Marv

While I would say the GT3 is a better choice as far as driver satisfaction, I would caution you on stretching your budget too thin.

We have a tendency to enter into these things more optimistically (i.e., smoking hope) than we should. It is wise to have some reserves for the unexpected, which will temper the disappointment when reality strikes.

Wilder

I was originally looking for a 981 GT4 when I landed on the 997.2 GT3. Everyone's covered the main points of departure already. All I can add is that a GT4 will never be a GT3. That said, if a GT3 is going to stretch your budget, perhaps a 981 GT4 might be a great placeholder while you build your GT3 fund. I recently purchased an 11k mi GT3 and I'm already $15k into it. That's just pinning the coolant lines and doing the RS pulley and clutch upgrade "while I'm in there" plus tires and suspension bits. So find a car you don't need to put anything into, likely a .1, or buy a GT4 first. 981 will be more raw and cheaper than a 718. It will depreciate less also, making it easier to switch to a 7GT3 down the road.

GTTommy

If you want drama, 997 GT3 all day long.

Save another year and get one, if you buy a GT4 you'll end up spending on it and then you'll be further from a GT3 than you are now...

If you were going to daily, GT4...?
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vudores

I had a 981 GT4 for a little over three years before getting a 997.1 GT3 two months ago. Prior to the GT4 I had three different Cayman S and two 911S. I’ve always considered myself more of a “cayman guy,” and really loved the GT4. It truly was/is an incredible car and made me a better driver than I really am. It’s so easy to drive fast and the chassis is incredible. I DD’d that car for a year and it worked great for that, too.

Around a year into my GT4 ownership I drove a friend’s 997.2 GT3 and it made my GT4 seem so tame and like an accord in comparison. As many have said, it’s just so raw and analog and the engine is just sooo special. Every drive in the 997 GT3 is an event. I didn’t get that feeling from the GT4.

My GT3 is my 7th Porsche and for the first time I don’t ever see myself changing from here. The modern ones don’t really interest me. Sure, they’re faster and more lux, but this is a “fun car” for me, and I don’t think any more fun can be had than this platform.

All that said, they’re both incredible cars and you really can’t go wrong with whatever you decide to get.

get the gt3.

prl

Just got back from smokies, borrowed a friends gt4 981 for the event as I’m in the midst of a move and couldn’t take my 9.2 rs. This was my first time really having time in the gt4 981. I will never buy a gt4. I have accustomed my driving style to 911’s over the years and track days, I prefer the handling of a 911 over a gt4. The gt4 is slow, the gearing is off, the car is louder inside, the car has newer pcar buckets which I hate. I just hated the car… I am glad for this experience on the road as I will never bother looking for a used one again. I have only tracked the new one (718) for a few days and I did enjoy it, but not enough to buy it either.

Mika911

I had a chance to drive my own 997.1GT3 and a 718 Spyder back to back on some of the best roads around the Ring last week. Spyder had PDK and PS4S tyres and overall a bit softer than a GT4, but not miles off. It’s truly a magnificent car that allows you to push on immediately. Not track sharp, mainly due to the tyres, but perfect for the road and longer distances. It does miss the drama and directness of the 997 though, which the owner of the Spyder thought too. Whilst the 997 obviously feels like the older car, it’s simply sharper and rawer, and for a quick blast more satisfying. The Spyder (/GT4) is the more pleasant car to live with and gets pretty close in feel and on the same tyres outperforms the 997 on track. Very close call, but as a special occasion car, I’d recommend the 997. For higher mileage, combined road/track use, I’d go for the GT4.

As for maintenance/reliability of the 997, I’ve had mine from new since 2008 and covered 23000 track/road miles and had zero issues. Gets its regular maintenance and have it checked before each track session, and it simply only goes through consumables and nothing else. Literally feels like it is hewn from granite. My only gripe is the very heavy clutch pedal. Gets tiring when you are doing lots of 2nd gear corners.