997S or GT3
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 807
Likes: 2
From: Monterey Park, CA
I see it the same way as others the 997S is better choice for day to day driving and comfort. The GT3 is more specialized as a track car. You just have to ask youseldf which one do you want more. I say one thing in the GT3 favor is its rarity would be something to think about. If it was for me my heart is for a GT3, but since I have 2 young boys and use the car as a daily driver 90% of the time I would get a 997.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 13,000
Likes: 24
From: KC ex pat marooned in NY
Same here, if I couldn't take my kids in the car with me, that's a deal breaker and it was. When I got mine, I could have snapped up a nice black GT3 that somebody ordered and bailed on, but the back seats were the problem.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
From: Longmont, CO
I dunno guys, I LOVE my GT3 all the time...street, track, garage, whatever. It's a sports car! Our roads are terrible. Still love it. I've got kids. Love them, too. If ya gotta shuttle the kiddies, get a minivan [flame suit is now securely in place].
I keep seein' this, "GT3 better for track...997S better for road" statement, or some variant, and it reminds of something an old mentor once told me: if you repeat something enough times, it will become true. Don't just blindly accept the prevailing "orthodoxy". Drive 'em both. Decide which one turns your crank.
I keep seein' this, "GT3 better for track...997S better for road" statement, or some variant, and it reminds of something an old mentor once told me: if you repeat something enough times, it will become true. Don't just blindly accept the prevailing "orthodoxy". Drive 'em both. Decide which one turns your crank.
Nordschleife Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 5,225
Likes: 32
From: Tobacco Road, NC
Perosnally for me, I would (will) get the GT3 (996 or 997 to be determined next year) and STILL keep my 996CAB that way there is a "fun" car for the city that had back seats and a drop top and then there would be a track car for me. By the way, I track the 996CAB and it handled like a dream on the track with the upgraded suspension, wheels, and rubber, SSK, etc. etc. etc.
Long story short.....have 2 Porsche--one for the streets and one for the track.
However, if you can't swing 2 cars (or don't want to) my suggestions would be the 997S with an upgraded suspension and a dedicated set of track wheels/tires.
FYI....there was an aticle in Excellence in the Q&A section that a 986 (I think) owner asked what to do with his car to make it better for the track (suspension, tires, etc.) and the answer was...........NOTHING! Every Porsche is already built for the track (some better than others) but still built for the track and far superior to most cars out there today. The best thing is to participate in as many DE's as possible to really learn how to drive these cars since 99% of us on this board CANNOT push this our car to it full potential. As the answer went on to state that we will give before the car will!
Moral to the story.........ENJOY YOUR CAR NO MATTER WHICH MODEL!!!
Just my $.02
Long story short.....have 2 Porsche--one for the streets and one for the track.
However, if you can't swing 2 cars (or don't want to) my suggestions would be the 997S with an upgraded suspension and a dedicated set of track wheels/tires.
FYI....there was an aticle in Excellence in the Q&A section that a 986 (I think) owner asked what to do with his car to make it better for the track (suspension, tires, etc.) and the answer was...........NOTHING! Every Porsche is already built for the track (some better than others) but still built for the track and far superior to most cars out there today. The best thing is to participate in as many DE's as possible to really learn how to drive these cars since 99% of us on this board CANNOT push this our car to it full potential. As the answer went on to state that we will give before the car will!
Moral to the story.........ENJOY YOUR CAR NO MATTER WHICH MODEL!!!
Just my $.02
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,083
Likes: 54
From: dune acres, Indiana
While I don't doubt that in the right circumstances, the GT3 can be a daily driver, it really is a bit of a stretch to say that can be true for most 996 or 997 buyers. The car is very compromised toward performance. My wife tolerates my car passion, and she's happy to go to dinner in the tt. I'm not sure that would be true in the GT3. Certainly not true if you live in the midwest, where foul weather can descend in a matter of hours.
Personally, I prefer the tt for exhuberant driving on the street, but definitely not on the track. A 997 plus and Elise is a good compromise. Once you drive an Elise on track, you won't want anything that weighs a thousand pounds more. I haven't driven a GT3 on a track, but thanks to the generosity of a childhood friend, I did have that opportunity to drive one thru the Malibu canyons.I have a lot of appreciation for the GT3, but I definitely thought my Elise 190R could keep up, and I suspect the same is true for the new series 2. The Elise will definitely keep up with a 360 on a tight track. That will not be true on a track that allows staraight speeds over 120. AS
Personally, I prefer the tt for exhuberant driving on the street, but definitely not on the track. A 997 plus and Elise is a good compromise. Once you drive an Elise on track, you won't want anything that weighs a thousand pounds more. I haven't driven a GT3 on a track, but thanks to the generosity of a childhood friend, I did have that opportunity to drive one thru the Malibu canyons.I have a lot of appreciation for the GT3, but I definitely thought my Elise 190R could keep up, and I suspect the same is true for the new series 2. The Elise will definitely keep up with a 360 on a tight track. That will not be true on a track that allows staraight speeds over 120. AS
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,820
Likes: 13
From: NC - One headlight capital of the world
Originally Posted by C4S Surgeon
Same here, if I couldn't take my kids in the car with me, that's a deal breaker and it was. When I got mine, I could have snapped up a nice black GT3 that somebody ordered and bailed on, but the back seats were the problem.
BTW, I just found out that you made DJ a GHL convert.Cheers
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Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 13,000
Likes: 24
From: KC ex pat marooned in NY
Yeah I know, I even had the dealer look into retrofitting the seats, they could but it wouldn't be legal as the GT3 enters this country as a two seater. FWIW he likes his GHLs better!
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,199
Likes: 0
From: Houston, Texas
Originally Posted by RJFabCab
Hey, Surgeon... that's WEAK! BTW, I just found out that you made DJ a GHL convert.
Cheers
BTW, I just found out that you made DJ a GHL convert.Cheers
.The GHLs are quite nice.
