Interesting thread. I just sold my '96 C4S but still have my M Coupe, and find it to be a more interesting drive, both good and bad. The C4S was pretty viceless; a very easy car to drive with high limits, no doubt because of the huge tires, and 4wd. The M Coupe never feels as settled or composed and it's a lot easier to upset in the turns.
I was frankly disappointed with the handling when I got the car, even though it had Dinan springs, shocks, and sway bars already when I bought it. I sent the car to Dinan about 4 years ago to have them put their "ultimate" suspension setup on it, including custom valved Konis, plus all their reinforcements, and the car somehow ended up returning with their 3.38 differential, a supercharger, oil cooler, intercooler, wheels and a bunch of other stuff (it's now one of 10 cars Dinan converted to their ISR3 spec, eight of which were roadsters). I definitely don't recommend any differential ratio shorter than 3.38; 80mph is about 4000rpm in top gear IIRC. The car is better sorted now in terms of handling, but still does not feel as reassuring as the 993. It sure is fun though, in a way that the 993 was not. The short wheelbase and all the power makes it very exciting in a way that reminds me of an old 911, and in that respect, I definitely agree. It's fairly easy to control, and you can drive around sideways all day long if that suits you.
As for the looks, yes, it's an unusual looking car (my brother calls it an upside-down c*ck and balls), but the hatch part of it makes it surprisingly practical (it's the car I take to the grocery store the most frequently). It gets a lot of looks (frequently puzzled ones), more so than the 993 in fact, and the overall reaction is positive. It's a pretty sinister/badass car, especially because of the size of the rear tires, and because the Dinan software car automatically turns on all of the fans for the intercooler and radiator for 3 minutes whenever the car goes on boost, so when you hear it coming down the street, all you hear is whoosing air of the fans. It's a bit like Darth Vadar.
