Which is the best handling car?, 911,356, or my favorite 914?? Options

[Unobtanium-inc]

I've driven many Porsches, some under anger and pressure, some just to get to work. All are great, but all are different. It depends on what I'm doing. Personally, my 914 is way more fun to autocross than the other two cars I've autocrossed, my 356 and my 993. The 356 didn't have enough power in the short tracks and the 914 was much more nimble that the 993.
But when it comes to my favorite overall Porsche to drive, it's the 993, I've never driven a finer, more well balanced Porsche, and heat/AC is a bonus.
The great thing about the 914 is they are still affordable to the average dude, unlike 356's that are beyond a lot of people at this point.
Oh, and a 996 is a snoozefest, like driving something from Asia, too refined, no fear, no smells, no danger, just work through the gears, like a video game.

[Racer]

Something I'll add to the "handling" discussion is predictibility as that boosts confidence

Empirically, the factory learned that the 914 could pull 1.0g on the same skidpad a 911 could only pull .9 . So, it has a higher limit..

But what I have seen is that 914s, as they approach there limit, require significant diligence/anticipation as the warning of full failure (spin) is a much smaller window. Quick hands/reactions to catch/balance the car, or to throw it all away.

The 911 will always let you know where its weight is.. and when you learn to throw the hammer backwards, it becomes a very effective tool. Slow in/fast out can be a wonderful weapon as well.

In this regard, high hp 914s loose a bit of traction that the weight of a heavier engine farther back in the 911 can exploit.

FI cars tend to be closer to 45f/55r

In the end, though, they are all fun!

[AZBanks]

I've never spent time in a 911 so my experience is limited but I love the 944 T and 944 S2. So predictable at the limit.

[Jonathan Livesay]

968 Lighter than 928 and less twitchy than 914.

[jd74914]

Main issue is that "handling" is highly subjective on the road. Without lap times or data acquisition to gather objective data, it comes down to personal preference for most drivers. I once was talking to some one telling me about how they like the handling of a car they liked. Turned out what they were really talking about was ride quality. Went down the road like. . . . riding on a cloud. I kid you not. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

Mid engine, low Cg, and wide track width is going to win out on handling from a physics standpoint all other things being equal (which they never are).

Once you get into comparison with modern vehicles with something other than trailing arm suspension, all bets are off. However, 914 still stands up very well against modern vehicles despite it's age and simplicity.

I think modern tires play a big role. Especially R-comps, low-treadwear kinda stuff. A lot of modern tires have much better stiffness characteristics and lower camber sensitivity than rubber of old (note: I haven't seen tire data for strict passenger tires, but have for a bunch of sticker stuff). This means a car with substandard camber again (914 here) can really stand up well when fitted with high end tires as compared to more OEM setups on more capable modern cars. Especially if you stiffen up the suspension on the 914, set static camber correct, and are handicapping the new car with OEM alignment...

[JmuRiz]

968 Lighter than 928 and less twitchy than 914.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)
But the 914 feels more fun