GT3 Test drive from the perspective of a Carrera S owner
05-28-2017, 11:10 PM
#16
Rennlist Member
It seems logical that the Touring package will be MT w/o seats. Porsche is now pitching PDK for ultimate sport and MT for ultimate involvement which seems to keep the internet purists from being overly agitated. I doubt it will be difficult to delete the wing on a .2 GT3 w/ PDK and substitute the touring pack parts required to replace the wing and finish the deck lid. The rear seats will be more of a challenge I suspect. The car is not, iMHO, a very good daily driver for a variety of reasons. Even w/ the front lift unforeseen road irregularities will cause the suspension to hit the limits and potentially damage the front end. The old sport cup tires were not up to heavy rain and along with cool temps their grip is shaky at best. The new tires may prove better. The wing is an obstacle in traffic. The adrenaline and brevity of a test drive may not reveal this, but over time the extra effort to negotiate traffic becomes noticeable. The upper rev band is unusable in daily driving, despite all its glory, even driving in manual from 1st, taking the engine to 9K is not feasible in traffic. The acquisition of speed is such that reaction times in traffic are not sufficient to avoid unpredictable drivers. As a weekend car on less congested roads the car is everything one could hope for in a sports car. I had reservations about the .1 GT3 engine and sold my 15. I now have a 17 C2S and have a December build for a .2 GT3. I am very pleased w/ the .2 C2S and, believe it or not, I still go back and forth about getting the GT3. However, the siren song of the new 4.0L engine is powerful and difficult to resist.
I agree with fact that if the wing really offends someone or they hate driving with it, you can get rid of it. It will certainly cost several thousand, but its doable. You will make the car less stable at triple digit speeds or on the track, but it won't affect you with basic spirited driving.
I also agree you wont use the upper rev band in regular driving, but you can definitely use it on your weekend or later evening drives, and it is glorious.
I daily my GT3 half the week in SoCal with major traffic. It took a little getting used to with the wing and cops notice me more than a regular carrera, but you can still definitely daily a GT3 if you want. Some people may not be able to deal with the reduced rear visibility or that it's definitely louder inside the GT3 even at low RPM than a carrera. GT3 is plenty comfortable over bumps, but firmer than carrera.
Disagree on the damage to front. The front end is low but unless you live somewhere with just crazy roads, you won't damage your front end as long as you get a GT3 with front axle lift.
Tires are a non issue. If you don't track your car all the time, just put super sports on the GT3 instead of the PSC2s. Then you have great traction for rain, and even if tires are cold. You can even track the super sports if you want.
Last edited by Drifting; 05-28-2017 at 11:27 PM.
05-28-2017, 11:27 PM
#17
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
It seems logical that the Touring package will be MT w/o seats. Porsche is now pitching PDK for ultimate sport and MT for ultimate involvement which seems to keep the internet purists from being overly agitated. I doubt it will be difficult to delete the wing on a .2 GT3 w/ PDK and substitute the touring pack parts required to replace the wing and finish the deck lid. The rear seats will be more of a challenge I suspect. The car is not, iMHO, a very good daily driver for a variety of reasons. Even w/ the front lift unforeseen road irregularities will cause the suspension to hit the limits and potentially damage the front end. The old sport cup tires were not up to heavy rain and along with cool temps their grip is shaky at best. The new tires may prove better. The wing is an obstacle in traffic. The adrenaline and brevity of a test drive may not reveal this, but over time the extra effort to negotiate traffic becomes noticeable. The upper rev band is unusable in daily driving, despite all its glory, even driving in manual from 1st, taking the engine to 9K is not feasible in traffic. The acquisition of speed is such that reaction times in traffic are not sufficient to avoid unpredictable drivers. As a weekend car on less congested roads the car is everything one could hope for in a sports car. I had reservations about the .1 GT3 engine and sold my 15. I now have a 17 C2S and have a December build for a .2 GT3. I am very pleased w/ the .2 C2S and, believe it or not, I still go back and forth about getting the GT3. However, the siren song of the new 4.0L engine is powerful and difficult to resist.
