I have heard the terms MK1 and MK2 used when talking about the GT3s. Is that a reference to different model years or is there a significant difference in the cars. Mine is a 2005 made 10-04.

 

They are two different versions of the same car, you have a mk2.

Basically, the mark 1 was based on the original carrera with a 3.6 (360hp) engine and looks like this:


The mk2 was based on the facelifted car and has the same engine (essentially) but with power upped to 380hp and a different aerokit.


There are many differences between the two which I should leave to the experts.

Sam

 

Mk.1 1999-2001
Mk.2 2003-2005

Having driven both the Mk.1 and Mk.2 (on and off track) and owning a Mk.1 Clubsport, I would have to say that the Mk.1 is the car that is the most fun and challenging car to drive of the two. This has also been reported by many European car mag journalists and race car drivers.

The other major upgrade on the Mk.2 in addition to the power increase was the front 6 pot brake calipers, compared to the 4 pot on the Mk.1 other than that there are no major differences between the cars. On a racetrack with laptimes around 2min 30sec mark there is no difference in laptimes with the same driver.

Ciao,

Johannes E.

GT3 CS

 

Johannes

Just joined the MK1 club....

..more importantly, would like info on the girl with the chequered flag...

 

The Mk1 is about 60 lbs lighter. Both cars are using the Carrera4 tub, dry sump GT1 derived engine, and LSD tranny.

The Mk2 got a 33mm increase in front track, 29mm increase in rear track, wider front and rear tires (235/295 vs. 225/285), bigger and heavier front 6-piston brakes, glovebox, a higher redline (8200rpm), and door airbags.

There might be different springs and shocks between the cars. The sway bars on the mk1 come at the setting that should be used on the mk2 (f:1 from stiff, r:1 from soft).

1/4 mile on the mk1 (Top Auto) 12.8
1/4 mile on the mk2 (Motor Trend) 12.0

The Mk1 came with crappy Pirelli PZero. The performance numbers on the Mk1 with Michelin PS2 should be much better.

 

Mk2 also had a decent power upgrade, stronger synchros, gearbox cooling, 6 pot brakes (4 pots were a weakness of the mk1) & lighter alloys. Also all the benefits of a facelift car (i.e. better interior plastics etc).

Not to dis the mk1, but most people who don't own a mk1 think the mk2 is superior. With regards to journos blathering about the mk1 being more tactile etc, this is apparently down to the geo settings which were softened on the mk2 as the car was going to the US. I don't think I've ever seen someone claim the mk1 is as quick before, and I don't agree with that - especially if the mk2 has a similarly agressive geo to the one the mk1 ships with.

The mk1 CS also shipped with a light weight flywheel which unfortunately got dropped on the mk2. Apparently for similar reasons to the softening of the geo.

I started off planning to buy a mk1 on cost grounds (and preferring the rear wing), then looked at the cost of uprating the brakes+gearbox and maybe engine and realised it was just cheaper to buy a mk2. Then something went wrong and I ended up spending even more and getting an RS

 

My god, I wish that kind of thing went wrong for me too.

 

DanH,

Now it makes sense where is the 60# difference between the mk1 and mk2.

The glovebox is 6#, the side airbags 5#, the LWF around 17#, the bigger front rotors 6.5# heavier each (13# total).

The 8"/10" mk1 wheels are probably lighter than the 8.5"/11" mk2 wheels. Narrower tires are typically lighter.

 

Probably including tyres yep. Just saw it mentioned that the rims themselves were lighter.

p.s. how can the glovebox be 8#?

 

Yeah not the worst thing that could have happened although I could probably find a good use for the 20k GBP extra I ended up spending!

 

I've adjusted my glovebox weight (6 lbs). Obviously, this weight can't be substracted, because there is additional material on the mk1, compared to the mk2 with the glovebox removed (as mine).

 

The most significant upgrade, imho, from the Mk1 to the Mk2 were the brakes. The Mk1 doesn't benefit from the brake ducting like the Mk2, and the lower front spoiler arrangement effectively prevents a flow of cool air to the brakes.

Thankfully the Mk2 brakes are an easy replacement for the Mk1s, and even better are the anti-rattle floating Alcons that JZ Machtech custom designed as an upgrade for all Mk1 and Mk2s.

I think the key downgrade on the Mk2 was the loss of the engine noise of the Mk1. The Mk1, although it sounds like a tractor(!) at idle, has a rawness and edge that is simply missing from the Mk2 when the revs pickup and howl through 6k rpm...

Out of the box, however, no question that the mk1 is a sweeter drive with better turn-in and chassis balance...

 

I asked a good friend of mine, he had a mk1 CS ( you have seen the video, where he does 7.45 at Nurburgring) he has also driven the 24-h Nurbrugring several times, and compare that to the GT3 RS, ha said the RS had better throttle response as well as turned in better as the 2 major differences.

 

Anyone in the US import or federalize(if possible) an mk1 GT3? I saw one a couple years ago when I was in south Florida,it had the GT3 badge and no rear seat. It might have been a 911 with the body kit, but who knows. I only got a quick look while sitting next to it at a traffic light.

Lou

 

That is just the lack of lightweight flywheel. The RS has a LWF and thus the pickup, howl, and keeps reving further than the mk1.