leif997

prompts me to ask: If in fact there will be 30 or so "bonus" RS's bringing the total US allocation to 259 units; how can there be add'l units if the sunroof-less 997 bodies have yet to be crash tested?

Is it just hearsay that the lack of a crash test is the rate limiting factor in total production of US bound units?

If they do crash test the 997 w/o a sunroof and thus allow further allocations to be had; what will the current scores of base 997 GT3 buyers have to say about the subsequent cars coming with crash tested bodies and the forseeable option of having a sunroof or not in future 997 GT3 orders?

Articulated comments appreciated.

mitch236

I, for one, couldn't care less if they do make sunroof delete an option for the GT-3. It won't diminish the value of my sunroofed car to me. I consider myself to be a very competent driver and can't imagine I would notice any performance difference without the hole. I am not worried about resale value. I would think that the majority of buyers of this car will be using it on the street for almost all of its miles and might be tempted to open the sunroof once in a while (so long as nobody is looking!).

I do wish I had the opportunity to buy an RS instead of the GT-3 though as the rear carrier and suspension would be noticable. The weight difference is a joke.

///Mous3

Perhaps 2% of GT3 buyers in the US are on this forum. However, I have read many posts before the cars hit the street, stating their dislike of the sunroof. Then again, people still buy the car becasue they really have no choice.

If '08 GT3 can be had without the sunroof, it will be more desirable.

carrering

I think there is more than 11 GT3 buyers here. considering there are 588 GT3's this year I would say Rennlisters make up 10-15%!

mitch236

It would be more desirable to most buyers. But the truth is that most drivers would be hard pressed to tell the difference on the track, so to me, it makes little difference. When I go to sell the car, I will take my usual loss...

But of course, if I had the choice, it would be no sunroof!

Then again maybe next year there will be a sunroof delete option on the GT-3 with the newly improved TC, namely PSM!!!

Max Power

I've been keeping track, and I believe there are about 70 USA RS buyers here and about 10 ROW RS buyers here.

Close to 1/3 of the RSs in the USA are on Rennlist.

lawjdc

Actually, if the truth be known, the 997 sunroof is really great in the tilted position, as it enables you to hear the car's engine / exhaust much more clearly. I can't wait to hear the GT3, especially after the Excellence comments on how the car sounds.

///Mous3

11/588 = 0.0187 and that is less than 2%.

mitch236

Wait till you do. It is intoxicating!

carrering

that is correct. what aren't you understanding? i'm saying i think there are at least 60-90 rennlisters that either own this car or planning to purchase one this year....making us 10-15% of the market. considerably higher than 11 people or approximately 2%. 12 is just over.

Porsche Rebel

Agreed, the exhaust note with the sport mode on is very addictive!! I was lucky to have received an 07 GT3 from the first shipment to Houston in January and have love driving it eversince...

Alan Smithee

I believe the answer is 'yes', crash testing has never been the issue. Since we don't get the GT3 RS in 'club sport' spec like the ROW, the GT3's mandatory sunroof makes the RS that much more attractive as the ultimate 997 GT3 track car.

Although if this is the case, I'm surprised the two cars weren't differentiated further; the GT3 with a rear seat option, for instance, and the RS strictly hard-core (not available with any luxury options, like the 996 GT3).

leif997

Alan, If I follow your line of reasoning correctly, then it seems that we can infer that the whole sunroof / crashtest issue was a marketing ploy to sell more RS's as the ultimate GT3?

Obviously, the "hole" has not presented a problem for the base GT3 sales as allocations are not all that common and are all but sold out. The RS paucity has generated some interesting speculations on multiple levels of resale values. Do you feel that PAG has purposely mislead their intended target group to generate pre-sales hype and then will spring upon the masses an X number of RS's to satisfy market demand?

What does this say about the RSR homologation issues that the RS was purported to be built upon?

speak upon this!

MJSpeed

To the best of my knowledge, crash testing was not an issue. Computer simulations are great! At least so I've been told...not confirmed.

Recent Porsche history will lead one to believe this, however my understanding is that this is not the case. Hole vs. No Hole is a great way to ensure the RS is lighter...

This is not affected in any way...

Alan Smithee

Maybe not to sell more RS's, per se, but to justify its higher price and exclusivity in the US market, and as a "halo" track car, it allows the regular GT3s to be loaded up with options and have higher transaction prices (read: more profit).

All opinions, of course...but, yes, since we don't get all of the real RS parts, for the US market, that's what I think...a GT3 and GT3 RSA, if you will. I doubt any of the US production has anything to do with homologation.