TheKane

I've bene thinking about adding a GT2 to my stable for quite some time, and have a line on what seems like a good one. If you see my stable below, do you encourage this purchase? My context is that I drive my cars. I take meticulous care of them, and they are all garaged, but I drive the heck out of them.

So my two questions:
1. Should I do it?
2. What are the big watch-outs? I've trolled the forum's in the US and the EU and can't really find anything other than the normal: find one with all stock parts, do a PPI, etc. etc.

2012 997.2 C4GTS (CH) - Daily driver and winter ski car in Switzerland.
2011 987 Boxster Spyder - Daily driver, California track car and wine country driver with the wife.
2002 996.2 Turbo - Daily driver and US winter ski and summer outrigger canoe carrier.
1994 968 CS M030 (the Ring) - Track car for the Ring, Spa and driving the Eifel region.

Thanks for your guidance.

bweSteve

Hmmm,.... only two 911's, and none of them air-cooled. If you think you might like the GT2, why not also look at a 964 Turbo? Might spend a little less & still get that kick in the pants torque thrust when getting on boost.

A water-cooled GT2 might feel a little like your 996 Turbo only on steroids. Seems like that 996 Turbo has a very specific purpose in your stable. Actually ALL your cars seem to get very specific types of use. That's cool. How would the GT2 fit in?

Last year, my wife & I bought a NA 997.2 GT3 just so we could get something completely different from our 964T. It worked. They are very different and yet both still very enjoyable to drive. We like that. We're keeping them both, and are drivers too (we have other weekend fun cars too, but the rest are not Porsche).

Your stable is certainly diverse. Maybe if you explained a little more about how you would use it, and where,... that might help some of the guys here that OWN them, chime in & give you more specific driving characteristics of the GT2.

Good luck!!
=Steve

simrokkzz

I was thinking the exact same thing as bweSteve is mentioning.

When I see the list of your cars, this is a very different setup, which for sure is your choice, but in the first step I would not understand how a 997 GT2 fits inside.

I got a 2008 GT2 last week, after quite some search - yes its important to have a memory read out, specially if you want to stay in german Porsche approved warranty, hence I was just looking into completly stock cars, not that the car needs more power, but there are a lot of tuned cars, or at least being tuned during an ownership and sold "stock".....

my first Porsche was a 996 turbo in speed yellow, since them I am infected, but had to sell it when we bought a house in 2012.... really bad decision.
in 2015 I got a 2006 C6Z as a Porsche 997 GT2 was simply too expensive. Meanwhile prices went down a bit and I was able to add this to the garage - meaning my wife has to park outside now as well (C6Z and 997GT2 inside garage)...

I love the car a lot and sure its simple power on semi slicks - even I may not experience too much track with the car - we moved to southern germany, meaning the RING is not my hometown any more. ....

When considering a car, its for me always the question:
Do I really want that thing?

If for a GT2 the answer is yes, then sure, go for it.
Do you have a car in mind already, as you are asking for a 2009 car?

cheers
Simon

Nick Wong

All water cooled GT2 are far more playful than the AWD turbo cars that people associate them with.

They are more like the GT3RS with turbos than RWD Turbo. If you understand that you’ll understand the difference.

Good luck with your search. If you are a driver, don’t bother with the 09, get a well sorted 08 at a much more reasonable price. If you intend to bubble wrap it I’d recommend the 09.

CT944

Yes you should.

RennOracle

DO IT, they awesome.
To check, the same with all mezgers and modern Porsches, coolant pipes pinned are a must, check torque on cam bolts, they come undone like the gt3s, and clutches are a bit weak, but plenty of good choices around. Check if lsd is working, 99% it's not but who knows.
I would strongly advise for a gt2rs spec upgrade, as it's quite cheap and will make your car much more fun in every aspect. It's a matter of upgrading ic (do88, 997.2 turbo/gt2 rs one, or a martson copy that was made and is available somewhere in the uk), a bigger diameter exhaust, kline sounds nice and livable, and tune. Highly recommend esmotor and he does remote tuning. His tunes are tremendoys to drive, very linear, very reliable and he is great. Expect +600hp with this.

Cars are very reliable after the routine I mentioned above, but account for some extra bits and bobs here and there. Nothing that will break the bank by any means. You will have a lot of fun. Gt2s do 'need a better alignment setup, as they can be quite snappy for no reason when they could be much more progressive.

