951 vs urq

["Rodney L Wiggins" <rwiggins@clev.frb.org>]

     As an owner of both cars I feel qualified to comment here. I had an 82 
     ur-q (which I unfortunately sold) and now have an 86 951. The 951 is by 
     far the faster car when both cars are stock.  I installed a weltmeister 
     chip which is good for 275 hp and 300 ft/lbs of torque (at 3k rpm). Now 
     the 951 is a rocket. Off the line both cars are somewhat weak, the 
     winner would be the driver with the most disregard for his clutch and 
     driveline. By the way a clutch job pays 28 hours on these early 944 
     turbos! But at least the tires will break free on a hard launch saving 
     the driveline. This is not the case in the quattro. At highway speeds 
     there are very few cars (all of which are very exotic) that can keep up 
     with a 951, (especially a chipped one.)(performance figures for a 
     chipped 951 are low 5sec 0-60 high 13s for 1/4 mile)
     Handling:
       I quite enjoy the low, firm, on-rails handling of the 951, but if it 
     was a road I was unfamiliar with or there was potential for debris, 
     bumps, or water around a blind curve the quattro would be my first 
     choice. The 951 is a racetrack car or perhaps if you live in sunny 
     california. The quattro is a better all year car and is not such a 
     delicate princess. (I can barely get in and out of my driveway because 
     the 951 is so low.)
     Brakes:
        NO CONTEST. The 951 brakes are awesome. I've updated to coolcarbons 
     and braided lines, which makes for phenomenal stopping power. And I 
     hear the newer cars are even better.
     Engineering:
        Looking at the suspension you can tell the quattro is a rally car. 
     It is far more durable looking than the porsche. I haven't broken 
     anything yet but I was certain I never would in the quattro, even with 
     the crappy roads here in Cleveland.
     Reliability:
        Even with the 951 problem areas I would say the 951 is the more 
     reliable car. It is nice just to hop in  and go for a 600 mile trip and 
     not worry about being stranded somewhere. 
     Cost of repairs:
        In most comparisons between the 951 and other cars this is where the 951 
        loses. Not the case here. I have found 951 parts to be cheaper and more 
        obtainable than parts for the quattro. 
    Verdict:
        Definitely an apples and oranges comparison. My recommendation: Buy 
    both. But only if you are extremely mechanically inclined. These cars are 
    two of the best performance car bargains (urq is a better bargain IMHO) on 
    the market. But they are not nearly as inexpensive as their price tags 
    indicate if you don't do the work yourself or if you don't start with a very 
    good example.