I took my GT3 to the track for the first time this weekend. What a fun, fun street car to drive fast. I’ve read some of the reports about them being twitchy and unforgiving. My experience was almost the opposite. The car is so communicative that it’s very easy to keep the car balanced. Huge fun to set the front end in a fast sweeper and steer with both ends. A nice balance between really rewarding the right line and being able to drive wherever you want or might have to. I thought it was easier to drive than the tt’s I’ve tracked.

I only had a couple of things that kind of surprised me. I ended up with lower pressures in the Michelin’s than I thought I would. I didn’t bring my pyrometer but 26/30 cold seemed to work best. I was picking up 4-6 hot. I also ended with some high speed buffeting I can’t figure out. It was a banked straight and at about 125mph I started to get a lot of “chop” around the car. At 140 if felt like it was pushing the car around enough to be tempting fate. It was a pretty still day. The car is stable on normal roads so I’ve got to think it’s got something to do with the bank and the wall I just don’t know what. I borrowed a Gallardo and at the same speed it was still. Some aerodynamic voodoo of some kind.

As a side note, there was also a CGT on the track and the same time and we played lead follow a bit. He could pull from me in the straights like I was chained to a fence. The owner said it was like “cheating”. Good for him.

At any rate, it’s probably the last time I’ll take the car out but I would highly recommend anybody that’s spooked by what they’ve read to ignore the comments and give it a go.

 

Sounds like you had fun. Why would it be "the last time I’ll take the car out"?

 

I've crossed the bridge of financial idiocy and have a dedicated track car that I'll start doing SVRA events with. I end up having too much compassion for my street cars to run them hard on the track. Yes, I know that doesn't make sense....

Also, I like having a roll cage and a harness on the track. I know everybody is doing 120+ at track events but I'm just more comfortable with full safety gear. My GT3 has the euro seats but the belts and everything else is stock.

 

"...I would highly recommend anybody that’s spooked by what they’ve read to ignore the comments and give it a go."

I also would recomend to give it a go, but... Sorry not to share the same point of view about the unforgiveness of the car.

I have been already twice to the track with my GT3 in 15 days. Next saturday will be my third experience. Driven at 85% the car is "easy" to drive. When taken to the limit ( THE limit ) it's a challenging car, MUCH MUCH more difficult to be driven than a TT..( I owned one before ). Also the GT3 is MUCH MUCH more comunicative and fun. I am totally convinced that , in a short time, I will be able to do much better times that the ones I've achieved with the TT. This is not my case today...

 

Boqueron - A 996 GT3 Mk2 is a much faster car on a race track than a stock 996TT. Much faster. I agree with BoulderGT3 - the car is easy to drive and invites exploring the limits. This assumes that the car is driven with finesse - you MUST be smooth. A 996TT will tolerate harsh inputs. The GT3 will bite you if you do that. If you are finding it a bit tricky and assuming your alignment is correct, try driving the car as if you were trying to INCREASE your lap times by two seconds a lap. In other words, brake earlier, turn in smoothly and accelerate gently. Pretend you were giving a ride to someone who gets car sick. Tell me what happens after you try this.

Best,

 

When I wrote the post I was doing mental comparisons with the 993tt and 996tt I've owned and tracked. I think the GT3 is much easier to drive fast and it feels much lighter than the actual 300-400 lbs it is. The problem I had with the turbos is that they would always save me with power and AWD but if I did laps less than perfect they'd cook the tires and I was done. I can tell and feel the limits much easier in the GT3. I'll give you that the turbo throttle is easier as it was more of a bang it to the floor affair for me and let the boost build. Ditto on the harsh inputs above. I probably never held the GT3 wheel firm enough to crush a bird if that makes any sense.

 

I have to agree with both of you...and with me ! I am looking forward for may next track day because my lap times are decreasing.... Even if I wasn't happy last day, my car - the only GT3 that day - was the fastest car compared to any other Porsche in the track ( Turbos included ). It is not yet as fast as myself with my old TT (....!).

Last day I have felt what Bob is advancing. The softer I was with the car, the faster it was going. The only thing is that, on my first track day, a rainy day, I spun after 20 minutes tracking and my day was over ( some minor damage ). I did not want to repeat the experience, at least not before advancing a bit more in the knowledge of the car...

It's evident that the driving manners should be totally different with the TT and the GT3. The TT asked for a slow down entering in the slow turns ( very difficult to make it oversteer ) and you could push the trottle down without any softness when facing the exit and unwinding. All the traction was there. With the GT3, the entrance to the turn is much more easy ( the reason why I changed car ), the braking is much more progressive and, when facing the exit I have to be very smooth on the trottle. ALso, the LSD, is a novelty for me. I have yet to realise ( and feel ) that I need to be committed when entering a turn. If I am not, then, I get too much understeer...

Boulder GT3,

the reason I shifted from my TT to the GT3 was the struggle I felt I was having when tracking compared to a 997 s !!! After driving the 997s I understood that the TT was a dificult carto drive in a car in compàrison. I was enjoying much more the feeling of the 997 ( much lighter, easier to inscribe in the turns, more brake modulation..). In any case, even at that moment, my lap times were better with the TT than the 997s ..! I am sure it was due to my knowledge of all the "vices" of my TT and ignorance of the needed driving technique of the 997..

Those are my feelings, coming from a TT...

 

Bravo Harry - you are on the road. I am confident you will be seconds faster in the GT3 than the TT and be a much better driver beacuse of it.

Best,

 

Good Lord, you didn't say you spun it in the rain. I wouldn't be hard on yourself about that. In that situation I can see how you'd like the turbo better.

Have a blast!

 

THanks to both of you. It's really a pleasure to be able to share my sensations in this stage !! ( As I am sure it will be later on..)

Boulder GT.- I forgot to tell you that the day I spun, it was a friday morning. I got this car the thursday afternoon... The car only touched the street on the way to the track... It's obvious that I needed ( and need ) some adaptation...