Dr. G

No, they definitely don't have a mind of their own and perhaps I should have been a bit more clear about what I was trying to say. I was merely stating that in the hands of an inexperienced GT2 driver it is entirely too possible for the turbos to build up faster than expected at a time when the driver may not be ready, especially during some spirited driving (and more likely in a turn, where problems would be more difficult to correct).

When I decided to purchase my 996 it was not because it could accelerate hard in a straight line - I'm sure many porsche owners would agree with that. As Hamann7 said, he likes to drive his M3 sideways - which just concerned me a bit when applied to the GT2. IMHO the GT2 is a car that while becoming a visceral extension of the driver demands an extraordinary amount of respect and concentration when driven hard. Hanging the tail out isn't something I would take lightly. I know the GT2 isn't the car for me because as confident as I am as a driver I also know the limit of my abilities.

But, all in all, I agree with what you said in terms of torque. Sorry for not making myself clearer.

1AS

Anyone see the driving sideways competition in Automobile? Some famous drivers can do it (Boris Said this year, Robby Gordon last year) and some can't (Richie Hearn). Since it isn't the fastest way around in many cars, lots of successful drivers have developed the reflex of stopping a drift, rather than prolonging it. Having said that, it's really hard to bring a car at race speeds back from more than 15degrees sideways. Making a car step sideways and holding it at lower speeds isn't as hard a trick. AS

stuka

Actually, I was the one who said that I like to drive my M3 sideways.

And yes, I have been attending DE's for a year and a half. But, I have tamed the oversteer beast long before then. All of my cars have been RWD, and I have always driven my cars sideways without wrecking them, or kill/mane small animals/people/children. etc.

What I am tryingto say is, that oversteering is not a big deal, if you have grown accustomed to it.

Anyway, getting back to the topic. M3 with the trick 100% diff is also hard to catch when the back end comes out, do not under estimate it.

WIth regards to the GT2, I have not driven it, but I was able to induce and correct 993TT oversteer without drama. I am really not tryingto brag, but simply sharing that oversteer, once you got a hang of it, is part of what makes driving fun for me.

Andy

Fozzy

It's the foot on the gas that makes the GT2 misbehave, not the car.

No amount of discussion of the pros and cons of the cars will make the slightest bit of difference - take them both out on a long test drive back to back. They're completely different animals. You'll either love the GT2 or it'll scare the crap out of you, it's a wholly emotional thing. With a big dose of respect and common sense, the GT2 is the perfect supercar, but it's certainly not for everyone.

boqueron

I sold my C4 with the X73 suspension two months ago and bought my present 996TT. I have to say that is a much, MUCH powerful car. I enjoy it every minute , but... ..when taking a curve, I enjoyed more the atmospheric engine!!.

In low speed curves, the turbo lag forces me to change the way I usually entered and leaved the curves. You have to be more carefull, especially when it rains. Surprisingly, the TT ( due to the tires sizes ??) under steers less than the C4 did.

I drive about 30.000 miles/year. 50% of the time in far than perfect roads. I think that, in my situation, I would get exhausted driving a GT3 ( which would be my ideal car for circuit or for week-end use ) or a GT2 afteer some months.

Mark GT2

I currently have a 2001 Turbo and a 2002 GT2.....and I love both of them.
Keep in mind I drive both on the track fairly often and here's my two cents.


The turbo - very stable, reliable, powerful, and forgiving. I changed only the suspension, brake pads, and chipped the car. For a daily driver it's certainly your best bet. This car can get you in AND OUT of trouble quickly.

The GT2 - like a high strung thoroughbred - if you're not paying attention you can easily get bitten. It feels as though it shifts better, I like the clutch more, the steering is VERY sensitive, and the rear end can slide out much more easily :-) but I like that feeling. Didn't change anything on the GT2 except the brakes - to steel.

Steve N.

Fozzy: Man, we're getting nitpicky here. Maybe I started it, but in my own ineffective way I was trying to make the point that driver care and skill is pretty doggone important with the GT2. Why? Because this motor makes a great deal of power. If the GT2 had the torque curve of a Boxter not nearly as much care would be necessary - ok?

Fozzy

Not disputing it at all, your first comment in the original post was spot on - it's down to the driver. I thought that was exactly the point I was reinforcing?

