LVDell

So with risk of being publicly flogged by my GT3 brothers I am asking this question anyway.

First let me state emphatically that I love everything about my car and it is an absolute beast on the track. Unlike anything out there (except a cup). I am very comfortable in the car and feel I have great control behind the wheel and good instinct to perform at a high level in this sport.

With that said I keep asking myself, most recently yesterday since a friend asked me to explain why you would take such a high dollar exotic on a track with risk of serious damage..........why do I keep doing this? Obviously this is a very irrational sport/hobby that we love. With that said, is the reward of driving this car worth the risk that we face every time we head out on track?

Even though when I am on track I take as much risk out of play as possible by giving back a second here and a second there in places I know can bite me if I am not perfect. That isn't was scares me. What does scare me is the risk I cannot control. For example, the guy in front that blows a line and drops fluid on the circuit or even you have a situation similar to that or a mechanical issue.

Sure, I can afford the car, and yes it won't be the end of the world if she was wadded into a ball in the side of an armco. But I can't help but think how much that would sting. I don't care how well off you are financially, it will sting no matter what.

More and more as each day passes between events I think more and more seriously about selling her even though of it would break my heart. It just baffles me the amount of money I spend on it and the value of the car and to play roulette every time I head out. Granted, I don't even think about it when I am at the track.I am in a zone all weekend and don't lose focus of the task at hand whether driving or instructing.

Maybe it is b/c I am having my first child in a few months or maybe because I am thinking about it from a rational perspective. I just don't know. Buying a lower hp car and putting some $$$ into it would sit a little better. Instead of having a 6-figure car running around the track, why not something "throw-away-able" running around the track?

I don't think I can give up the sport all together. That would be impossible. I love it too much and I love all the friends I have made at the track and the times we share in the paddock.

Is it just me or does anybody else have/had these thoughts?

please be gentle

GT3 Chuck

if you truly love the car....it needs to be driven...and driven hard...the track is the place to do that...explain that to your friend it will quiet him/her but won't make you feel any better...there are a lot of cars that fit your "disposable" category and many are good drives although they require a slightly different skill set (like momentum cars) and won't give you the overall GT3 experience...Mooty can chime in as he raced a cayman (read...destroyed a caymen in what....one or two seasons)...there is still not a better car at any price for driving to the track, beating the hell out of it and then driving it home....

fhp911

Dell,

I have these thoughts before (and sometimes during) each event. I DO love the activity though ...
as Steve McQueen said, "all the rest is waiting".

A slower car would reduce the financial downside of a wreck, but the bigger issue has to be the injury element. IMO a slower car would only slightly reduce that. (And is the Miata [as example] as safe as the 911 in a crash?)

So with me it's a combination of rationalization ("I''m very careful so I'll be OK"), prudence (I have a HANS, as example; I do have a safe technique) and my love for the activity.

As for you, I guess you could reduce your financial exposure by 30-40K if you traded down.
Only you can decide if it's worth it.

Keep the Shiny Side UP

LVDell

My thought was a 964 or 993 in the 20-30K range and then track prep it for no more than 10K to produce a fun car to track rather than the bona fide race car thrill ride . Then I am easily the "oh well, I'll part it out and get another one" category. With the GT3, you can't approach it that way.

The funny thing is this is just me and all me talking. My wife has absolutely no influence on this. Matter of fact, she said keep it.

Thanks for the input! Keep it coming guys.

Phokaioglaukos

The 996 GT3 is a perfect DE car for me. What else could I drive to the track and still have it offer me significant headroom for my improvement? And it's fun!

Thinking about a track-only car, though, and I'm conflicted. Should I get that D or E car or should I go for an '01 cup car?

mjb

I also think about this from time to time so you're not alone. DE insurance might help remove some of the worry. I considered a friend's 95 E36 M3 to buy cheaply and mod up for the track. Sometimes I think that would have been more sensible since it would be a lot more disposable (actually might still do it just for a fun project). But everytime I get in the GT3 and fire it up those thoughts never seem to surface.
Hey, and at least you're not out tracking a brand new $150K 997RS like some of our estimed rennlisters are. Our GT3's are only worth half that, so they're nearly disposable...well relatively

mjb

Uhh, I meant "esteemed" rennlister's...geesh

zoomzoom

Once you've tasted the GT3 on track, every other car feels wanting.

gt3-4me

we'll after 3 years of track days with the gt3 i have decided to build a spec boxster and go wheel to wheel racing. it'll be a lot cheaper to run than a cup and i'll keep the 3 for the occasional track day and after a year running the spec boxster i'll decide if i want to move up to a cup car.

Holger B

Is yours going up in value?

For me, it's all about the ability to drive to the track, have a blast running circles around many of the other cars (while still knowing there's a lot more I can squeeze out of the car), turn on the a/c and drive back home in comfort. Then the next day running errands in the car or whatever. It's incredibly versatile, no need for a trailer and tow vehicle or other daily driver, and that's why I love it.

LVDell

Of course not. You know what I mean. Maybe the car is worth 75-80K selling the "extras" in July 2007. I was speaking figuratively as the car was 112K just over 3 years ago. Obviously not worth that now.

Sadly my car is not setup that way. Not fun on the street and has a very nice home on wheels that transports it to the track.

mooty

LOL, so much for saving $$$.

datax

Had the same thoughts with the M3 but couldn't do much about it. What I'm addicted to is the feeling of great cars driven on the track. Not just a car or high performance driving. It's about both and the experience out of it. I could have just kept modding the M3 and be happy with it. But, I really want to experience 911 GT3s on the track so I ended up with one.

mfennell

When I got out of racing, my interest in DE events became very low. My interest in a DE event in my GT3 hovers around zero for all the reasons you mentioned. Maybe not quite zero , but close.

I've heard that DE is to racing as flying is to dog fighting. Since I have never flown, I will take someone else's word for it but I understand the sentiment. Are you interested in racing? For what you spend on the GT3, you could surely field a competitive SM with change left over. The difference in intensity is difficult to explain but nothing brings me into focus like racing wheel to wheel. Even the kart, which costs about as much as a set of GT3 tires to run for a season, gets me 85% there.

Of course, the kart hasn't moved this season either. Racing bicycles now. It's always something.

rodneyr

Dell,
You have an very interesting question which I believe many people think about internally. On the track stuff happens and the GT3 is an expensive car. Also, things like rotors, pads and tires are expensive on the GT3. If I was going to track a non-GT3 I would highly consider a 964. You can get a fully setup 964 for 30K-40K. Replacement parts are less than 1/2 of the costs of the GT3.