Mr Michael B

Watching this thread with interest...

I would like to think in a ten or more year projection if I may. That may be silly to most, as I believe that the majority of this board will sell off their current car for the next version of whatever within lets say 4 years or less assuming the next car is considered “better” by the masses - or personally.

A GT3 for me would be a car that I would want to keep, and have in the future as one of those Porsche's that evoke what “Porsche” consistently use to be about. That of course was the role of the “giant killer” with its lower weight & fabulous engine. Like a 1973 RS. I think for that, all of the GT3 versions may fit the bill, and for the US perhaps the 2004-2005 could be the best example of that.

However, with that said, I assume that the 997 version will be a great machine. I am certain that it will support the GT3 reputation well. Personally I have not warmed up to the rear bumper of the 997 GT3 (but I like the center dump exhaust), and I think that a GT3 can or should do without PSM (but EVERY other Porsche should have it standard). Of course like a previous post mentioned in this exact thread, many of the new GT3’s will be covered in additional leather, and CD players, and cruise control, as we all have grown very accustomed to these in our daily drivers.

Nevertheless, the 996 GT3 may see some moderate change in the near term on resale value, but it should not be too extreme (as long as we can find RS Americas still in the mid fifties). Additionally, if the 997 GT3 ends up being very popular (as I expect), that alone may firm up the used price on a 996 GT3 - as some buyers may want in on the GT3 mystique no matter what the vintage. For example: If a new Ferrari 430 is $250,000, then pretty much ANY used Ferrari looks like a relative bargain in comparison - yet the name still applies.

It will be interesting to watch.

icon

ooohhhh man!
don't make me have to explain my posts!
that's too much work!
as far as the shift key i just think capitol letters are
useless and inefficient means of communication.
suffice to say i don't see the 997gt3 sunroof
having any effect on 996gt3 resale values.
jeff

Carrera GT

Okay. So we agree -- the impact of the 997 on the 996 will be neglible compared to the usual market.
But I think the shift key is valuable. After all, how else can one Y E L L at someone else so as to be sure they UNDER-STAND! (and all from the comfortable anonymity of the keyboard ...)

MetalSolid

...Look at the 993 Turbo vs. 996 Turbo market to see how this might play out.

PogueMoHone

Air cooled to water cooled, so not the same thing.

Also have you seen all the air cooled guys rave about the 997, and what an improvement it is..the 993 TT has taken a beating too, in the last year or so.

Blacksport350

It sounds and looks very nice. Personally, I would be in on that car at $82K if I was looking for one and it was local to me. The records would have to be available, etc. Yes you can get them in the high $70's but there is a lot to be said for finding what you want, when you want it and where you want it!

About the only thing I don't like on that car is the CF wheel and shift **** but if it is mainly a street car, it is probably a plus. Otherwise, the CF gets hot a slippery in your sweaty hands on the track. Still wouldn't stop me from buying that car though.

destaccado

Although I feel the 996 GT3 probably is the last best example of a lightweight performance dry-sump Porsche performance wise- I personally find the 996 styling (except for the 996 Turbo which is a good looking car on it's own) to be rather repulsive.....

The 997 GT3 looked to be a winner for me- but the ugly steering wheel, cheap plastic looking electronic area, and interior buttons up the wazoo, along with the sunroof issue have made me change my mind back to getting a nice 993 "S" when I return from the desert..........Is it just me or does that gunmetal gray color (on the steering wheel, on the radio, ac vents, etc) that's in every 997 remind you of the cheap painted plastic that they put in every sub-30k Japanese vehicle that starts to flake around year 2.......

Had Porsche combined the best aspects of the 996 GT3 and 997 GT3 they may have finally released a worthy successor to the 993 series- unfortunately, they need a new interior designer and new leadership in PCNA...........

Carrera GT

Hear! Hear!

I think PCNA should be shut down and restructured as a dealer network for sales and service with absolutely no capacity to influence the product. PCNA appears to trade off the good name of the PCA owners and the massive buying power of California and USA buyers as such a significant percentage of Porsche revenues worldwide.

I wonder if the utter incompetence of PCNA is obscured by the overall sales performance success of a very good general product. Surely Porsche AG can look at worldwide performance and quesiton the flagging sales in the US.

I hope we soon see Porsche AG step in and cut off the head of PCNA. It's ludicrous to have such a wasteful organisation in the US operations of an otherwise lean company -- surely the loudest voices in their stock holders question the P+L of the US opertion versus the rest of world growth. Porsche AG should look to selling all its world products in the US and not keep accepting whatever nonsense they're hearing from PCNA to convince them to send their largest single market these junk versions of their products.

Porsche is doing so well worldwide, I'm just plain astonished that they leave so much money on the table in the US market -- they're leaving the performance market so wide open that otherwise loyal Porsche buyers are ending up in a Corvette Z06 or a Mercedes cabriolet or stepping up to a Ferrari instead of buying their next GT2 or Turbo. Surely they can smell this all the way over in Germany?

What will it take? Will PCNA have to mandate a tow hitch on the GT3 before Porsche in Germany says "enough."?

icon

cgt buddy!
you do know pag owns and controls pcna?
jeff

multi21

The car seems to be reasonably priced if it's a CPO. Did you check the zone 2 over rev data printout? Did you ask for a complete printout of all work for the VIN of that vehicle from the dealer?

FYI, mine came with the carbon fiber shift **** and brake handle. The thing gets really hot after it's been sitting in the sun, to the point where I'm quick shifting until it cools down. I can only image the CF steering wheel with a more direct line to the sun. The car looks great. Interesting to see all the CF. Others on this board say that it will eventually fade.

Carrera GT

I really don't understand the control structure. I imagine they're a wholly owned subsidiary but someone there's some attrocious decisions in the US that aren't happening in the rest of the world.
This site and numerous others have already exhausted the possible aspects of the sunroof thing and the decades of the US not getting the enthusiast models while other car makers bring increasing more radical cars (including Radical) to market (such as the Elise which presumably sells in similarly low volume) and if you look at the way parts and service operates, Porsche customers wish they could get Lexus levels of service (and reliability.) Worse still, Porsche could learn from Ferrari in terms of resale value -- after all, it's not the sticker or the tax or the operating costs, it's the net gain or loss that's the major expense. Anyway, so it goes, same old, same old. Porsche has been a "take it or leave it" company since day one (well, except for that whole 928 thing where the world said "leave it" thankfully.)

cosmos

Did they guy buy the car or what!!???

dsts6

No, not yet, were waiting a little and we found some slitely higher mileage cars that we may get a lot cheaper.