Nizer

Nope.

But I'll definitely be looking to swap my SPB for a Cayman Spec racer.

Four Liter

Hey Guys ,
Tell me if this has been covered already . I went to the Porsche USA site right after the specs were released on the GT4 and shown in the overview was the Clubsport package including the half cage and a fire extinguisher . I meant to ask then if maybe we'd finally see the package available ( or standard ? ) on the RS . Before making this post I went back to the Porsche web-site to check to see if it was standard or an option - and now it's nowhere to be seen ! Anyone else see this a few days back ? The car shown was blue and one shown now is yellow .

mlpor

Oh sure, there are ALWAYS three or four on most of the forums, and I'm pretty sure at least one at every track day event or the local car guys watering hole. :-)

Macca

Sure. A contributor on this board has already posted his own GoPro footage of a few laps he did in the 991 Gt3 that rival the factory times. Hes a young Italian amateur and a friend of a few posting on this thread. He rented a 991 GT3 from RSR Nurburgring at a private day and did half a dozen laps and posted a couple here on another thread. He overtook Sabine in her 997.2 GT3RS in one of them. His best time was 7.29 IIRC in the GT3 (I think maybe with a passenger). No safety gear and 100% stock car and he hadnt driven this GT3 before I believe. I also have another European friend who has driven the Ring in 7.28 in the car. He also is an amature but used a helmet and a neck device. Stock tyres and geo.


The Ring is very useful real world device because it gives a comparative understanding on how the car will handle on te road not just the track. perhaps unlike many US roads many European roads and NZ roads are full of compressions and ripples and tarmac vs concrete and negatively cambered corners etc so its a useful way to know how a car will handle on roads like ours UK & Europe a speed. Its more a road than a race track tyre surface with most corners from my limited experience driving the Ring being 3/4 and 5th gear.

Nizer

US roads have potholes.

neanicu

Thanks for the summary Macca. I have watched some of the videos that you mention. Really fast driver indeed. I haven't seen any times posted but I have no reason not to believe you.
Regarding your second point,to be honest with you,I've always considered Ring times just marketing,but that's just me...

997rs4.0

A lot of good points by Macca, I've driven the ring quite a bit so I'll just add a few things. Obviously you need a lot of laps to learn such a long and undulated track. Nothing new there. And when you look at ring times don't forget that HP plays a much bigger role here than on most of our home tracks. So even if for example the gt4 doesn't get great ring times it will still be a blast on most shorter tracks. The manufactures uses the ring as measurement tool which I don't really like. A lot of people don't know enough about the ring and might make a "bad" decision based on it! Not likely for the RL crowd but people that buy all the car magazines.

ipse dixit

Bingo.

Perhaps as an option at least.

MileHigh911

My biggest beef with worrying about ring times is that I think Porsches gearing choices are to optimize shifting on the high speed ring. Which is junk for those that want a tighter spaced 2-3-4 in their manual gear box.

MileHigh911

Which is not ideal gearing for most other tracks in the world. If Porsche could forget about the ring, and give us a lower gearing and tighter spacing for 2-3-4, then the gear box would get rave reviews as a track focus derivative.

hf1

I don't see them as "completely" different at all. It's fair to assume that neither will be raced, or at least not until the warranty expires. They are both capable of serious DE track work and will be able to keep up with the field in the fastest run groups. In terms of building a dedicated track/race car, the GT4 would be much more amenable to that if for no other reason than cost. Turning an RS into a race car defeats the purpose -- just get a Cup.

Sure, the RS will be faster than the GT4 in the hands of the same driver but would this "advantage" translate into $100k worth of extra fun/satisfaction/enjoyment? I'm not 100% sure.

997rs4.0

I guess we are all different, my personal limit for flogging a car at my max potential around a track is even at gt4 $90k pushing it, but if I can get a GT4 that will see a lot of track time close to my limit. I'm not comfortable enough to drive a $190k 1RS flat out at track so it would be a fun weekend car and 6-7/10 on track when I take it out. And it would also be great addition to my 6rs and 4.0! Just my $0.02!

997s07

I grew up in Germany and have done a lot of tracking, mainly in Hockenheim. But I can say one thing and that is that these GT cars are not race cars. I agree get a Cup car. These are road cars that are track durable. The RS is now up in price, and it's really freaking fast. But there many "gimmicks" that Porsche has put into it. It's for a specific market and it competes with the Italians. Preuninger said that they are under pressure and need to evolve the car the way they have.

A GT4 is fun is not breakneck fast, controllable, etc. If you drive 10/10, it's fast and very stressful, going over 170 mph is not easy on the brain. That's what I meant with violent speed and it not being fun. One complaint the the 991 GT3 has is that it has a lot of room for speed, and at a point where it too fast.

Is it worth $100K more? Not to me.

CAlexio

very good points. For me some machines can be too fast.. in fact, many of them. I'm probably in the minority. For example: I have a ducati 749R... when I ride it I really enjoy how i can actually use the power as there really isn't that much of it, and what is there is only available above 9k rpm for a short burst. I ride my friend's Panigales all the time... 1200cc... 190hp... simply ballistic.. tough to get out of second gear on the road and my brain just refuses to keep pace on the track. the 1000cc+ bikes are simply too fast for me... I just don't enjoy them as much.

I've never done more than a slow drive in a gt3... so I can't compare. But I can say that i prefer a vehicle which is somewhere within the range of usability in the 1-4th gears on the road.. and not stupid fast on the track. I'm thinking this gt4 will hit a "usability" sweet spot for me... the manual will only add to that as it will keep me working on smoothness and preventing all-out speed because yep.. my brain won't keep up.

GreenLantern

Agreed. I'm getting both, but won't drop one for the other... especially not a GT4 over the GT3 RS. That's just madness. Madness, I say!