GTS vs GT3
01-11-2019, 08:13 PM
#61
Feel the same way. Love my T, great little turbo-charged engine with no lag and linear acceleration. Porsche did such a great job with it. Love both, but I choose to drive my T over my GT3 most of the time.
01-11-2019, 10:20 PM
#62
Burning Brakes
01-12-2019, 08:02 AM
#63
Well until you start tracking your GT3 than realize that you're the poser because the real track guys are hauling and tracking real race cars....
A base Carrera is just as durable as a GT3 for DE track days. Consumables are really no different, cost a little more on a GT3. But its not like other makes where rotors and calipers aren't up to snuff for some weekend lapping or you need larger tires to increase the contact patch unless you buy the top of the line performance model or need to add extra cooling. It's great out of the box.
I like the GT3 Touring. It's great on track, great for a weekend cruise and you don't have that huge wing.
A base Carrera is just as durable as a GT3 for DE track days. Consumables are really no different, cost a little more on a GT3. But its not like other makes where rotors and calipers aren't up to snuff for some weekend lapping or you need larger tires to increase the contact patch unless you buy the top of the line performance model or need to add extra cooling. It's great out of the box.
I like the GT3 Touring. It's great on track, great for a weekend cruise and you don't have that huge wing.
Also, my 991.1 + trailer + radical + truck = GT3 $$$
01-12-2019, 09:36 AM
#64
Three Wheelin'
No debate, for a dedicated track car, GT3. For a daily driver or weekend car with a smattering of track days throughout the year, GTS. Yeah, the GT3 is slightly more tuned for the track and has that NA motor that screams to 9k rpm. The track and the occasional onramp are the only places you’ll find yourself winding out to 9k rpm, otherwise you’re getting arrested. Personally, I’ll take the fatter torque curve and more useable low and mid range power 3.0TT over the revvy 4.0 NA. Don’t let the magazine articles and stat sheets manipulate you. Go drive both and decide.
01-12-2019, 09:50 AM
#65
No debate, for a dedicated track car, GT3. For a daily driver or weekend car with a smattering of track days throughout the year, GTS. Yeah, the GT3 is slightly more tuned for the track and has that NA motor that screams to 9k rpm. The track and the occasional onramp are the only places you’ll find yourself winding out to 9k rpm, otherwise you’re getting arrested. Personally, I’ll take the fatter torque curve and more useable low and mid range power 3.0TT over the revvy 4.0 NA. Don’t let the magazine articles and stat sheets manipulate you. Go drive both and decide.
01-12-2019, 10:08 AM
#66
Instructor
No debate, for a dedicated track car, GT3. For a daily driver or weekend car with a smattering of track days throughout the year, GTS. Yeah, the GT3 is slightly more tuned for the track and has that NA motor that screams to 9k rpm. The track and the occasional onramp are the only places you’ll find yourself winding out to 9k rpm, otherwise you’re getting arrested. Personally, I’ll take the fatter torque curve and more useable low and mid range power 3.0TT over the revvy 4.0 NA. Don’t let the magazine articles and stat sheets manipulate you. Go drive both and decide.
01-12-2019, 10:23 AM
#67
“Well until you start tracking your GT3 than realise that you're the poser because the real track guys are hauling and tracking real race cars....
A base Carrera is just as durable as a GT3 for DE track days. Consumables are really no different, cost a little more on a GT3. But its not like other makes where rotors and calipers aren't up to snuff for some weekend lapping or you need larger tires to increase the contact patch unless you buy the top of the line performance model or need to add extra cooling. It's great out of the box.”
So true. If you’re not running in the advanced run group with roll protection, HANS device, and 5 point harness, searching for every second, a base Carrera will be all you can handle.
A base Carrera is just as durable as a GT3 for DE track days. Consumables are really no different, cost a little more on a GT3. But its not like other makes where rotors and calipers aren't up to snuff for some weekend lapping or you need larger tires to increase the contact patch unless you buy the top of the line performance model or need to add extra cooling. It's great out of the box.”
So true. If you’re not running in the advanced run group with roll protection, HANS device, and 5 point harness, searching for every second, a base Carrera will be all you can handle.
However, I see Porsche used in everything from road rally, hill climbs and track. In fact a friend of mine even entered one in a national level dirt rally last year (yes I know Porsche have a long history in this form). Older GT3s, particularly 997 series are very common, Caymans are ubiquitous as are historics. Depending on class these can be "fully prepared and heavily modified" or running near stock (with all safety of course) - also, people have to start somewhere and build up experience in different levels of timed events. There is a huge difference between timed competition in a series and the guys just lapping. A lot of guys that do DE days don't really get this.
Irrespective of this, the GT division makes a great base car (in the GT3 and GT4) - having said that the same applies to Caymans and Carreras (particularly the 9A2 variants) - you just have to do more to them. I will say this tho, there are an awful lot of s*** box race cars out there, in lower level competition, put together on tight budgets - few are Porsches. Moreover, if you look at different types of competition - say at state level - you will see Porsche cars of various types often near the top or at the top of the leader boards. This is a direct function of the quality of the base vehicle and the fact that once people land in them they find it hard to go back to other types of vehicle and thus stick with it e.g. able to extract the maximum potential through experience.