Want to add some comments from someone who has also owned both cars.
I agree with fact that if the wing really offends someone or they hate driving with it, you can get rid of it. It will certainly cost several thousand, but its doable. You will make the car less stable at triple digit speeds or on the track, but it won't affect you with basic spirited driving.
I also agree you wont use the upper rev band in regular driving, but you can definitely use it on your weekend or later evening drives, and it is glorious.
I daily my GT3 half the week in SoCal with major traffic. It took a little getting used to with the wing and cops notice me more than a regular carrera, but you can still definitely daily a GT3 if you want. Some people may not be able to deal with the reduced rear visibility or that it's definitely louder inside the GT3 even at low RPM than a carrera. GT3 is plenty comfortable over bumps, but firmer than carrera.
Disagree on the damage to front. The front end is low but unless you live somewhere with just crazy roads, you won't damage your front end as long as you get a GT3 with front axle lift.
Tires are a non issue. If you don't track your car all the time, just put super sports on the GT3 instead of the PSC2s. Then you have great traction for rain, and even if tires are cold. You can even track the super sports if you want.
I agree with fact that if the wing really offends someone or they hate driving with it, you can get rid of it. It will certainly cost several thousand, but its doable. You will make the car less stable at triple digit speeds or on the track, but it won't affect you with basic spirited driving.
I also agree you wont use the upper rev band in regular driving, but you can definitely use it on your weekend or later evening drives, and it is glorious.
I daily my GT3 half the week in SoCal with major traffic. It took a little getting used to with the wing and cops notice me more than a regular carrera, but you can still definitely daily a GT3 if you want. Some people may not be able to deal with the reduced rear visibility or that it's definitely louder inside the GT3 even at low RPM than a carrera. GT3 is plenty comfortable over bumps, but firmer than carrera.
Disagree on the damage to front. The front end is low but unless you live somewhere with just crazy roads, you won't damage your front end as long as you get a GT3 with front axle lift.
Tires are a non issue. If you don't track your car all the time, just put super sports on the GT3 instead of the PSC2s. Then you have great traction for rain, and even if tires are cold. You can even track the super sports if you want.
In SoCal.
Done it for over 20k miles.
Happily.
05-29-2017, 12:58 AM
#19
When the time comes I'll be selling my 991S for a .1 GT3, and deleting the rear wing. The perfect car. You don't have to special order a .2 GT3. All you have to do is unbolt the rear wing.
05-29-2017, 07:49 AM
#20
Three Wheelin'
The wing doesn't really unbolt, it is a decklid assembly. An entirely new deck lid is required which includes the Carrera spoiler and that has different programming for extension based on model. Presumably one could fit the fixed duck tail in this position but there are various choices based on model as well. Certainly it can be done, but replacing the wing does require a bit of consideration. The R and the Touring pack if it becomes a reality provides a Porsche tested solution. The ,2 comes with the underside diffuser which the R used to compensate for the wing delete. I would think it prudent to add the diffuser to a .1 wing delete.
05-29-2017, 08:57 AM
#21
Thanks for the Post.
Nice writeup.
I have no doubt that the 991.2 GT3 will be a fine machine!
For the Track.
After a year with a 991.2 C4S as a daily driver and Track, I can say that it's potential on road is simply way to fast to safely use any of it's potential with any traffic around.
With the LCA, ACC, Bose, PDK, PCM, it becomes a very nice Tollway/Expressway cruiser.
On Track it's very capable when I'm not scaring myself, it's too much car for me.
As to 'Going to Jail', I would like to avoid that and with current Law Enforcement, using the capabilities of these vehicles puts you at high risk.
Yesterday I took my 981 Mexico Blue Boxster to get an ice cream cone and after exiting a round about at a casual pace for me, State Patrol in the now ubiquitous Black unmarked Ford Explorer hit me with head on radar, I was casually doing 50 in a 55 mph zone because I have learned the hard way NOT to speed in the face of oncoming traffic.
