Z06

First drive of the 997, what I noticed is the stronger lower rpm throttle responce..that's off peak power, you do not get that surge of peaky power you find in the 996...very linear when compared.
For a recap of the mods to my 996 it has been regeared, 100 cell cats, Fab mufflers, single mass flywheel, program and it weighs with a full tank of gas 3028lb...it's quick.

We were at Mosport today my friend had just broken in his week old 997 3...
on a roll we were DEAD EVEN, nobody pulled away, from third gear threw 5th. I had less fuel plus his passenger weight was 50lbs more and he forgot to turn on the sport botton, if that helps any...so I would guess I had a 75lb advantage.

Handling was good on the 997 but my car has several mods..mono-ball, Motons, engine mount, plus the weight loss ..my 996 feels like a go kart compared.

The 997 is quite a bit faster when you look at stock vs. stock, it's an pretty big impovement over the 996 in many ways but for the cost of the upgrade it's not realy worth it, at least not for me. Now after driving the 997 I got that ust have off my mind, it was haunting me to get the new car.

zoomzoom

I have the same experience - upto a certain point. On a straight, the 997RS doesn't pull away from me until the last 1500rpm to the 997RS redline (only 7800rpm redline for the Mk1). My car has been Manthey'd and dynos with 400+bhp and 325 ft/lb torque through 6k rpm and weighs 3020lb with 1/3 tank petrol.

But the 997RS is so unbelievably stable through the bends with the electronics working for the driver - I think this is where it's key advantage is over the 996. An average driver in a 997RS will start to walk away from the same driver in a 6GT3 through the bends. But it is also for this reason that the 6GT3 holds the appeal, especially the Mk1 for me, because it is such a pure go-kart-like-rocket-sled!

All great cars though, and it's a testament to how technology continues to push the GT3 envelope in ability.

mooty

both GT3's are great cars, but none feels remotely close to go karts. they are GT's.

stuka

I know I should go drive it like you said, but it's the damn principle. A GT3 with mandatory hole is such a slap in the face and shows how lowly PAG regards its poseur American customers.

amaist

To put it in Roadfly terms for you and other Roadfly M3 board refugees the 996GT3 is the FMJ special like the non sunroof manual seats E46 M3 with Ground Control suspension and proper brake upgrades.
997 GT3 is like ZCP competition package M3 with a sunroof.

I ordered my M3 with no sunroof in Canada and had to pay 400 dollars for that. It is standard here. They even asked for a bigger deposit in case I backed out and no mid-level drug dealer or club promoter would buy it then. I missed having a sunroof exactly zero times.

I wanted to move up to GT3 for a while now and would have went with 997 if I knew I could get one without a sunroof.

mrpc12

blah, blah....GT3 sunroof.....blah, blah. Get over it. The car is fine with the sunroof. I use mine every day to vent the heat out while parked outside. If it were an option I probably would have ordered it without one but I think the "enthusiasts" who say they won't buy one with it are .001% of the market.

amaist

How do you know it's .001% of the market?

In my M3 the sunroof was a problem for helmet clearance. I know the GT3 is better in that regard but still. Why call it a GT3 and have a sunroof? Isn't it what the TT is for? What about Tiptronic in a GT3? Lots of nouveau riche types don't know how to drive stick and don't know **** about cars. But their buddies told them the GT3 is "baller" so they gotta have it. Maybe Porsche should make it for them then.

datax

Hahaha......I'm just curious why some of you are flaming on sunroofs. What next? Flaming normal roofs when carbon fiber roofs come out? Oh, I don't even own a 997 btw. Just bought a 996 GT3.

amaist

CF roof is cool. There were a few E46M3 guys who did a conversion from a sunroofed roof to CF.

Sunroof is pure luxury. A CF roof hints at some sort of racing/high performance driving/etc.

blake

Congrats Datax on the 996 GT3 purchase! I have to agree with the "haters" though... Don't put a damn sunroof in my street legal track car!!!!!! Oh, and don't make my street/track car "softer" and "heavier" than the previous version... I would have preferred two 997 GT3 versions: 1) "soft" car for the street, and 2) "track" or "Club Sport" version for the track oriented DE guy.... (remember the 964 RSA?)...

With all of that said, I love the lines of the 997 GT3 - and the RS is simply stunning. Why did they have to make it heavier? Once the aftermarket guys figure out how to lighten the RS, it will be on my wishlist...

My $0.02,
-B

triode

All this sunroof sturm und drang is a tempest in a teapot. I would dare anyone to demonstrate a consistent, repeatable track time advantage for a car w/o the "hole" versus a sunroof-equipped car. And if you can't, denigrating your fellow enthusiasts as "posers" says more about the accuser than the target.

And here in sunny south Florida, having a sunroof definitely adds to one's quality of life! Peace.

mrpc12

Because if it were high enough to matter they would have had to have offered it to garner more sales.

stuka

You can even order a stupid RS4 without a sunroof.

Wait! Your car doesn't even have a dry sump engine.

To cram it down everyone's throat on a car like the GT3 which, if you noticed, none of the German press cars have it, is something I am not going to get over.

And as many here have already posted, many of us taller track guys can't clear with sunroof. In my GT2, with the Euro seats, with my helmet on, I have less than an inch of headroom.

This problem is especially bad if you have short inseam and are tall.

///Mous3

The entire sunroof system weighs as much as 20lbs; wiring, slides, glass, etc., and sitting far from the CG.

Also, the sunroof gave some taller drivers head clearance when they are wearing the helmet.

It is not that people are "flaming" the sunroof, I believe they are flaming the Porsche decision to make the sunroof a mandatory.

amaist

Which says a lot about the North American car market. Why are they offering the car without a roof in the Fatherland? I doubt cost is much of an issue. Audi offers the RS4 with it as an option so what makes them do that?

Porsche knows they can throw turds at us and we will eat it up. The underlying product is so damn good they garnish it with ****.
Otherwise how do you explain that I have a 2006 model year Cayenne that has a radio incapable of auxiliary input and playing MP3 files? A Chevy Malibu has these features now. Does GM have better engineers than Porsche?

It's not the lap time that matters. I just have no use for it and it can get in the way. I am sure rollover safety is better in a solid roof car, as well.

What's wrong with rolling down the windows to do what the sunroof does?

If someone gets a sunroof in any other 911 I am cool with that. A GT3 has all that marketing bull**** that says it's almost like a street legal race car. Sounds cool to me. Why pimp it up with a hole? Why not TV screens in the seat backs? Neon's under the car?