-84) was very raw and brutal, not like todays much softer turbo's.

For real world driving(and pure driver enjoyment)...the SC is the route.

Answer 3

The SCs are great cars and still a bargain. Sure the 930 Turbo is way faster, but it's a brute and if you don't know what you're doing, you're going to kill yourself in one.

For everyday driving the SC is the way to go. If you want to drive a 930 turbo at speed on public roads, take a driving course before you do or you'll be sorry.

I'm always amused by people calling cars "slow", because in a Porsche so much is tied up in driver skill, better brakes and better tires.

If you are a bad driver with 150 HP, you're going to be really lousy with 250HP. You do the wrong thing in a 930 Turbo is a screaming turn, and you are going into a tree.

Answer 4

There are alot of plusses to the 911SC. But it will not compare to the 930 in terms of power. 930s are wonderfully quick, and suprisingly brutal, cars.

However, to say that the SC is "too slow" is one of those comments that, to me, shows more of the ignorance of the person talking than about anything about the car. Properly driven, the 911SC can be quick, and is also great fun to drive.

While the 930 is going to be quicker, the 911SC is probably a more livable car if you are planning to drive it often (less maintanance cost than the 930, and it's generally happier with lower rpms).