I could easily have been 100 +mph.
And in Jail.
So a 991.2 GT3 sure gets the pulse and Gear Acquisition Juices flowing but unless you just want to look at it in your garage and fantasize, for me unless I Tracked it, it would be a book end.-Richard
Nice writeup.
I have no doubt that the 991.2 GT3 will be a fine machine!
For the Track.
After a year with a 991.2 C4S as a daily driver and Track, I can say that it's potential on road is simply way to fast to safely use any of it's potential with any traffic around.
With the LCA, ACC, Bose, PDK, PCM, it becomes a very nice Tollway/Expressway cruiser.
On Track it's very capable when I'm not scaring myself, it's too much car for me.
As to 'Going to Jail', I would like to avoid that and with current Law Enforcement, using the capabilities of these vehicles puts you at high risk.
Yesterday I took my 981 Mexico Blue Boxster to get an ice cream cone and after exiting a round about at a casual pace for me, State Patrol in the now ubiquitous Black unmarked Ford Explorer hit me with head on radar, I was casually doing 50 in a 55 mph zone because I have learned the hard way NOT to speed in the face of oncoming traffic.
I could easily have been 100 +mph.
And in Jail.
So a 991.2 GT3 sure gets the pulse and Gear Acquisition Juices flowing but unless you just want to look at it in your garage and fantasize, for me unless I Tracked it, it would be a book end.-Richard
05-29-2017, 10:24 AM
#22
Considered modifying your cab?
So many excellent options. For example try DSC + Techart springs for an inexpensive and comfy experience around town yet much more sporty & planted in sport+.
So many excellent options. For example try DSC + Techart springs for an inexpensive and comfy experience around town yet much more sporty & planted in sport+.
05-29-2017, 11:16 AM
#23
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
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Thread Starter
I have considered DSC. Not sure about hardware. What's the preferred setup? Springs or sways? I tried both on my V70R and sways were the trick.
05-29-2017, 11:42 AM
#24
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Needsdecaf,
as a fellow Houstonian, I'm wondering where your "test road" is?
("It's the only decent road around and there are many car dealerships along the highway in the area. The GT3, as expected, is the most capable car I've driven on this road.")
As you well know, curvey roads are hard to find here -- unless you're content with 35 mph on Memorial Drive in the Villages -- so I'm interested in your "find" of a decent road in H-town.
as a fellow Houstonian, I'm wondering where your "test road" is?
("It's the only decent road around and there are many car dealerships along the highway in the area. The GT3, as expected, is the most capable car I've driven on this road.")
As you well know, curvey roads are hard to find here -- unless you're content with 35 mph on Memorial Drive in the Villages -- so I'm interested in your "find" of a decent road in H-town.
05-29-2017, 02:26 PM
#26
Wait, those things in the back of my C2S are back seats?! I thought they were for holding very small bags of groceries.
05-29-2017, 02:28 PM
#27
There's a lot more to it than just unbolting a wing. You have to replace the entire rear decklid and spoiler. Compare that picture above to a .1 GT3.
05-29-2017, 03:46 PM
#28
Drifting
Suncoast has the duck for $2k. That would need to be painted. And if you have a sunroof on your GT3, it's possible it would need to be reprogrammed to work with the Ducktail vs. how it works with the GT3 tail. I say that because if you have a sunroof coupe with no tail and add a ducktail, you are supposed to get a "new sunroof control module, which must be dealer installed and activated" to adjust sunroof settings. I'm sure this has to do with aero considerations. Of course, if you went GT3 tail to no spoiler at all, you'd have the same sunroof consideration.
Or do GT3s even offer a SR option? I hope not, but they probably do nowadays.
Last edited by NoGaBiker; 05-29-2017 at 05:18 PM.
05-29-2017, 04:00 PM
#30
Did GT4 SSK & FF mount last week.
Crossing a few things off the personalize list....