997 S vs. 996 GT3 - hp and torque
09-21-2004, 12:18 AM
#46
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I've been very interested in the GT3, and have found this discussion to be helpful. The people whom I consider serious Porsche-people and with whom I have talked in person have not had much experience with the 997S, but they all know and admire the GT3. Those who are tuners (and sellers of aftermarket goodies), speak of the GT3 with what comes very close to awe. They rarely mention the horsepower or torque, but they go on and on about how sorted the GT3 is--the right spring rates, the right brakes, the right set up in general. None of them have offered any modification suggestion. That's what appeals to me about the 996 GT3. The 997 GT3, when and if it comes to the US, may well attract the same respect, but it's hard to know that it will. The sound and feel of the GT3 is pretty special.
What gives me pause about the GT3 is whether it can do what I need on the street. I don't need to drive in snow, but I do want to drive in the winter and I don't want to spend lots of time cleaning under the car to remove salt and other crud. I also want to be able to drive to a client and have confidence I can park in a garage or ramp without losing my air dam. That is what makes the 997S appealing.
Porsche will always produce something that I'll want more than what they produced in the past. HP and torque are just part of the equation. Maybe I just need to become a serial car owner, something that I have a hard time doing--I like to marry my vehcles.
What gives me pause about the GT3 is whether it can do what I need on the street. I don't need to drive in snow, but I do want to drive in the winter and I don't want to spend lots of time cleaning under the car to remove salt and other crud. I also want to be able to drive to a client and have confidence I can park in a garage or ramp without losing my air dam. That is what makes the 997S appealing.
Porsche will always produce something that I'll want more than what they produced in the past. HP and torque are just part of the equation. Maybe I just need to become a serial car owner, something that I have a hard time doing--I like to marry my vehcles.
09-21-2004, 11:42 AM
#47
Chris - very well put and I agree with your assessment of the GT3. I own one and I have had extended test drives in a 997S. The dealer would love me to trade my GT3 in on one. However driving them back to back they are different cars and there was a thrill factor (albeit purely subjective and psychological) that my GT3 has that was not in the 997S.
That said, my GT3 is not anywhere near as refined and comfortable as the 997S. It is noisy in terms of both road and engine. The ground clearance is a pain in the a$$. I have already lost one rubber spoiler and I am careful in my approach to step driveways and speed bumps. It happened in a parking lot on a sharp dip that I saw, and approached slow but was steeper then expected. So as an everyday car it is not as practical as a 997S would be. However it is a pedigree and I could not consider trading it.
That said, my GT3 is not anywhere near as refined and comfortable as the 997S. It is noisy in terms of both road and engine. The ground clearance is a pain in the a$$. I have already lost one rubber spoiler and I am careful in my approach to step driveways and speed bumps. It happened in a parking lot on a sharp dip that I saw, and approached slow but was steeper then expected. So as an everyday car it is not as practical as a 997S would be. However it is a pedigree and I could not consider trading it.
