What makes a new Porsche's A/C work better than a 911's
 

Can someone tell me what makes modern Porsches (Boxster, Cayman, 996 etc) A/C's work so much better than our older 911s? More condensers? condenser location?

Thanks

Specifically better compressors, condensors and hoses that keep the gas from leaking.

Does anyone know if water vs air cooling the engine helps? Do the newer engines run cooler?

I don't believe cooling water circulates through the A/C system. Oil/air cooled temps seem to be the same as water cooled (180 ~ 220).

I would say technology and engineering. In the new models it was engineered in. In the older ones, it's like the finished the car and then said "Wait...we need A/C also".

Correct....no coolant runs through the A/C system.

Paulporsche....the new ones have to run water cooling because air can only cool the engine so much. With all the HP gains as of late, they had to switch to water cooled.

Larger condensers and evaporators are what makes modern Porsche A/C better than the pre-90 911.
The 911 chassis architecture was designed in 1963 when only us Americans were interested in A/C so there were no provisions for a packaging a proper sized condenser and evaporator. Later a system was shoehorned into the 911 with condensers located in two spots that don't receive good airflow and the evaporator hidden in the smugglers box that was never intended to hold anything other than the optional gas heater.
All these problems were solved in the 964/965 series of 911 but it took completely new chassis architecture to package the right sized components.
On a 90 degree day here in Michigan (typically 80% humidity) my A/C gets so cold I have to turn it way down if it runs longer than 20 minutes.

The good news it the aftermarket!

My 85 Carrera has COLD air now. All it took was some parts from Griffiths and a couple of weekends of work.

For many years War Bonnet Region PCA held the War Bonnet Tech. We had speakers from the factory every year. I don't remember the exact year but It was probably the early 80s when Helmut Bott spoke to our group. I think it was Bott that decided to drive Rt 66 west from Oklahoma City in a Porsche provided by PCNA. When he returned to Germany he had two of the top A/C engineers fly to America to take the same "vacation" on Rt-66. When they returned they reported to him and said "the A/C in the 911 sucks" or something like that in German. One of the engineers that came to discuss the new 993 told us the story. He mentioned the 993 would have A/C that works. That was the year they brought the entire rear suspension of a 993 for display at Tech and just left it with us. I still have a 993 wheel hub and crossmember hanging on the wall in my garage.

Each time I see a post about our A/C systems, I wonder how in the world someone paying $40k for a Porsche in the late 80s would have been happy with the A/C system?!?! IMO, even when fully charged, it still leaves alot to be desired. The A/C system in my old '87 VW was MUCH better! I just can't understand how a car company that engineers their cars so well (sometimes over-engineered - I'm thinking heating/ventilation system) could have thought that the A/C system was up to par with the rest of the car.

I can only imagine how much better your car cools now! One day...

Mostly condenser area.

R12 actually cools better than R134a, so that's not a factor.

That must be one of the reasons that 1980's 911s have significantly lower mileages than 944s of similar vintage.

Sticking one condensor above the engine has a lot to do with it on the older ones.