You will end with such a tremendous car. You will probably not like it in the beginning, but my main advice is to just drive it as much as you can and hard, when you really bond it's pure joy. Drive with minimal assistance as soon as you sort alignment, car is more scary with tc on than off, intervenes like a plough in the head.

P.S. did you took a look at the 996 gt2? That car for you that like older Porsches would be perfect. Steering is as sweet as you will find, the noise of the doors, chassis is very nice (tho this one needs a proper alignment and lsd more than a man lost in the desert needs water and a gps), no safety net, very nice engine, will get the adrenaline pumping and expose how good or bad you really are.

The 996 gt2 it's like a horror movie (a lot like the 997 gt2, that is more a thriller) and you the kid watching, you know you will get nightmares and be scared of every shadow and dark corner if you see it, but the desire is to big not to, but after you will not see another horror movie any time close, until the desire for that rush can't be contained anymore.
This is why I say for you to drive it as much as pssible, just to get the fear phase shorter.

Edit: Don't shy away from tuned cars, at all, 1) the gt2 is not a gt2 rs. 2) gt2 internals are tuff as nails, everything south of 700 is a breeze, tuned gt2 will very likelly be much more well sorted than stock ones and they are much more fun and more reliable too, better ics than the useless stock ones, mean they run with cooler temperatures, not boiling all the time, exhaust helps with this a bit too, clutch for sure will be better, lsd might be already done. Etc etc.

Just don't buy a car with too many changes. Small things here and there, but not too many. P.s. these cars can do 200k km easy, just do the basic sorting and maintenance. Find a good shop around.

osu s2k

i had a 2009, i liked the interior pcm upgrades, but otherwise same as 08 , i would not pay a major premium for 09 vs. 08 unless very low miles and you are collecting and not driving. I do miss that car....

TheKane

Thanks gents. Great feedback as always from the forum.

I like cars that are unique and as analog as I can get while being possible as daily drivers. I drive with the nannies off (what little there is on the 987Spyder, 997C4GTS and 996TT) and none at all on the 968. I like a car that is not too easy to drive. I like oversteer.

I'd be using the GT2 as part daily driver, it has the capacity for a rack so part utility, and I think it would be a good track weapon. I do fine in the Spyder, but I think a big HP car on the track vs light momentum car, would be fun.

A GT3RS with two turbos is exactly what I'd like. The 997C4GTS is too heavy and missing two turbos to be anything really exciting. It's a great car, and in CH it's the only thing in the stable so has to do all things.

A 996GT2 would be too similar to my heavily modified 996TT. While I enjoy the interior and exterior styling of the 996TT, I really gravitate to the 997/987 styling. I like the interior switchgear/seats, the exterior, etc. It's the perfect mix of being just new enough and a little more tactile than newer models. I hate the 991/992 interior, the switching of the functions on the stalks, etc. In driving a 996TT, a 997TTS and a 991TTS, I'd choose my 996TT any day. I figure that the 997GT2 would be a good compromise.

I may just dive in. Anyone have an extra garage?

///BLACKLABEL

I miss mine, and want another. I've had 2...one with lots of miles and I wasn't afraid to drive it ( that's the one I want back ) and one with short miles and too nice to drive hard. They are nonstop fun. Do it.

Igooz

I had an '08 GT2 from '08-'11 and bought an '09GT2 from '11 - now.
They are awesome cars. I really think that I could only have one car, it would be the 997GT2.
It is easily the best workhorse.
Easy to daily (hell I daily'd turbos from 1993 to 2013 I think?) , lots of room inside with no back seats so you can throw anything you want in there, plenty of torque so you can pull a mulch trailer, … , low key so the squids leave you alone, etc.

ChrisF

Any chance this is a white Bay Area car?

jgorscak

OP

If your tracking the car (and want a MT) I would go with a 7.1/7.2 3RS variant. The GT2 is an amazing car but I found it to be a bit soft on the track. I feel the track/pavement better in my 3RS if that makes any sense. (Better suspension, which I find more rewarding while on the track than shear lap times).

Having owned both this is my humble opinion but you certainly will enjoy either car. Good luck.

simrokkzz

Any news?

Did you go forward buying the car?

TheKane

@simrokkzz I pulled the trigger. Purchase is in process! Thanks everyone for the guidance and support.

CT944

Awesome!