Porsche Paradise

The BMW has 15 year more advance technlogy. Besides BMW is pretty good with their steering and handling feel.

Drive both and you’ll see.

Well I am going to have to disagree with the others on this post. Porsches are in my opinion far super,however this being a special front engine Porsche model it is not up to par with the rest of the lineup from the make. So basically,though I have actually been in each of the cars it is hard for me to say as the BMW I was in was lowered 2 inches and had a custom suspension so I am useless, I would bet the porshe if it was the bubbly body style from the early 90’s.

To add to what’s been brought up already… and to clarify that a huge part of how you answer this depends on figuring out what you mean by “better suspension” or “sportier suspension.”

Here’s the facts you can count on for each car: The 944 was a fantastic design and very advanced for it’s day, although it’s day was now 20+ years ago. The 944 had a few suspension options, and differing implementations over the model years it was produced, depending on just which exact one you are referring to could easily change the final result. And as with all things like this, the suspension is but on part of the equation for what you are probably really getting at – ie, which car can achieve better mechanical grip or has more responsive handling or… etc. Which brings in questions of balance, pivot point, suspension setup, chassis development, and so on. On these points the 944 is extremely well balanced and stands as one of the first cars to get it’s weight distribution while still being a high polar momentum car (ie, the weight at each end balanced away from the center).

The 328i… again alot of this will depend on which 328i you are talking about as BWM has produced such a car with th E36, E46, and the current E90 model (there may have even been an E30 in Europe?). The E46 and E90 versions have the advantage of being newer designs and benefiting from newer technology and the additional knowledge that time brings. The later cars certainly enjoy a more advanced chassis as well. All of these cars will be heavier than the Porsche though, which mean even with a “better” suspension, it will not be able to take advantage of it as well as a lighter car (and the later cars and a good deal heavier).

In the end, the basic suspension designs are very similar. The geometry is different but in each case appears optimally designed for each car (as I’ve not seen much in the way of redesign from privateer motorsports teams that have used either platform). As far as which is sportier? If you mean stiffer by “sportier,” then the BMW sports suspension is probably stiffer than the basic suspension package in the older Porsche, although given the weight difference in the cars it may still be less effective than the Porsche. The combination of chassis and suspension in the newer BMW means it would be better able to maintain a consistent level of grip… at least with OEM setup (as the Porsche’s suspension is fairly adjustable for a stock suspension, and a more appropriate and aggressive alignment and corner balancing could easily change that).