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Turbo or S2?

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nick3814

New member
Hi folks, I'm seriously considering trading the Lux in for either a Turbo or an S2 in the next 6 months, as late a model as possible. I've had a couple of Lux's in my time and know them back to front but I'm not so familiar with its two big brothers.

I would appreciate any advice, re what to look for and the pros and cons of either model [:D]

Cheers
 
I've had both an 86 Lux and 2x S2's and I enjoyed both. The S2's have both been noticeably quicker and the acceleration is strong from low revs in any gear which is a big improvement over the Lux.
My current S2 is a 89 model and has been chipped and really shifts. The engine pulls immediately in any gear at any revs and just goes on and on pulling like a train. I love the way it can do that .
It also has new adjustable shocks all round and an upgraded ignition system.

Just make sure you check the usual stuff like sills , belts , cam chain /guide and water-pump and clutch cos they are very expensive to replace.

I've never driven a Turbo but I would imagine that for tooling round town and commuting to work it would be annoyingly flat if you can't get the turbo on line. depends on whether it would be your only car or a second weekend warrior
 
Being in the same position as you, I've been quietly looking for an S2 but not quite yet. Can I have first choice? [;)]

I've always discounted the Turbos. Sorry to all you owners, but as a standard car it's less driveable. The bits that wear, like the wastegate, are easily replaceable but I don't personally want to go down the modified car route to get something unnecessarily powerful and more expensive to insure. I won't be tracking it, so it seems a waste.

The S2 is noticably more powerful than the Lux whilst still being easy to use. You're pretty limited to a de-cat and a chip, and as long as the cams and calipers are good it shouldn't cost too much more to run than the Lux. It seems the best of both worlds to me, and a natural step up for road use only.

Still prefer the Lux bodywork, though.....[&:]
 
ORIGINAL: pauljmcnulty



Still prefer the Lux bodywork, though.....[&:]
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yes I agree . My first Porsche was an oval dash 86 model and I can still vividly remember the sheer awe I felt driving it 150 miles home. The turbo spoiler of the S2 is a natural progression and looks very current but there is something pure about the early models . I'd have my Lux back in a flash if I could but she's gone to that great scrapyard in the sky [:D]
 
Hmm, well my turbo has a few aftermarket bits on it (chips, Dual Port Wastegate etc) which are supposed to deliver a bit more power and torque than standard, but delivered earlier in the rev range - ie less turbo lag...

The reality is that compared to modern turbo installations ( think current Golf GTI ) then my car still has two definite sides to its personality, namely off-boost and on it[:D]

I haven't actually driven an S2 ( a 160hp 924s, yes ) so unable to comment, but with my turbo you cannot crawl onto a roundabout in second gear at 5 mph, put your foot down and expect instant go, for instance, where I suspect the S2 is far more tractable in day to day driving - with the turbo I have become more conscious of being in the right gear if i want instant oomph..(technical term[:D]).


The performance of the turbo when on boost is addictive (god only knows what the 3.2 turbo boys laundry bills are like[;)]) and that was my preference, but suffice it to say that whilst my car will trickle around town off-boost in high gears all day long, you can sense that it is not its ideal environment!

Horses for courses, I guess, although both are saturated with character and feel - two things sadly missing from most modern cars.

Good luck!
 
Nick, I'll give you a spin in mine at the next R3 meeting if you like. May even let you work the controls if you promise not to bend her [:D]

Apart from the better acceleration, flatter cornering and more powerful braking, the main difference is weight. It's immediately obvious that you are hussling a lot more weight around every corner.
 
Thanks, Nick. That sort of confirms my impression of using a standard turbo as an everyday car as being less than ideal.

The other dilemma I have is, if the house sale happens, do I spend a bit of money on my car, or change to an S2? Assuming I'd probably pay around £3k-£4k on top of the value in mine, I could do a lot of work on the Lux and have one of the best around. Oh to have a bottomless wallet......[:eek:]
 
Ahhhh ... a debate that rages almost constantly in the back of my cranium ...

I love my S2, but can't help feeling (particularly when reading posts such as the 3.2 turbo one on here at the mo) that the additional power of the turbo would be nice. But then I drive my S2 (which is always a pleasure) and realise how infrequently I use all the horses under the bonnet, and then wonder whether the extra grunt of a turbo would be used enough to make it worth the cash.

Threads like this where the lag of the turbo are mentioned make me wonder as well ... my S2 is an only car ... and I know that if I had a 951 I would have to modify it to reduce the lag, and then I'd be onto the oft-mentioned slippery power-gain slope, and then I'd be talking to my insurance company about how much it costs to insure a modified Porsche turbo left on the streets of East London overnight, and then I know it would be expensive!

S2. 'Tis the way forwards.


Oli.
 
Yes, but when it's on boooost......![:D][:D][:D]

Turbo is still tractable when off boost, just not very quick[8D]
 
ps I drove both and went for the turbo as I felt that the S2 did not give enough of a power gain over my lux to warrant the upgrade. Try both though as the S2 is going to be a lot easier to drive and turbo power does get you into dangerously illegal speeds very very quickly!
 
Turbo every time for me,decent power to begin with and if you want more its there for the extracting.
 
There's one way of looking at it

- how many S2 owners have traded (up?) to Turbos?

- and how many Turbo owners have swapped for S2's?

I wouldn't [:D]
 
- how many S2 owners have traded (up?) to Turbos?
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Yes, but I've also had one person say he wished he'd kept his Lux as the turbo is a never-ending project! [8|]

I'd still say S2 for the road. Turbo, lightly modified, if you will be tracking it. Nice to get the different opinions, though!
 
Had the S2 and enjoyed it but hankered after a turbo. All that's been said about the turbo is true. In standard guise you'll wait a while before feeling the boost, but when you do there is no substitute. I actually like how the turbo drives, I like being docile around town in 30,40 zones and then letting the turbo spool up for that motorway or dual carriageway spin. Its also great to know when you overtake that you can safely make it past. Turbo every time for me now I'm afraid. Getting the gearing right, applying the power at just the right time is all part of the fun.
 
I ended up buying a turbo for several reasons, firstly the S2 has been almost intolerably reliable since the beginning (touch wood !), secondly I needed a car worth being modified (I see little point spending £k in an S2 when a turbo will always go seriously faster for the same amount of money spent) and thirdly the turbo with the "right" spec and already fitted with nice aftermarket parts showed up for a decent price.

Overall I think the S2 remains the better car as it's easier to drive quickly in most conditions and easier to live with on a daily basis. The fact it lacks the grunt of a modified turbo is not really an issue ; it remains satisfying to drive all the time whereas the turbo constantly begs for acceleration and thus can generate a certain amount of frustration.

Of the other three people I personally know who have had both at some point, one turbo owner has traded for a S2 (cab), one regretted "trading up" from the S2 for a turbo as he ended up spending a fortune making it faster, only to figure out a modified turbo was not as satisfying as a similarly sorted S2, and the third one sold his S2 cab to buy a Cup replica for track use.
In any case most people who have had both will agree, I think, that in the best world one should have one of each.
Sorry, I know that doesn't help much ... [&:]
 
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