Rusty80SC

I happen to know someone who is considering buying a 2007 to 2009 GT3-RS.

I am fairly familiar with the air cooled cars, but aside from an secret watercooled affair (don't tell the SC) I have very little to offer them in the form of guidance on what to look for, reasonable pricing, options, etc.

Could you give me a little run-down on the nuances of the GT3-RS, and the buying process. Reasons for choosing one year over another. Options that would ideally be on the car vs. options that are useless.

As one example, do GT3-RS's have the rear main seal problems that some of the other water cooled cars have?

Thanks,
Rich

Nugget

First up, there is no 2009 GT3 RS. So your task just got 33% simpler. I'm not aware of any noteworthy differences between the '07 and '08 cars. For the most part, all the cars you'll see on the used market are very low mileage so I don't think that '08 is an inherently more desirable than an '07. There are so few of these cars that it all comes down to a particular car's specific build and history.

When I was shopping I found Bill's excellent GT3 RS Registry to be an invaluable research tool.

First up, decide if you want a track-focused, light build with few options or if you're looking for a car that's full of comfort options like navigation. For the most part, any car you encounter is going to be specced in one of those two philosophies.

Sport Chrono is the only option that leaps to mind as universally worthless. The PCCB ceramic brakes debate won't be solved in this thread -- you either enthusiastically want them or you passionately don't.

No maintenance or reliability differences exist across model years, or really between GT3 and RS.

Riz

What is a good price for a lightly used RS, say between 1-3K miles? Since the new one is coming soon and is a significant improvement, it seems the asking prices are still quite high on the 07-08's. Is it better to wait another few months because they should drop quite a bit more?

Rusty80SC

Nugget,

Thanks for the tips, and for making things 33% easier. At least I confessed to not knowing much beforehand

I know he is looking for a car that will be used almost exclusively on the street. At the same time though he is not looking for a car with heavy comfort options like Navigation.

Z356

Rusty: Adding to Nugget's good comments; Yes, leaks from the Rear Main Seal have apparently been a common problem on these cars, as often reported in this Forum and others (suggest you do a search on this topic). So it would be wise for prospective buyers to check carefully the service history of the RS he/she is considering to see if this RMS problem has arisen and how his dealer & PCNA have attempted to solve it. Forum members have also strongly recommended that potential RS buyers request a read out of the RS's engine computer to see if there are any Stage 1 or Stage 2 over-revs, which might reveal an abusive driving 'style' by previous owner(s). I also agree with Nugget that "Max Power''s gt3rs Registry is a valuable tool for any potential buyer, especially when trying to map out early photos, sales history & geographical trajectory of a particular '07/'08 RS which might show up now in the market. z356

malmasri

Tell your friend to buy a Cayman S or if he is willing to pay up then the best street Porsche is a 911Turbo.

ooberge

what would be the difference in price betwween gt3 and gt3rs 2007

Asquared

GT3Registry collects as much sales information as he can.

http://www.gt3rsregistry.com/docs/sales.htm

Nugget

Obviously prices bottomed out on September 1, 2009 and they're only going to skyrocket from here on out!

Rusty80SC

One of the reasons he is looking at the RS as a car to use and as a relative collectible. He believes, rightly or wrongly, that the RS will hold it's value better than the alternatives.

Rusty80SC

Thanks that is great information. I love that ability to check the read out from the RS's computer, that is sweet. I will do some RMS research.

malmasri

Rusty80SC: there is no doubt that the GT3Rs will hold its value better,based on the number of cars produced (approx 800 in NA) however It is not the most practical Porsche for daily use..It has low clearance,less insulation,stiffer suspension and light clutch..mine is without AC.
So your friend needs to decide A collectable or Porsche to enjoy. Jay Leno said: you buy a car to enjoy it. If it goes up in value then that is a bonus.
Good luck to Both.

tcsracing1

2007 GT3: 80-90K

07 GT3RS: 100-120K

OldGuy

Just one check in the box before your friend buys Go check out the new C2S PDK. Just needs to drive it. I was blown away and if he can find a new 09 there are big discounts.
The RS is a very nice example of a 911. One of the purest forms of the watercooled version. But I had two GT3s a 997.1 and a 996 version which was very pure. But it was a hassle to drive to work or everyday. But man once on the track or in the country it would be hard to imagine a more pure driving experience.
I left in the garage 12 days out of 14. I drive my C2S everyday.
Oh and I still lust after the new 2010 GT3 at my Dealer.

Z356

Malmasri: Re your "there is no doubt that the GT3Rs will hold its value better,based on the number of cars produced (approx 800 in NA)". I believe the correct figure for North America is around 440 RS's, give or take a few if more MY07's went to Mexico. For the USA, apparently around 413 '07/'08 RS's were produced. Source is Max Power's gt3RS Registry. So, I agree that these are, comparatively speaking, low production numbers and much better than the 800 number you suggested for North America. z356.