Fred R. C4S

Well.......sooner or later everything comes to an end and it's time to move on. Much like Viken, I had been toying with the idea of selling my '97 C4S and buying a GT3. I was generally quite happy with my car, but I'd had it since new and drove 35,000 smile filled miles. In the small Porsche market where I live (central Illinois), I would have to find a buyer that could appreciate the condition of my car and the mods made to it. Because of the timing of the new GT3, I would have to sell my car BEFORE even driving the GT3. Now there's a leap of faith.

I was fortunate enough to find an informed buyer, and PCA DE Instructor, who could appreciate ROW M030, Close Ratio Gearbox, RS LWF, Spare Kinesis wheels for the track, and all of the other goodies included in my "package". He was happy to pay a reasonable premium over any other C4S in similar condition in order to get the mods I had made. I am sure he will have many smile filled miles on the road and on the track.

While finalizing the GT3 order, I learned that among other things, the GT3 does not have: Sunroof (a nice to have item), a spare tire and wheel (a must have from my previous experience), a jack (what do you need a jack for, you don't have a spare), sound insulation. I began to have second thoughts about having a car that is so focused on track used as opposed to a daily driver.

My dealer had 2 x 996 TT's in stock and mentioned to me that for a few $K more, I could buy a TT. One test drive, and a few minutes negotiating got me a very good deal on the TT. A 996 TT is both a very different and a very similar car to the 993 C4S. Both have solid engines with "old school' dry sumps. Both have completely rebuildable and reconfigurable gearboxes. Both have very good handling, although the TT needs to get a lower suspension. So for the next few years, until the 997 or 998 is released, I'll be enjoying that great deep well of torque that the TT provides.

Thanks and best wishes to all my friends and acquaintances on the 993 board. I'll keep my eye on you folks and offer help where I can.

Cheers,

Temple

Glad to hear your 993 found a good home, and congrats on your latest toy!

Mark in Hermosa

Great...now the team has to find a new "Regenmeister and Team Cynic"...

Congrats on the car. Please turn in all turtle patches.

JasonW

Congrats on the new purchase. Wish I could of picked up your 993.

JC in NY

You are not alone. The American market is just not right for a GT3, just like it was not ready for a RS America (as toned down as that was). For all the whining we enthusiasts do to get the Rennsport versions here to our shores we just don't buy them.

Porsche is smarter than us. Porsche did not bring the RS versions here because they do not sell, period.

chris walrod

If you quit HWFMR, aren't you supposed to give a two-week notice?

Seriously, congrats on your purchase and post some pics as well as some intitial driving impressions of the TT.

At lunch today, I saw 996TT parked at a local strip mall in dark blue metallic of some kind. Bite my tongue, it looked awesome!

Greg Fishman

If you want one that is very similar, look at Viken's car. IMO it is perfectly equipped.


http://pcarracing.homestead.com/vb993.html

Fred, I am suprised you didn't at least drive a GT3 first. I haven't driven one but from talking with a few that have it is the best car Porsche has made in a long, long time.

mooty

fred, congrats on your new TT.

DJ

Why not just say, "I decided that what I really wanted was a fast GT for a daily driver, not a Sports Car." All this about spare tires, sunroofs, and great deals on a TT just sound like excuses.

Viken

Yes, the GT3 would be a GT car compared to a Cup car. OTOH, the Cup car is a GT car compared to a GT3-RS race car and so on.

Trust me, the street legal GT3 is nothing like a GT car.

Fred R. C4S

FWIW

Those of you that live in the temperate climates of California or Florida, probably can't appreciate what we have for roads in the Midwest. While my local roads are probably not as bad as those in Ray Calvo's neck of the woods, flat tires and punctures are indeed a reality. In my nearly 7 years of 993 ownership, I experienced three flats on rear tires. In each instance, the only thing that got me to a safe place was the fact that I had that space saver spare. A can of fix a flat would have done me no good.

I test drove the TT and try to surmise how a GT3 would ride and drive on my local roads. I had to conclude that it would be pretty rough. In the final analysis, the TT seemed to be a better "everyday" supercar than the GT3 for my use. While I would have liked to have driven a GT3 BEFORE making this decsion, the timing of the arrival of that car versus the availability of the TT required me to make a choice. For me I think I made the right choice. For others, in different circumstances, the GT3 is a good choice as well.

As for HWFM status, please remember that a slow driver in a TT is still a hopelessly slow driver. Therefore I do not feel I need to resign from HWFM Racing.

Cheers and best wishes to all,

Mark in Baltimore

Congrats on the new car, Fred. I hope you manage to find time to slum with 993 board.

Flying Finn

I'm with DJ here and this is what's wrong here when some people always whine why US doesn't get RS, GT3 etc and then huge rave when it comes but when they find out it doesn't have this, doesn't have that, and then back out!

These models are meant for pure driving, not cruising around 10 mph, there are plenty of "pimp' models (can you say TT Cabriolet?) around from Porsche for that, leave GT3 (or others before) alone.

Fred R. C4S

Finn

I think that you're missing my point entirely. I also take exception to the implication that I have settled for a "pimp model". I've been driving Porsche's since 1975, and 911's since 1993. I'm merely pointing out the fact that a model, more clearly focused for track duty than my 993 C4S,was simply too extreme for my purposes. As I only do a handfull of track days each year, I decided that I couldn't live with the compromises of such a narrowly focused car the rest of the year. My driving pleasure does not resolve solely around track events. For my use, a TT was a better choice than a GT3. I expect that those that use their GT3's for track use will find them quite enjoyable. But driving to and from work in the Midwest in a GT3 was going to "diminish my GT3 pleasure factor".

Regards,

pig4bill

The GT3 is not the first car to come without a spare tire. The Corvette, BMW M3, and Mini Cooper S come to mind. Their simple answer is to call a tow truck. The Midwest may have nasty roads, but in California if you're not in a metro area, chances are you're a good 200 miles from a Porsche dealership in the middle of a desert.