igirl

I made the break-in period before running on track (gentle drive during the first 1.000 km, what Porsche told me).

Macca

Great review iGirl. Thanks so much. Wow less than 1s difference on a 3+km track is very good - especially since this was your first time out with the car car and in my opinion the geometry settings from the factory for the 991 GT3 are not very aggressive.

Some on here sound disappointed that the 991 GT3 isnt a 458 Speciale beater? Im actually very happy with what iGirl has said. I have noted before I found my engine became stronger and smoother once I got to around 2500+ km. BigMowley over at PH is the only other owner I know who like me did 3500km+ (he did 8000km!) and he agreed without doubt the engine does feel stronger after initial mileage.

The short review by iGirl is very encouraging. In my market the 458 Speciale is twice the price of the 991 GT3 as it is in Europe. There was no way the 991 GT3 was designed to take on and annialyate the Special (a super car) at this end of the market. I believe with the right settings and in the right hands its probably capable of similar lab times as the Speciale. The fact it does not ride as plush on the street is not something I am suprised about. One is rear engine other is mid and the 911 needs special attention because it is light in the nose so always there will be some compromise in ultimate compliance of suspension around town IMO.

Great work iGirl. Let us know anything else you learn as it comes to hand. Very much appreciate your feedback. I hope to also be driving mine late June and cannot wait!

john weires

At last, some good news for current GT3 owners waiting for their new engine.
Even if the improvements are slight, it sounds like they are noticeable
and are not an additional cost.

Jimmy-D

I am excited to hear that Porsche has delivered an equal to better engine and I am confident it will be as, or more, durable than the engines in their other variants. Igirl's review is very encouraging. I never expected it to be a 458 S killer but I expected it to put up a very good fight. And by the numbers conveyed it has accomplished that and with a little more experience driving it just might take it. My only very small concern is how igirl did not like it as DD. I do not plan on DD my car but I do explore and push it hard on the weekends but not on the track. But, I have to assume that coming from a 458 S to a GT3 it is going to be such a different experience that it could be like night and day but I do not mean that negatively. They are very different cars

igirl - great feedback

SanDiegoDavid

Good to hear the new engine the same or a tad better. Can't wait to get back into the car.
In my experience (920 miles) its a pretty good DD, especially compared to the 997.2 GT3.

MayorAdamWest

Where are you guys hearing igirl say that it's better? I only see posts saying it's exactly the same. Perhaps you guys are hearing what you want to hear.

Mike in CA

There are some differences (in bold) so it's not exactly the same. Also, at least one other poster has noticed improvements in throttle response and mid-range torque which is somewhat contradictory to what igirl posted. In any event, staying on topic and per igirl:

- the new engine does not feel different from the old one
- a new blue icon appears at start up if the engine is cold
- sport exhaust mode: with the old engine, you had to rev higher than 5.000 rpm to hear the difference; now, since the very beginning, you can notice the difference! nice
- RWS: what I have noticed is now the car changes direction immediately, since the first degrees, more noticeable than before
- on road, the car is nice but not the best choice for everyday use
-on track, it is a completely different animal! what a car!! gear changes are awesome, really! the engine sound after 5.000 rpm is very nice and "mechanical"
- think about it: on the same track, I do a complete lap in 1"55 with my 458 Speciale. With the 991 GT3? ... 1"56! !! Yes, just a difference of 1 sec! With a car that has 130hp less and costs 100 KE less!

Fadi1

Great review indeed. The advantage of the 458 speciale is evidently the V8 torque. But I think the GT3 faired very well in this comparison. Althought I didn't get to drive the new GT3 yet (thanks to the stop sale) I can imagine the engine lacking torque for daily use as it's a high reving engine and happier over 5000 rpm. Thanks igirl. Now we need video and sound :s

enduro963

Hahahahahaha! That's what Porsche deserves, after all this mess

mqandil

Macca, regarding the ride of the GT3, a lot of the harshness is actually coming from the tires. The Michilen Cup tires are pretty harsh, and meant to be driven on the track or smooth roads. I discovered this after I installed the winter tires (Michilen PA4) on my GT3 to allow me to break in the car during the winter. The new tires transformed the car significantly in terms of ride comfort, that the ride was not much harsher than my 2013 911 4S. Furthermore I installed the Michelin cup tires on my 2013 Boxster S recently and the ride harshness on the Boxster which is a mid engine car and normally has one of the most compliant ride of any Porsche I ever driven, has transformed to almost the same levels of harshness as the GT3 riding on th same cup tire. So my point is that the GT3 has a very compliant suspension, and that Porsche engineers did a hell of a job on calibrating the suspension, and that the harshness people are experiencing is mostly a result of the Michelin Cup tires. For some reason If people are planning to drive the car execlusively in the street, and worried about ride harshness, they can always install P zero or Michelin Super Sport tires instead, and they will be extremely happy with the car ride even on rough surfaces. Just wanted to share my observations since I was one of very few people who got to experience the GT3 on another set of tires. Mark

Mike in CA

Fadi1, you're exactly right. Maybe in comparison to the Fiat V8 the GT3 feels like it has less torque but in no way was I disappointed with the performance or sound of the engine in my time with the car. Any improvement due to the software upgrade will be purely icing on the cake.

Macca

Thanks Mark. I never thought the car rode harsh myself but I don't have a 458 Speciale in the garage to compare it too unfortunately ;-P. Infact compared to previous generations of GT3 this one is a peach on B roads.

Must remember tho that the 458S is delivered on the same Cup tyres from memory (or are they Trofeos).

I did buy a set of Super Sports but never got a chance to have them fitted yet.

TomTom77

The Speciale is on the same Cup 2 tires. Biggest plus of the Speciale compared to the GT3 is the torque, sound, chassis stiffness and brakes, if you ask me.

But, as I said multiple times before, value-for-money, the GT3 kills the Speciale. In absolute terms, it doesn't though. So we can all be happy...

911dev

glad to hear of the improvements. thank you very much igirl.

very happy this car still feels as though it belongs on a track and not the highway.

igirl

Direct live (I am actually at my Porsche dealer for a check up of the car):
- they confirmed that, with the new motor, they also changed the ECU, gear and RWS softwares
- they confirmed that they have to install some protections in front of the front wheels (but the pieces for my car have not been delivered yet)
- they confirmed it is normal that I had to add oil (0,5 liter) at the end of each track day.

Last answer to come: why, when I put my 6 point belt (Club sports package), I have the belt error? Very annoying when you are on track...