gravedgr

I think that is the point. No one is arguing that GT3 > Carrera (including GTS) for the track. How OP, however, said he does not intend to track the car. This nullifies pretty much all of your points, leaving him with an overpriced, underoptioned car for the street.

My dealer says you are wrong.

dertub

Wait a little while longer. You may have another choice...

axhoaxho

Never trust the dealers. They will tell us every car is limited just to sell us the car.

Beretta

Old topic..but new for me

Any new input?

I own a F 348 TS and and a P 993 C2 now, but is thinking about upgrading..

I don´t do tracking more than 1-2 days /year, maybe more in the future, and I have a little daughter, so the backseat is of importance. But still...tried a 997 GT 3 today (-08 I think..manual gearbox) and it felt so nice!! Is the GTS (-10 to -12) in anywhere near of feeling when you drive it?

Baah...you know...what to do..kind of industrial country problems...

DK7

clearly no.
No other Porsche is feeling like a GT3, not even close.

nwGTS

Compared to a Buick Regal yeah the GTS is pretty damned close to a GT3 but to each other alone there are big differences though they can still be cross-shopped. almost completely in the suspension and WB vs NB. Some power difference and higher revving M97 vs 9A1. On track there is a bigger difference but on the street there is very little. though the GT3s that I drove were rougher around town only more slightly than a bone stock GTS. Dream car for me is GT3 with back seats.

Biggest difference is $$$. You could almost buy two GTSs for similar year/mileage GT3. Is that worth it? Up to you.

mdrums

As a past 2012 GTS owner....I not GT3 ALL DAY LONG!!!

GTS and GT3 are not even close to each other in terms of performance and performance adjustability and braking. GTS and Carrera S are basically the same car...just interior and exterior looks and the X51 engine package which is nice but nothing you can tell until driving 9-10/10ths on the track and even then it's very minut difference.

CT944

I moved from a 2007 GT3 to a 2012 GTS and couldn't be happier.

Beretta

Hey, nice to hear your opinion. Can you please tell me more?
If you want, you can send me a PM.

Also, thanks for all other input from you all

GT 3 is probably the car I want to drive, and own, but what the heck...when you have wife and kid...

GT 3 with backseat, and earplugs for those who want

Ynot

Someone here on rennlist did add backseats on a GT3 so I know it's doable. If that is what you want and can afford it, don't comprimised.

ALEV8

I am in this same dilemma but 991 platform. Exact same dilemma. Dad dailies a 997.1c4 and received a large raise. Moving to the next platform.

Traffic53

yep. I did it. install was perfect. in no way could you tell it was added after.
that said, i owned that 997.2 GT3 for a solid 9 months before coming to my senses. took a break from the sportscar for a bit then re-entered the 997 family with a GTS.

my opinion is similar to what's already been offered in that the GT3 is a very cool 911, but it's not a particularly useful 911. I'm as excited as the next guy about crazy sportscar specs, always hoping they make one that rides like a racecar and sits low with bucket race seats and sounds delicious. blah, blah, blah. i'm that guy. however, after owning a GT3 (and a 993 Carrera before that), i can confidently say the GT3 is a no-man's-land car. It might fit into specific scenarios just fine, but for the overwhelming majority, it just isn't a great machine. If you've got room for 10 cars, fine. You'll love it once in awhile. Daily driving though is not ideal. It's low, it's real firm, the awesome buckets are a pain to get in and out. It's loud- if it has the correct exhaust. And rest assured, you'll start bending if not breaking s**t when you try to roll it around the city. The best thing about it is that you can track it, right? Terrible idea. It's fast as hell on a track which means you'll crash it. Since there's no cage and regular seatbelts, it's dangerous. Fine, you say, put in harnesses and a bar. Well, there goes the backseat...and now you have a ridiculous rollbar and ridiculous harnesses in your beautiful 911. And you'll still crash it- because you didn't adjust the suspension and slap on a set of tires. Trust the stranger on this one. Street cars for the street, racecars for the track. Again, I love the GT3. It's just not all that good at anything.

The GTS is what you are looking for. The clutch is the correct weight and pressure. The motor doesn't mind low RPM starts and stops and traffic and side streets. The back seat is already there. It looks amazing with the widebody but no crap hanging off it like giant wings and dive planes, etc. The dampers are firm, but nowhere near as stiff as the GT3. Rides just like a 911 should on the street. Eats up minor bumps and holes no problem. Feels really solid and hearty over those bumps while the GT3 felt like it just got harpooned.

The bottom line is this: the GTS does all of what the GT3 can do, most of it better. GT3 is kind of a china doll.

just one man's opinion.

nwGTS

Awaiting GT3/RS forum crossover mob to heat the tar

Ten Years

Interesting perspective. Thanks for sharing your story and opinion. Nice to hear an opinion based on the experiences of having actually owned both.

Nugget

I love this thread and I'm happy to see it resurrected. As you might imagine, this is a subject that has come up more than once here on Rennlist, and I see that my favorite post of mine in this debate is in a different thread. Rather than repeat myself, I'll just link the post here.

Insofar as we're discussing 997 cars, I stand by my earlier posts. I do think that a shopper weighing the choice between a 991 GT3 or 991 Carrera faces an altered landscape, though. The 991 GT3 is a lot more street-friendly and the difference between the GT3 and "regular" 911 is narrower than it's ever been with the current generation cars.

I still have my GT3 and I still put many thousands of track miles a year on it. If I wasn't such a track rat, though, I'd be way happier with a 997 GTS.