amaist

There is a reason why they put rubber bushings and such of "street" cars. On the road things are going to get shaken and rattled loose if you bolt everything metal to metal. A GT3 is not all metal to metal bushings but it is stiff enough to be adversely affected by harsh roads. If you have smooth roads where you are going to drive the GT3 then it can be a fine daily driver.

Where I live the roads are ****. In my GT3 I actually obey the speed limits because I don't want to shake the suspension loose.
I prefer a more "street" oriented performance car for where I drive. My M3 is more than enough car for me on the street. I don't feel like my teeth are going to fall out and the car doesn't feel like it will fall apart.

Porsche makes plenty of cars that feel a lot better on the street than a GT3. They make none that feel better on the track and are street legal.

mooty

you can drive it daily, i actually used an exige as daily driver for 20k miles in 7 months.
but it is NOT a GOOD daily driver.
to me a driver is something i can drink coffee in, if i see speed bump, i speed up (try that in a late model bmw, it's SO SO SO fun, really ), didn't have enough cash, pump 87oct fuel or maybe diesel for fun, park ANYWHERE, if i dont like you, i will rear end you type of car. so ...

Mr. C4

No

SpeedGeek

I used my 996 Mk-I GT3 as my daily driver for 4 years, and eventually replaced it with my current 996 RS about 18 months ago. I couldn't imagine driving anything else. My brother had a 996 TT which I found to be quite luxurious but painfully uninteresting. IMO, the 996 GT3 is a capable daily driver, albeit not really suited to the task. If, like me, you're addicted to GT3s, you can happily put up with the compromises. Otherwise it will wear you down eventually.

The compromises are as follows;

- Low to the ground. I have learned to quickly read ramps and bumps to decide how best to approach them. Mall parking garages can be a challenge. Be prepared to park on the street sometimes and walk a bit. And don't worry too much about scraping the front lip - that's what it's there for.

- Hard suspension. I love it but many of my friends do not. Wives and girlfriends may head for the hills. A major problem is that passengers often get nauseous from the constant thumping.

- NVH. See 'hard suspension' above.

- Potholes. The problem with potholes is the low profile tires. I don't find the GT3 worse than any other car with tiny sidewalls.

In summary, the 996 GT3 is an exciting and capable daily driver, but only if you're a committed GT3 masochist and drive mostly alone. Be prepard to make some compromises and lose friends, but it's well worth it IMHO. And it's very useful having access to a regular car for those times the GT3 just won't do.

If you can afford a 997 GT3, it's a better daily driver. Otherwise a 997 Carrera S is a good way to go. Personally, I'm not a fan of the non-GT 996 models.

Good luck with your decision.

johnr265

speedgeek is right on target. I use mine for DD in NJ/Phila and the roads are pretty bad here too. Every time I walk up to my car from work, a huge smile magically appears. Traffic can be brutal but for those 5 minutes of your commute when you can let 'er rip, there is no better psychology, drug, or mood enhancer around. In sum, well worth putting up with the inconveniences. BTW, I just took her into some of the worst streets in Center City and into a very steep parking garage. Not a single scrape. You have to drive like a granny over the steep stuff and going out of the driveway, drive down at a 30-40 degree angle taking it slow and you'll be fine.

-John

10 GT3

First, I would not recommend a GT3 as a daily driver. I recommend it as a competant track car that can be driven on the street. If you aren't going to track it, I don't see a point in getting a GT3. In that case, you are far better off just buying a 997S. If you are track junkie who wants 1 car, then a GT3 may be the right choice.

I don't think the low ride height (which is adjustable) or the stiffness of the suspension are the right issues to ask. The ride height can be adjusted. If you are used to stiff sports cars, they GT3 may even be softer than you expect. If you are used to an Escalade on the other hand, get ready for a shock. The only problem I have with driving a GT3 daily is the heavy clutch. Driving a GT3 is not teeth jarring. You will feel bumps, but they do a good job soaking up the big ones. The clutch is a lot stiffer than the ones used in regular Carreras or Turbos. Because of the clutch stiffness, I could not drive it in heavy traffic.

Rolo

I don't drive mine daily. But I could. Its a joy to drive. I am thinking of selling it and move to the 997. But I can't seem to let it go. I think driving it everyday would be a trade off. Lose a bit of comfort.......what what freaking fun!!

GT3Bob

OK... I'll add my 2 cents. I had a 996 GT3, put on 33,000 in 18 months, loved it. It was awesome when I put on the Motons... set them soft for the street, stiff for the track. Alignment is critical for a DD car, and probably should be set neutral by a good race shop that is familiar with GT3's. They are extremely sensitive to alignment issues, more than any car I have owned, and they are really twitchy if the alignment is off even a little bit.

That said, I second the noise motion. They are loud. If you don't track it, buy a 997S.

datax

Bob,
Are Motons in softest settings softer than stock?

ron_dargenio

I'm normally the first to say, drive a hard core car every day. But I find myself cringing at upcoming potholes or unavoidable hazards in the GT3. So the dumb answer is, I guess it depends on how much you care about scraping the splitter/brake ducts, having a cop of coffee while driving, etc.

Why not get a beater that you don't need collision coverage on? Mine is a 1998 Chevy with 93000 miles, it's the ultimate luxury car. The luxury of not caring.

johnr265

It's funny, my beater car is a Lancer Evolution and even though I thought it was a really fun car before the GT3, I now find it somewhat boring. Compared to the GT3, even the Brembos on the Evo feel soft. Short of snow and ice actually falling on the road, I tend to pick the GT3 each day (requires careful monitoring of the weather!) In many ways, I actually think the GT3 is as comfortable if not more so than the Evo. My theory is, you only live once, gotta enjoy it.

Cheers,
-John

rc1320

I wont lie... these last two replies sound a lot more like me. My Sti at one time road on extremely harsh suspension was much lower then it should have been but this was normal to me... In shopping for a porsche the idea has always been to get the GT3 as it would not need suspension upgrades as opposed to a turbo or targa, the two other models I really like. All I really need to know is that some people have and do drive this on a daily basis and if they can do it, I can do it.

blake

You guys are making me realize a key point... If not for geography and alignment concerns, I would drive my GT3 as a DD - no question about it!

Unfortunately, I live in a climate where we get between 300-400 inches of snow over an 8 month period. My daily commute is 100 miles r/t, so driving the "3" as a DD just isn't in the cards. In addition, I am not a fan of the street/track alignment compromise. I get so much more out of the car with a track alignment at the track that going back to a "combination" offers too many drawbacks...

I am a car nut, but have two "beaters" (BMW X3=winter/Mini Cooper S=summer) as I put so many miles on the cars. Now if I were to live in a warmer climate (Vegas, Florida, SF, SD, LA, etc.) I would really consider driving the car as a DD...

So for those of you that drive it daily, I am extremely jealous!

-Blake

SpeedGeek

It's clear from your posts that you're totally into hard-core sports cars. You will love the GT3 as a DD. And you should add the proper GT3 bucket seats. I've been sitting in them for 5 years and I love them. They're critical to getting the full GT3 experience, street or track. And they're supremely comfortable and supportive even on long distance trips. The standard 996 sport seats suck, IMHO.

roberga

rc: PM me and I would be more than happy to talk with you. I live in Seattle and drove the car daily since new. No big deal with the roads we have. Perhaps take the splitter off but they are easy to put back on.