flash1034

I just wanted to say I cant wait any longer for the new 2010 GT3! I want a new toy.

Flash

Carrera GT

Well, even if you're "first kid on the block" status with your dealer, you're looking at October or November at the very earliest.

You know, you can get all that 3.8 goodness from Sharkwerks straight away ... and update to the new bumpers, engine mounts and nose-lifter parts as they arrive, then just swap out the rear suspension for the GT2 parts, start with a "fire sale" RS around $100K and you're likely getting a car cheaper and literally better than the 997.2 GT3 with RS resale value.

I was thinking about this on the drive home today.

The 997.2 GT3 will probably be made in larger numbers to respond to the demand for the 997.1 GT3. Sure, the 996 GT3 arrived in showrooms to luke warm reception and dealers had them discounted to get rid of them, while the 997 arrived to fanfare and hot buyers with dealers gougi... I mean, "market pricing" the cars above msrp. I think PAG will command PCNA to take as many as the market will bear. Plus a few. Better to move metal and take money for '09 and '10.

So there's a conflict in the buyer: one side wants the factory 3.8 power and torque with the improved chassis and handling; the other side wants the near 100% retained resale value.

What car answers both sides? The 997.1 RS.

And if you meet a 997.2 GT3 on the track and you're in a 997.1 RS, there's only two possible outcomes and you win them both: 1. the 997.2 GT3 is faster than you on the track and that comes down to more engine and updated suspension; 2. the 997.2 GT3 is SLOWER than you in your trusty RS and that comes down to pure talent and genius behind the wheel! : )


ps. For me personally, I still think I would like to "taste" the RS. I can't justify keeping one, but I could see myself having one for a while. Just to get a taste. Maybe I'll get Sharkwerks to drop a sleeper 4.0 P&C in it if they want to do the programming. : ) 450hp? 480? Mother ... ?

flash1034

Thanks for the response. In my opinion, Porsche would not release the GT3.2 if it were not "better" in most ways to the .1 GT3 and GT3RS. From what I've read and seen, it looks like they have addressed the power and suspension on an already steller car(s) and made it even better. I also like the new wing better FWIW. I love my current GT3 but look forward to the new one with great expectation.

Flash

Targa Tim

Don't follow your logic.

997.1 GT3RS has the same hp as 997.1 GT3, and they are as mass produced as each other. Recent sales showed that RS also can depreciate if you put mileage on it.

Snowboarder54

I have already been talking to Alex and James about taking my GT3 in for some Sharkwerks "improvements" I think the decieding factors for me were, 1. Arnold's doubling of our DMV fees here in Ca. 2. Sales tax increase here in Ca. 3. the housing market collapse. 4. The fact that my GT3 now has 30K miles on it I would be lucky to get $80K for it in this market. Plus I really prefer the looks of the gen-1 GT3.

tcsracing1

the 997 platform is still very fresh. In this economy i would be happy with a used 997 gt3 vs. the cash for a new 997.2. gt3
And with a few performance parts, you can have some fun with a 997.1 gt3.

Targa Tim

congrats on RS purchase, look like ski season over for you and switching to track days.

Carrera GT

I don't try to drag logic kicking and screaming into a discussion about spending $100,000 on a car and then risking a total loss at the track.Let's say a .2 GT3 is about $125K -- that will get you into a current RS. Let's say you budget on updating the wide body RS to the current model GT2 rear end geometry. Presumably that makes it equivalent to the characteristics of the .2 GT3. So you're missing out on some 3.8 goodness, mid range torque and a modest peak horsepower increase.

Then roll the odometer forward 10-20K miles and the clock ticks forward a year or two. Who's had more fun and who's better off financially?

I think we're in the middle of a period of oversold prices caused by financial distress and the general malaise of gloomy economics and dreary winter weather. Let summer roll in, let everyone get through tax season and adjust to their depreciated house values. Once the dust settles, I fully expect to see buyers and demand return for the GT3 and RS. By that time, dealers will have snapped up all these fire sale cars and they'll have them at "market" prices and we'll be crying about "gouging" again.

Given the dismal state of the nation, I expect dealers are not interesting in selling the .2 GT3 until the very last minute in the hope that the economy improves. And I'm sure they hope that the factory will not talk about big production volume.

Then the "first kid on the block" suckers will pay the premium. Sure, some "good customer" types will get MSRP on the first cars, but for the most part, I expect history will repeat on the .1 GT3 assuming nothing catastrophic in the interim -- I mean, if you got a .2 GT3 at MSRP, enjoyed it for six months, maybe a year, it will retain resale value. But it will inevitably decline.

Conversely, if you got a .1 GT3 RS at current market, I'd expect to see it at a higher percentage retained resale value. The RS is a distinctive car with a smaller production volume, a niche market appeal and a greater likelihood of buyer demand over seller supply. The risk is that the .2 GT3 will be produced in greater numbers than the .1 GT3. This won't change the first six months of supply/demand, but it would likely collapse the resale market which, as we've seen, is easily overwhelmed when sellers rush to the secondary market.

930man

you have to much time to think!!!!!!!

great idea though

sharkster

We are going to have some fun aren't we We're going to sharpen the knife too for Kermit:P

Wayward

That's a nicely thought-through post, however, I tend to distill things down to lcd levels (that'd be lowest common denominator). The old 'kiss' approach (location notwithstanding).

Are we talking about driving or about depreciation? All of them do and will depreciate. Put mileage on any of them and experience it further.

The 991/998 will impact the current crop, be it GT3RS or GT3. Furthermore, despite any economic positive short-lived bubble (inevitable), the economy is likely to take years to recover.

Buy a used RS (or anything for that matter), put miles on it, and voila monsieur -- mega depreciation, especially after the next RS bows. Couple that with the fact that a used RS has likely been tracked. C'est bon, n'est pas?

Then there's the old maxim "Spend less, depreciate less". Yes, more common sense. That along with "He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day".

Will this be your last car? Will wifey demand it in an unforseen divorce? Is your job secure? Will your kid get captured on the Mexican border, requiring bail? Better yet, is the money tree in your backyard doing well?

All of this sounds like a loud argument toward buying a used RS, if you can live with that. Are RS garage queens hard to find? I honestly don't know.

And while I'm perhaps in the minority believing that there won't be a .2 RS, there will likely be a 991/998 RS. I'd need three hands to count the number of times I've stated "I'm keeping this car forever".

All that aside, availablity is key here. Can you obtain a .2 at MSRP within a reasonable timeframe? Then again (again), the longer one waits the cheaper the RS's become.

Circumstances can be everything. In any event, the likelihood of buying new or used and subsequently selling it to upgrade the next big thing is inevitable. It's a when-when situation.

All other things being equal, if you "want it now", just get one, a 3 or an RS and sell it later. That's lcd for you.

We buy them to drive. Simple, really.