However it's this "GT2...uncontrollable...spawn of satan...half of production run totalled..." stuff that is constantly put forward that is just daft. A heavy boot in any car will send you into a ditch. And to be honest anyone can drive a GT2, both on road and on the track - my girlfriend has, my 25 yr old sister has, my brother has. That's not to say most people will ever drive anywhere near its maximum capability. And I think that's the point - the car inspires respect. Unlike say even a Boxster, which flatters a poor driver and can lull you into a false sense of security, and where you can, and are perpetually tempted to, drive it at its limit, with all the associated hazards and stresses of a quick car being driven at the edge of its capability.

In any event, I think we're both fighting the same corner here. I just believe that speculation of how a GT2 handles and drives from those who have never driven one can be extremely misleading, with myth and legend frequently being far removed from fact. I've simply never seen a post from a GT2 owner which implies the fright factor that you see in comments from 'by-standers'. I had hairier moments in a 944 turbo than I've ever had in the GT2.

Well that's more than enough, this issue has been discussed many times before, and no doubt will continue. Off my soapbox.

PogueMoHone

Turbo or GT2?

If you have to ask, then go for the turbo.

By the way Fozzy your comments are right on the money.

Carrera GT

There has been one or two rather negative reviews of the GT2 in the European magazines (prior to all the love-in reviews of the GT3) and I wonder if it's all that's it's cracked up to be -- there will be at least two at Laguna next Monday (both in competent hands) so I'll be interested to see how they behave.

Personally, I'd look at a 993 Turbo (twice the fun for half the price) or the Gallardo (similar dollars if you can live with the "look at me, I'm so wonderful" side of driving a Lambo) and I think we're all waiting for Mr Porsche to do something with the 997.

offroadr35

this sums it up perfectly.

Carrera GT

This nonsense of "If you have to ask, buy the (connoted) lesser car." is absurd. The 996 Turbo is absolutely no more or less of a driver’s car than the 996 GT2.

Here's some of what I see in the comparison:

1. The GT2 is rear-wheel drive and the Turbo is all-wheel drive.
2. The Turbo can have the same (or considerably more power for equal or less money) than the GT2
3. PCCB is not ready for prime time -- it's noisy on the road, the rotors crack on the surface and the system requires different (thinner) pads for track work.

And I'd add that all 996's seem to be suffering excessive depreciation. Perhaps the GT3 will be spared by virtue of being legitimately restricted in production numbers (and probably slower to be replaced when the 997 comes along) but I still wonder if the 997 might be such a leap forward that the 996, even the performance variants will become "day old fish" much faster than we would like to see.

PogueMoHone

Carrera GT,

You seem to made a lot of (hairy chested?) assumptions about the relative merits of the TT and GT2. Nowhere, in my response did I suggest that one was lesser or greater than the other.

Each does demand different things from the driver, and the TT is certainly a more forgiving car, and therefore a better option for someone who is questioning the choice.

But since you are so full of opinion on the relative merits, have you compared them on the road and on the track?

Further, your comments about the inadequacies of the the PCCB seem to be based upon "heresay" rather than personal experience. Based upon the research I've done, the few problems (unproven causes) have been magnified and repeated frequently to create what amounts to a gross distortion.

By the way, FWIW, the GT2 is the more difficult car to drive fast (IMO). Now that won't give you a hairy chest, but it will create sweaty palms.

It takes a better driver to drive the GT2 fast than it does to drive a TT fast and that makes it more of a driver's car (in terms of skill required). That makes them different cars. I repeat, if you have to ask which one, buy the TT, it's a more mainstream choice.

Fozzy

CGT, the point about the Euro magazine reviews is particularly interesting - I find all of these fascinating, but one thing stands out - apart from one mag (Evo?) they never run long term tests on the GT2, so all we get is impressions from maybe an afternoon's driving. These guys tend to test rather more forgiving cars, and, with editors obviously needing interesting copy, I get the impression that they try to cane the GT2 with little or no time to learn its idiosyncrasies, and more often than not seem to scare themselves. Your 'competent hands' comment says it all - I give a lot more credibility to Walter Rohl's impressions than some paunchy hack with a bad perm going through a mid-life crisis a la Jeremy Clarkson.

offroadr35

CGT it has nothing to do with the TT being a "lesser" car. The reason we bought the GT2 is because both my stepdad and I have raced cars (and bikes) for our whole lives, and through experience know without doubt that the GT2 is the car for us. I personally do not like AWD, so it was never an issue. THAT is what i mean by "if you need to ask you want the TT." The right buyer for a GT2 has enough seat time in various cars that the merits of the car are obvious.

-Steve