FLT6SPD

997GT is where its at, go drive one... nothing compares. All the new stuff is a magic carpet ride, you have to work/drive a 997GT.

Hella-Buggin'

All true, but given that your wife will be DD the car. I live in the bay area so my commute is stop and go traffic for an hour. That clutch would give me one buff leg.

LK9999

I rented a 991.1 GT3 and a GT4 for a weekend ; 5 months later I purchased my 997.1 GT3

SteveFrench

A 997 GT is a weapon. “My wife this my wife that blah blah”...**** that. Gain some sack and do the right thing.

DK7

imho 997.2RS is a great drivers car but 991 RS is amazing too.
problem is to learn the strengths of 991 RS in a short test drive are difficult. drive slow its really boring, 991 GT3/RS you have to push on the Right road or track and its an animal!

Kg11

Well, it is HER car. She gets to drive it to work. I have to drive a work van.

This thread was really helpful. It helped us weigh the pros and cons. After considering everything, the one thing she really likes is how comfortable the 991 GT3 is. She wants to be able to drive it the 300 miles each way to see her parents on the weekends as well as drive it in DE events and enjoy it on backroads. The 997 isn't going to offer that kind of versatility, based on what I read here. She loves the current car, and although she would be slightly happier to have a manual, she would be slightly less happy to have a more raw car at times when she just doesn't want a raw car.

Someone said that driving the 997 is event each time you get into it, but as she said, sometimes she is getting into the car in a dress and heels and driving 30 miles to see a client. She doesn't need an "event" at that point; she just needs something comfortable that is still fun. The "event" part comes on track days and when carving up backroads in the Smokies.

So yeah, 991 it is! I am a little sad, but hey, life could be worse (like driving a work van each day!)

noro

It's hard to disagree with the fact that every new generation of 911 is better in measurable terms. I think think what we are suggesting here is that if you took out lap times out of the picture and focused on the overall sensation as in the amount of dopamine you get from driving them in different scenarios (race, cruise, etc) the 997.X GT3 (RS) has the highest ROI at the moment.

Auto_Werks 3.6

This seems like you're probably making the right decision. I have also noticed people who are in your position of not quite being 100% satisfied with the new GT3 trading them in on Carrera Ts. Might be something to consider at least taking a test drive in. They are stock 370 hp, but the torque curve will be monster flat. There are also chips to get it to 430 HP, which I would think would get you to 997 GT3 performance numbers without quite the raw feeling that the old cars have. Plus you can find them with carbon buckets etc, and a manual transmission.

Kg11

Funny you should mention that! One of the guys here has a T, but without buckets. It has every T option other than that and a tune (RWS). It is basically a loaded sport C2S with the tune, which is just a T with a bigger engine and not as trendy. We swapped it for around 60 miles on a club drive in the mountains.

I would say the ride is sporty and super comfortable. We still had the GT4 at the time. Getting out of the T and into the GT4 showed how much different these cars are. The T was 20% more comfortable and very performance oriented for a Carrera, but the GT4 was razor-sharp, precise, and about 2x more fun. Coming back into town, there is one long raised curved overpass that is walled on both sides and long enough to hit 85-90mph on safely. It is thrilling in the GT4; it feels like you are about to launch into space. The speed we took it on in the T was the same, but it felt like we were just cruising; the "driving a slow car fast" effect wasn't there.

I was thinking along those lines (getting a C2S most likely, manual with all sport options), but found out it would take a lot of suspension upgrades to make a T (or any Carrera) into anything resembling a GT car. I would agree that it really does balance performance and driveability, but as nice as that 7-speed box was, it was a poor man's 6MT that exists in the GT4. From what I have driven, the sport C2S or T is about 5/10 of the way between a GT3 RS and a base no option Carrera, and maybe 6/10 of the way between a GT3/GT4 and no option carrera. The turbo doesn't offer the same level of excitement and passion, and the suspension (PASM Sport with rear wheel steer) is exceptional for what it is but not anywhere close to GT car level.

We scratched that idea after the test drive: better to use our funds to get a proper GT car and something like a cab down the line for top down fun. But, if I could only have one car, it would be a worthy idea. As a performance car with buckets (no rear seats), buying a T makes zero sense to me over a GT4. The GT4 is better in every way that matters from a visceral, emotional standpoint, which is probably what people feel when the recommend the 997 over the 991. If anything, the GT4 feels more raw than the GT3 991 we have now: it may be partially the gearbox, partially the buckets, partially the smaller size, but it really is a fantastic car.

For the true enthusiast, the Carrera is a great compromise, but it is still a real compromise. I suppose that is what my wife loves about the 991 GT3 now: the compromise is minimal on the comfort side; still comfortable as a touring car but gives up nothing in terms of being a proper GT car everywhere else. If the T or C2S/GTS whatever Carrera was offered with a 6MT transmission from the GT4 and GT3 suspension, it would be a lot closer to the real ideal, but at this point, it is just a sport-option Carrera C2S/GTS with less power and a different badge. It is tough to step down when you have had a real GT car. Now, I would not knock anything that Porsche makes: if the car we could afford were a manual 987.2 Cayman S, I would be happy as a clam. It is just that the Carrera is designed for different purposes than the GT3. My wife did track laps in the GT4 and also a Carrera S with a bunch of sport options at a DE event: she couldn't believe how good the Carrera S was, but how soft and sloppy it felt compared to the GT4 the same day.

Kg11

Yeah, if we could have one car that was really dedicated to DE and sporty driving only, the GT3 RS 997.2 would get the nod. It is still a dream car for both of us. But, I think the 991 GT3 is not a bad compromise, and likely better for our needs. I can't complain about the price either. $110k for this much car?

globed

I must admit.... I don’t get it. The view that a 997 is some untameable beast on the street, too track focused, an exercise machine for a clutch, tossing you out of the seat. Paraphrased, but that’s how it comes across. I’m 6'3” and no longer as 'athletic' as I once was... about 260lbs. With adaptive sport seats, my car is a great long distance cruiser and reasonable in town. I’ve just done a road trip: Nice - Genoa - Lucerne - Trier - London. Guessing about 1200 miles. It was great. Doesn’t soak up the roughest of roads, but I don’t want my supposed sports car to do that!

my 2 euros.

pissedpuppy

me too - that's why I average 12 mpg...

pissedpuppy

ditto

I've been daily driving 997 GT3s for ~ 7years now. no problem w/clutch, noise, anything. couldn't fathom the thought of ever going back to a C2S

point2point

There's some truth to the 997.2 GT3 being less well suited to civilian driving duties. I did a 4-hour freeway drive in mine a couple of weekend's back. It was tough to listen to the radio with all the tire and engine noise, and my ears were ringing for the rest of the day after the drive.

luv2race

Since you asked for opinions........

First of all i have owned all three cars you mentioned at one time or another. Secondly, I have car ADD, the right connections, and career that affords me the opportunity to own and flip many cool cars.

I currently have a 2018 GT3 Touring - amazing car. I’ve owned other 991 GT3’s both PDK and manual. I also had a GT4 and that car was great even though it doesn’t have the power of the GT3’s. The 997.2 GT3 is great car and enjoyable to drive on the track or on road. I’m actually purchasing another one because i like the 997 GT3’s so much. As you noted it wont be as fast as the 991 but presumably your wife isn’t vying for pole position on her way to work and as others noted on here there are no DE trophy winners so get the car you enjoy driving.

For me personally driving my tricked out 964 on twisty roads is every bit as enjoyable as the sheer power and speed of a new GT3........honestly probably more enjoyable.