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I met a fellow RLer yesterday (great guy!) and he gave me a spirited ride in his 997 GT2. For reference, to me a 997.2 Turbo is a very fast car. Insanely fast, in fact.
I truly believed that until around 3pm yesterday.
There are no words to describe this car, but if I had to pick one word, it would be "monster." There's literally no comparison to the Turbo, let alone my lowly GT3.
I think we were cruising along in 3rd gear, and getting on the throttle even then became pretty scary in a hurry. Getting traction in 1st is a challenge. Okay, it's impossible. And I swear we broke loose in 3rd. Such an angry, angry car. This car had none of the turbo lag I noticed in the 997.2 Turbo. It was pretty much instant scary. You really have to love the boys in Stuttgart for coming up with this thing. LOL.
Any negatives with this monster? A few. For one, i hope you like driving alone, because one spirited drive with the wife, and she will never get in it again. And on those rare occasions when she does, you won't be having any fun. Another negative is that once you've gotten on it once, that's where all the fun is. You aren't going to be content just slicing up the canyons. So your license is in serious jeopardy every time out with this sucker. And lastly, I could tell that this car was several levels above my pay grade. It is a handful. They don't call it the widow maker for nothing.
So...check that one off the old bucket list. Thanks Dan!
Congrats on your ride, they really are other worldly ... if you get a chance for the step up try it as well (see pic), but know your driver really well! My all time favorite 911 is the 997 GT2RS.
Congrats on your ride, they really are other worldly ... if you get a chance for the step up try it as well (see pic), but know your driver really well! My all time favorite 911 is the 997 GT2RS.
Thanks. You are so right. Speaking of "knowing your driver" I was actually handed the keys and offered a chance to drive the GT2. How cool is that?
I declined, mainly because I know the driver lol. Ego has no place when it comes to these cars.
GT2s are all about tires. The right tires transform them into wonderfully progressive opposite-lock loving machines. The wrong (or cold) tires, on the other hand, do the opposite. Then it's a matter of time before you experience a "moment" you'll never forget.
Great review Rob. I also took a ride in Dans car and also for a quick spirited drive on the highway. To note, Dans car does have a full catless exhaust with a tune. Power to the wheels was north of 600 here at altitude in Colorado.
Rob pretty much perfectly describes the car to the T. If I could add anything, it would be that you need a large piece of real estate for any acceleration. You better have nothing in front of you if you want to get a pull in.
Has he never brought it to HPR? I've never seen that car out there in the last 6 years. It's a shame to keep it in the garage..
Great to hear you got to experience the gt2! I've been lucky enough to spend a lot of time behind the wheel of 997gt2rs. They are amazing, scary machines. The power delivery compared to the 4.0l is violent. Like Pete said, as a street car it's very restricted by tire temps. Hard to get them to work on the street. And cold tires with turbo lag can get you in trouble quickly.
Imagine your PDK hooked up to a 650hp car. Will be a special feel. I can't wait to drive the 991gt2rs. Will shine on track. On a wet cold road surface it's probably better to leave it sitting in the garage. Same as the 997gt2.