The issue I have with the 991 GT3 (II) is not the car, its clearly very good - its that so many were built and yet so few are seen in competition (at least in my jurisdiction). There are three reasons for this (1) once you start speccing them up, the price goes up significantly to the point where a lot of people won't risk them even for DE and (2) . if you look at the cars coming on to the market they are dominated by "gentlemens" spec e.g. lots of leather, comfy seats, upmarket stitching etc this is all well and good for the original owner - however, if you're looking for a stripper to use as a base car - the price equation doesn't work currently - although this is starting to change. (3) . A lot of the demand (and consequent supply) for the current GT3 appears to have been dominated by "gentleman" drivers - (no sleight intended in this) - those that want the essence of race car without having to actually own a real one and live with it and the consequences of that decision/life style (see 2).
Last edited by groundhog; 01-12-2019 at 10:48 AM. Reason: typos
01-12-2019, 10:58 AM
#68
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Had a 991.1 TT then a 991.2 TTS. Great cars with tons of straight line speed. Over 4 years of my Turbo ownership I never fully connected.
Now have a GT3 Touring.
No regrets.
ps: Pay grade does not permit both cars, which would be ideal.
Now have a GT3 Touring.
No regrets.
ps: Pay grade does not permit both cars, which would be ideal.
01-12-2019, 02:32 PM
#69
No debate, for a dedicated track car, GT3. For a daily driver or weekend car with a smattering of track days throughout the year, GTS. Yeah, the GT3 is slightly more tuned for the track and has that NA motor that screams to 9k rpm. The track and the occasional onramp are the only places you’ll find yourself winding out to 9k rpm, otherwise you’re getting arrested. Personally, I’ll take the fatter torque curve and more useable low and mid range power 3.0TT over the revvy 4.0 NA. Don’t let the magazine articles and stat sheets manipulate you. Go drive both and decide.
The GT3 makes me smile every time I take it - even when driving my 5 year old son one mile to school - he insists I take it. Why? He says that it's fun and makes him feel good. He previously only said that about my Ferrari - never said that about the TT.
01-12-2019, 05:57 PM
#70
The reason I don't miss the GT3 much when I'm in the GTS is because the GTS is so much fun. The TT/TTS I've driven just haven't been fun at all. The GTS put a smile on my face from the very first test drive.
01-12-2019, 05:58 PM
#71
Three Wheelin'
Mostly disagree. A 911 is an emotional choice. If car driving doesn't stir your emotions you won't be shopping in a Porsche dealership. It seems that you're one who is letting stat sheets and magazine articles manipulate you. You don't need to rev to 9000 RPM to understand what the GT3 is about. I previously had a TT and the only time I smiled when driving was during hard acceleration - which I seemed to do more than I should. An underlying fear of arrest is one of the reasons I sold it. The GTS is not much slower than the TT and probably faster than a GT3 - your "arrest" comment is unfounded.
The GT3 makes me smile every time I take it - even when driving my 5 year old son one mile to school - he insists I take it. Why? He says that it's fun and makes him feel good. He previously only said that about my Ferrari - never said that about the TT.
The GT3 makes me smile every time I take it - even when driving my 5 year old son one mile to school - he insists I take it. Why? He says that it's fun and makes him feel good. He previously only said that about my Ferrari - never said that about the TT.
01-12-2019, 07:46 PM
#72
I know what the GT3 is about and have driven both the GT3 and GTS extensively on and off track while you take your’s to drop your kid off at kindercare. Your entire comment is fluff and entirely not helpful for OP. No offense but what your 5 year old thinks about your car or mine doesn’t matter to anyone but you and him. I certainly don’t care what he thinks and I can’t imagine OP cares either. Your kid is happy driving around a battery powered big wheels. Does he give you stock tips too?
01-12-2019, 07:48 PM
#73
I know what the GT3 is about and have driven both the GT3 and GTS extensively on and off track while you take your’s to drop your kid off at kindercare. Your entire comment is fluff and entirely not helpful for OP. No offense but what your 5 year old thinks about your car or mine doesn’t matter to anyone but you and him. I certainly don’t care what he thinks and I can’t imagine OP cares either. Your kid is happy driving around a battery powered big wheels. Does he give you stock tips too?
01-12-2019, 08:21 PM
#74
I know what the GT3 is about and have driven both the GT3 and GTS extensively on and off track while you take your’s to drop your kid off at kindercare. Your entire comment is fluff and entirely not helpful for OP. No offense but what your 5 year old thinks about your car or mine doesn’t matter to anyone but you and him. I certainly don’t care what he thinks and I can’t imagine OP cares either. Your kid is happy driving around a battery powered big wheels. Does he give you stock tips too?
01-12-2019, 08:34 PM
#75
kids love rides in Porsche sports cars - I don't think they distinguish between a base Carrera, GT3 or a GTS. The back seats work well in this respect.