varioram or not? whats the difference
Discussion
Hi all
Im sure this has been done before but ive done a search and not found anything.
What is the difference between varioram and non varioram?
Ive seen a 96 varioram 993 c2 on here thats caught my eye as im thinking about another Porsche again but my budget is around £20k ish give or take a few grand?
Ive had a 996 c2 but fancy a 993 as will be a garaged 2nd car, was also considering a tvr 350 but with whats going on with the company and running costs im steering more and more back to porsche.
I might be wrong but i think a 993 will now hold its money better than any other model in my budget??
Any advice greatly appreciated.
Ash
Im sure this has been done before but ive done a search and not found anything.
What is the difference between varioram and non varioram?
Ive seen a 96 varioram 993 c2 on here thats caught my eye as im thinking about another Porsche again but my budget is around £20k ish give or take a few grand?
Ive had a 996 c2 but fancy a 993 as will be a garaged 2nd car, was also considering a tvr 350 but with whats going on with the company and running costs im steering more and more back to porsche.
I might be wrong but i think a 993 will now hold its money better than any other model in my budget??
Any advice greatly appreciated.
Ash
From what I read in the various guide books, its the extra torque you'll notice. Plus I understand the later models have a lighter clutch. The change came in for the 1996 model year (hence 1995 on an 'N' plate should be varioram). You can easily tell a varioram model as the air con pipes (assuming it has air con) wrap around the alternator staying towards the rear of the car, rather than shooting up diagonally across the engine towards the back seats.
The non vario cars have lower gearing, closer ratio gears and a peakier enine, it all happens above 4500rpm. I think Porsche had to raise the gearing to meet drive bye noise regulations. That turned the car into a bit of a pig to drive with its peaky engine, hence the varioram to give some more mid range torque. I don't think there is any difference in performance you would notice though some of the early road tests suggst that the first non vario cars are slightly faster on paper.
AJAX50 said:
The non vario cars have lower gearing, closer ratio gears and a peakier enine, it all happens above 4500rpm. I think Porsche had to raise the gearing to meet drive bye noise regulations. That turned the car into a bit of a pig to drive with its peaky engine, hence the varioram to give some more mid range torque. I don't think there is any difference in performance you would notice though some of the early road tests suggst that the first non vario cars are slightly faster on paper.
There are plenty of 96/97 varioram cars with lower gearing. Worth seeking out.
I can't believe you can't find any info on this oft debated topic by running a search. Have a look on the PCGB 993 forum. There is an excellent technical article complete with power and torque curves.
In terms of driving, the pre vario cars have a more noticeable transition into the power band. Nothing much happens below 4000rpm. After 4000 rpm you will feel like shouting "yeeha". The engine is definitely more peaky. This is not a criticism, the pre vario cars are a hoot to drive. The vario cars definitely have a more progressive transition into the power band. The end result is they are a bit quicker at 10/10ths but a lot easier to drive when you are feeling lazy.
If all other things were equal then I would plump for a vario car. However, these cars are all 10 plus years old so all other things are very unlikely to be equal. So don't dismiss a pre vario car if it ticks all the other boxes.
pp
In terms of driving, the pre vario cars have a more noticeable transition into the power band. Nothing much happens below 4000rpm. After 4000 rpm you will feel like shouting "yeeha". The engine is definitely more peaky. This is not a criticism, the pre vario cars are a hoot to drive. The vario cars definitely have a more progressive transition into the power band. The end result is they are a bit quicker at 10/10ths but a lot easier to drive when you are feeling lazy.
If all other things were equal then I would plump for a vario car. However, these cars are all 10 plus years old so all other things are very unlikely to be equal. So don't dismiss a pre vario car if it ticks all the other boxes.
pp
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