At Law

Perhaps this question would be better suited for
the GT3 forum, however, I know a lot of members
are on a number of forums.

Is the GT3 a car you can have as a second or third
vehicle that can be comfortably driven on the street
and not necessarily only on the track?

Or is the GT3 too difficult and irritating to drive
around town for fun?

Chris C.

That's a very personal thing - depends on your tolerance for low noses, jiggly rides and no sound deadening.

Mine is mostly a street ride, and some days it's over the top.

My advice would be a Carrera S is likely all you need. Now if you love the look, sound, rarity factor etc then go for it.

p-cardriver

Also has to depend on your roads and climate. I'd love a GT3 (RS!!!) but no way would I want it as a daily driver in SE Michigan year round. But as Chris C says, the S is just fine here.

At Law

I was just curious.

I love the look of the Guards Red GT3, however, I have not
yet driven one.

I think I'll be hanging onto my '06 for a long time. It
is the best performing car I have ever owned and I
don't even have 6,000 miles on her yet.

MJones

The GT3 is a joy to drive !!
Around the town or around the country. (MY07 with 26,000 mi)
It's only negative is approach angle, which at times can be a bit of a pain.

At Law, you need to get out and drive your car a bit more!

JEllis

I had the same questions and decided the GT3 is probably fine for a somewhat regular DD or DD you use along with other DD's Etc....

That being said, if your GT3 is primarily going to be driven on the street then your missing out on what it was intended for. In my searchings, most would agree that the edge the GT3 has over the 997S or even the standard CS can, and is only experienced at 9/10's driving which is really (most of the time) going to happen on a track. And, I am not saying you need to be a track guy just explaining that the GT3, in my opinion, is fundamentally designed for guys that want a car they can drive day to day and then right onto the track on the weekends.

I realize there are other factors to consider like looks and sound, not to mention the GT1 derived engine in the GT3 is actually/probably more reliable than the M97 in the 997S... but you have to ask yourself if those things are worth the premium. Even today, the premium for a used 997.1 GT3 over a well optioned 997.1S (with aerokit) is close to $30K which is a lot to pay in my opinion for a car in which its best assets are realized on the track when you dont plan to track the car.

So if I were you, and this is what I did, find a 997.1S that came from the factory with an Aero Kit (these cars are quite rare as I found since a lot of Aero Kits get added after the fact by dealers) and the other options you want.

As for driving everyday, I own a fairly modded 997S with a cup front spoiler and lowered on Damptronics. Its not a car that I could drive everyday unless I knew exactly where I was going and knew that there were not going to be any steep driveways. Even before I lowered it and the car was at stock 997 height, it was a pain to get around in sometimes.

Jason

Nugget

Depends on how the roads are where you live, too. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a GT3 as my daily driver when I lived in Austin but here in central Houston I'm destroying my normal 997 driving to work and back every day. A GT3 as my daily driver here would be tragic.

PAULSPEED

I am looking at a GT-3 as a daliy drive. I would get
one with the option lift kit. This option is about $4,000.
It would be required for daily drives. There are just too
many driveways that you can not drive up sideways.
Paul

nota_troll

If I could have swung one I would have gladly used a GT3 daily.

mdrums

Mjones, would know with numerous cross country trips in his GT3. Personally I would drive a GT3 around on the street as my 2nd car dailey driver fun car. The GT3 is not some uncivialized beast of a car. For a sports car it is smooth.

964C4

I have a 997.2 C4S with PDK and it's a fantastic car, although I get constantly irritated while driving it, because very seldom I see an empty piece of road where I can floor it more...

A GT3 would be totally frustrating, although I agree it's the most diver enjoyable N/A 911 there is

mobonic

+1,000%

The only difference between a 997S and a GT3 will be 2-3 seconds on the track driven at 9/10's by a good driver.

The advantage is has on the track is the extra 1,100 RPM redline that allows you more pull in the high revs.

Actually the 997S has more low end torque than the GT3, which is what is used everyday.

That aside, a 997S with coilovers, and a full exhaust ($8-$10K) will give you the same handling and sound.

Unless you are winding the GT3 to redline in each gear, you will not be using what the GT3 was designed for.

I would buy a GT3 as I would use it as a track car, that can still drive on the street, not as a street car that would never see the track.

djcxxx

I think that if you have enough opportunity to track the GT3 it would be reasonable to use it as a DD. Without the track time the GT3 experience cannot be fully realized and a Carrera or Carrera S will probably be a better choice. I had a chance to ride w/ a fellow who had a 996 GT3 MkI and it was pretty harsh even on smooth and pothole free Florida roads. The 997 GT3 seemed much less harsh and easier to live with on a daily basis. Both cars demand driver attention and an appreciation for a mechanical environment, much more so than a standard Carrera. Although I could live w/ that, my wife could not, and that's not something I could ignore. So the WAF may or may not figure into your equation.

Chris C.

I should have been more explicit, ala M Jones. I love the raw feel, handling, looks and sheer driving pleasure of the Gt3. Driven normally, feels just like a stiffer C2S. Above 5K, its fierce and astounding. On the track, it's the best street car you can have there.
All in all, just depends on your tradeoffs.

Mjones - drove mine 5.5 hours in a mostly straight hiway drive - don't know how you love those long road trips. You must take the back roads!

sws1

It's not just how high the redline goes. The torque curve is significantly different between the 2 curves. In the RPM bands where you should be on the track, the engines feel and respond very differently. The GT3 is much more racing focused.

Yes - if you like very firm cars on the street, GT3 is fine. 90% of my driving is on street just fine. I just know to avoid certain roads that are full of potholes.