A great quick overview by CH.
This thing looks & sounds incredible, & now with reassurances from CH that the motor, steering & transmission are all outstanding it proves what Andres P was saying all along.

Can't wait for a more detailed review...

 

IMO, the question of whether the 991 GT3 is just a super-S or a GT3 will be answered by the 996/997 GT3 prices over the next year. If .2 RS's could be had for low 90's a year from now, it would mean that the GT3 crowd has embraced and moved onto the 991 3 as a proper GT3. If instead 997.1 3's shoot up to low 90's (and 6GT3's to low 70's) that would mean that the GT3 crowd has rejected the new "GT3" and its customer base has now become the super-S crowd. It will be interesting to see.

Personally, if forced into choosing a non-Mezger DFI motor in a new "GT3", I'd prefer that it sat right behind me like it does in the Cayman. What is all that empty space behind Harris used for anyway?

 

mmmmmmmmmm

 

So because someone opted to purchase a 996 tt that makes their opinion less valid than yours because you have a 993? Or means that we can't recognize why the gt3 has been such a great car? Or know exactly why we don't want nannies ruining the car because we just might know how that dulls the experience relative to previous gt3's? You are only making yourself look bad.

 

Harris seemed very PC. anyway the tester had the "club sport" option. Why the F is P not offering this in it's largest market?!

 

I have no idea what you are talking about here. I had thought that I summed it up exactly as you say it....

 

i wonder if the steering ratio is different vs the Carrera?

 

PC in what way? I thought he was being quite honest and very open in his praise for the car. The only thing that he seemed at all conflicted about was the gearbox and I think the reason for that was that while he still thinks a MT might be a better choice for him, he found PDK to be better and more fun than he expected.

Re: the club sport option, not that it's a good reason, but to the best of my knowledge Porsche have never made the club sport option available here for any of it's GT cars....

 

It might just be my impression,but ever since Harris's review came out you have started some sort of offensive against the naysayers...which is cool,personally I have no problem with that,but I believe it's hard to impose your point of view regarding Porsche's transmission choice. I know some are viewing it as '' the future '',but even Chris Harris,which I trust,said that PDK only is quite a change,to put it gently...
Personally,I've pretty much had only good things to say about the car and if you read my previous posts,I actually like it! Just because I drive a 996TT doesn't mean I'm not interested in this car,as a matter of fact,I think it's a much better value than a plain 991 which I've also considered.

 

I wonder why he said the recommended PDK mode was normal rather than sport, especially since he wasn't exactly on a Sunday drive.

Great review though. Sounds amazing!

 

Wanna991. Sorry, my point was not very well articulated.

What I was pointing out is that a common complaint on these boards of the 991 GT3 is that it has made performance more accessible with no need for additional skill. Chris Harris also brings this point to bear in his article.

My point was that the turbo already has done that over successive generations of 911 (my only direct driving experience has been 993TT & 996TT). The additional power, 4WD chassis and stability systems and the awesome wave of torque on boost has already those of less capability faster drivers on any given piece of road (generalization I know but mostly correct).

The 991 GT3 PDK with its 4WS and networked systems has also come into criticism in this regard. I dont think its undue criticism but I think its a hard position to argue from by anyone who owns or has owned a latish turbo and enjoyed similar performance benefits via technology etc. The nice thing about the new GT3 is it offers these benefits but still within the frame work of a high revving, relatively light, 2WD naturally aspirated platform.

 

Because Normal mode on the GT3's PDK-S is like Sport mode in a regular PDK gearbox. PDK Sport will upshift only at redline which makes it inappropriate for almost all off track driving.

 

Nick, I know you've been pretty balanced in your comments, but the fact is that there have been plenty of people who have been "imposing" their POV about how they prefer/want a MT in virtually every one of the 991 GT3 threads.

Given that, it hardly seems fair for Macca, or anyone else, to be called out for pointing out the positives about PDK in the Harris video and write up. He's no more trying to impose his point of view than the MT supporters were trying to impose theirs, don't you think?

 

Neanicu. Sorry - my comments were a little tongue in cheek about the PDK-S. Ive been posting on the 991 GT3 board since its inception and contributed a fair amount of data I have come across for others to read. There is some historical perspective to my "offensive" I must confess. I gave up on the 991 GT3 board weeks ago and signed off in a thread stating I wouldnt re appear until naysayers stopped slaughtering threads which were designed to bring new information to the table (as I have tried to do in teh past along with some others here). Afterall there is only so much you can take of people dissing something they have never seen let alone driven. At the time I said Id comment when the motor noter's started to write about the car and we actually had facts to go on. That has happened today. Most on here probably weren't interested when I talked of the first test drivers getting 7.26 on the ring from this car, nor the feedback I had had from those who had passenger-ed in the car, driven it or been close to the development teams tuning efforts at the Ring. Chris's experience was fully expected this morning when it went to print. I know also how well it will review on track now too, and I think we still have some surprises in stall there too. So some of my rhetoric and hyperbole needs to be taken in a historical context on this board - I can see how you may have read it isolated to this thread only.

P.S. My point of view regarding Porsche's transmission choice has never waviered. I knew what transmission the car would ship with in late Oct/early Nov as previously stated. Porsche did too. My personal view is that if it had have been offered only as manual I would have been happiest of all. If it had have been offered as a choice I would have been least happy of all. Being offered at PDK only was not the worst nor the best outcome but one Im happy with as I have driven manual cars all my life and will still retain my manual 993 to get the old skool kick when I need it. The reason Im not upset at PDK is that it had to happen (sometime). Also the systems in these modern cars are bow so integrated and networked that I simply do not believe a manual and PDK version would have provided a similar experience - one or the other would have become more popular than the other or a better drive and more capable (probably knowing Murphy I would have chosen the wrong transmission choice LOL!).

So to clear the air thats about it.

As many reading this know Im big on predictions. I dont think Ive been far off the mark in the last 8 months, especially compared to others.

Here's my future predictions -

The 991 GT3 will become a stand out sales success in the next 6 months seeing considerable back orders. This is in part due to its larger audience but also the motor journalism industry will have a large part to play especially once track reviews are announced.

Porsche will announce the use of the DFI engine in December for teh coming Motorsport Calander year (2014). The engine will essentially be the 991 GT3 engine with some small revisions.
German magazines will record very competitive sub 7.30 Ring times with the new GT3.

Someone will formally record a 7.22 Ring lap in the new GT3 before Xmas and it will become recognised as an official lap time.

Lightweight one piece bucket seats will debut on the 991 GT3RS

The 991 GT3RS will weigh 40kg less than the GT3 and make 499 bhp (505 PS). It will retain the 3.8L engine and have some additional aero.

The 991 GT3RS will lap the Ring in 7.20 (Porsche)

The 991 GT3RS will cost 25-30K USD more than the GT3 base price

 

Mike, are you sure about this? You cannot upshift while in sport mode unless you are at 9000rpm? That seems strange. I thought in sport mode if you exceed 9000 the car will not employ the limiter?