R35driver

Currently I have a modified r35 GTR. Had it for the last 2.5 years and its been a fun ride. 700hp, e85, straight piped, some suspension work and new wheels with a 285/335 MPSS setup. As fast as it is though I usually find myself turning the boost down to stock so i can actually savor the drive a bit more and reduce turbo lag.. rather than turning the boost up and doing highway pulls like most gtr videos. My two cars prior to the GTR were an E46 and E92 M3, both 6 speed. I kind of miss that high strung instant throttle response and winding out the gears to 8000rpm. Plus lets be honest the 991 is drop dead gorgeous. So i've been toying with the idea of trading in on a used GT3.

My main question before taking the plunge would be: Is the GT3 worth it if you don't track it? I kind of feel that the main reason the gt3 has a 50-60k premium (lightly used gtr vs lightly used gt3) is that it can stand up to long track sessions where the GTR would overheat and that its more refined.

Some part of me feels that it would be a disservice to buy it and just use to cruise around town, go to local car meets, and hit up twisty backroads every so often. I put about 5k miles a year on the gtr doing that and would do the same with the gt3.

Raven 666

Before I purchased my 996 GT3 I drove a 600Hp R35 GTR for several hours to make a back to back assessment on which car was best for me as these were in a similar price range in Australia at the time and both offered breathtaking performance and value for money.
After driving the GTR I was understandingly impressed with every aspect of the GTR and felt the GT3 had a lot to live up to if it was going to equal or indeed better the whole GTR drive .

How ever after only a short period of driving the 996 GT3 I just knew it was for me and found the Porsche just more of a pure driving experience and much more of a sensory overload to drive .
Every time I drive it puts a huge smile on my face and I think this car will be in my life for a long time to come . I have not driven the current 991 GT3 but I would suspect that it would also have many of the character traits that make my 996 such a pleasure to drive ,,,I my opinion if you want something that is special and makes you enjoy every drive go the GT3 ...............

ipse dixit

Test drive one, if you haven't already.

As to using it as a daily driver, I actually think the GT-R is a less enjoyable car in terms of ride quality and comfort than the GT3, although neither is a cruiser in the way a M5 or M6 might be.

sgroer

Depends how much you drive. I had a silver 2014 gt3 prior to my current one. It was my main daily driver in Atlanta. The luster wore off quickly as I battled through traffic with stiff suspension and very few creature comforts with a racetrack inspired transmission. While the gt3 has mav and heated seats, it's relatively spartan inside by today's standards. I began to feel that I was totally wasting the car, driving it 99% of the time in a way that it really wasn't meant to be driven. I began to really hate the car. So I sold it. I bought a 2015 m4 and fell in love. The perfect daily driver, and exactly what I was looking for at that point.

I did miss the gt3 and an opportunity to pick up an amazing PTS riviera blue car came along. So I decided to get it. And I am more connected to this gt3 than I ever was with the silver one. Because i drive it when I want to, not because I have to. I get giddy when it's time to grab the keys. And I love firing it up.

So for me, with just a few opportunities to drive it the right way, it wasn't the right daily car for me. But as a second or occasional car it's epic.

You really should drive one. The engine in traffic is rather pedestrian. Below 5000 or so Rpms, there is zero drama and its unexciting. So you have a fairly normal feeling engine with the transmission and suspension of a track monster. It can be a frustrating combination.

Of course on the open road, all is forgotten as you wind your way to 9000 and rip into a corner. There is nothing like it. My m4, for example, is not even close to the emotions the GT3 provides when you are really driving it.

I strongly recommend a test drive with someone on the boards here or at a dealer.

NateOZ

As others have said you should test drive one. I only do about 4k to 5k miles per year myself and my GT3 was purchased only for the street - as is my incoming RS.

The 991 is pretty street friendly, even with terrible NY roads.

Manifold

Test drive a bunch of cars, not just the GT3. There are many good options these days as far as enjoyable road-only cars.

24Chromium

No

R35driver

I like what I'm hearing so far. I think I just need to find a dealer and schedule a test drive. closest one from autotrader/ebay seems to be 300 miles away though Are dealers pretty stingy with test drives? I feel like i'd need to pull up in the GTR and ready to deal that day for them to even consider it.

Test drove a couple cars over the last few weeks
- Lambo LP550 - what a joke, i can't believe people paid over 200k for this. maybe i just got a dud but the brake feel was terrible, the e-gear is jerky, ride is very stiff. Does snap necks like nothing else though.

- v10 r8 - not a fan of the looks

- mclaren mp4 - didn't drive it but im not sold on the looks, especially when its sitting next to a 650s. They've taken a big depreciation hit and im not sure if they will continue to fall or not.

- 2014 viper. Actually this was a big surprise, 6spd manual, nice interior, felt about as quick as my gtr. Getting back into the GTR made it feel like an SUV. Couple issues though: 1) i would probably die if i drove this like the gtr 2) values are tanking. They were 150k in 2013 and now you can get one for 80k. next years viper will be supercharged with 700hp as well from what im hearing.

Lebo

I agree with this a 100% , "Because i drive it when I want to, not because I have to. " .
This is exactly my case , but instead i have a CLS500 and use it for daily drives to work and back . On weekends i drive the GT3 and there is no car like it

Manifold

^ Since you seem to like cars with a lot of torque and hp, you may be disappointed with the 991 GT3. It has 475 hp, but not a lot of torque, so you really need to wind up the revs to the top third of the rev range to feel strong acceleration - easy to do on the track, limited opportunities on the road. I like the torque curve of my C63 much more for the road.

sgroer

Unless you live in some bizarre far off place, there's a really good chance a Rennlist member will let you go for a drive. I've done it twice. Much better than a dealer test drive.

meaker

If you love the torque like the viper you test drove maybe a gt3 wouldn't be the right choice. I came from a 997tt and it was a easier car to go fast in the city with the low rpm torque, where the gt3 has to be in the right gear( high rpms) to do the same around the city. I love my gt3 but I find myself wanting to take it out of the city to the mountain twisty roads to enjoy it better. So depends on what you are expecting the car to do on those drives. I would try to test drive one.

kyrocks

Like everyone here says, if you have to ask, No it's not right for you.

LAGinz

Unlike a number of people on this Board, I decidedly disagree that the GT3 is only fun over 5000 rpm. To me, it feels special every single time I drive it. No, it's obviously not a Viper torque wise, but I find the engine very responsive at lower rpms with PSE activated, so long as it is not driven in PDK standard automatic mode. The engineers, through aggressive gear ratios and a low mass flywheel make the car feel torqueer than I expected, given its numbers. I came from a Vette with s lot more torque-and do not miss it at all.

Manifold

I do think the GT3 can be fun under 5K rpm and at sane speeds, but IMO other cars can be more fun under the same conditions. The question for the OP isn't whether to get a GT3 vs nothing, it's GT3 vs his current car and other options.