celestequattro

Perhaps a mad thread, but I am thinking about chopping my 997.1 C2S in for a 997.2 GT3RS and having it as my only car. Two questions really:

1. any known reliability problems on a 997.2 GT3RS that could be expensive/a hassle to repair

2. tires - in the UK Pirelli winter tires seem to be ok, but for the summer Porsche only recommend Michelin or Pirelli trackday tires even though others will fit. The implication is that your insurance may be invalidated if you use anything else. Are these tires any good in deep standing water like you get in a UK summer on the motorway?

I think that summer tires are the deal breaker here.

Probably doing 15k miles per year.

dertub

I use my 996 GT3 as a daily with no problem, but no snow. I "might" use the '07 RS if I had to. The '10 is out of the question because of getting into and out of the seats. Tires? You won't get a lot of wear out of those. Otherwise, the cars are fairly durable.

carrering

the porsche zentrum in my neck of the woods here in Germany has recommended the Trofeo's for GT3 and RS. I think they would offer much better wet weather grip. I don't think any tire that fits the rear of the GT3 RS would handle deep standing water well. especially the semi-slicks. doesn't matter what the tread depth is. I do know that PSC's are not to be fooled with in standing water.

The GT3 and the RS does not come with an undercoat for winter driving. I would recommend having that addressed if you truly intend to drive it daily. Other than that, just count on everything maintenance wise to be more expensive than your C2S. engine and transmission are hearty, but don't be surprised if you develop a little RMS leak. the seats may get a little tedious to get in and out of all the time. the roll bar, big wing, graphics, and red wheels predictably attract a lot of attention and i find that to be tiresome on long drives or in traffic. I would hate having to worry about parking it all the time. watch out for steep inclines or speed bumps. front end lift might be very useful option for you.

good luck with your decision! i personally wouldn't drive the car daily. even in germany there is very little you can do to have fun with it on public roads safely and legally. it belongs on the track or at least to take it on drives with no destination really planned.

TRAKCAR

No salt in Florida, but carrering has a good point. No rust proofing on GT3's.
I'd also be worried parking it in all the tight UK spots. Our parking spaces are a lorry sized, senior citizen friendly

Mine is a daily driver, only about 8000 miles per year, no problem so far and I love to drive it every minute.
Only problem is that it shifts really hard when cold for the first 3-4 miles, so you have to shift sloooowly.
Also; You can not see revenue officers behind you unless you aim your side mirrors behind you.

I have the cheap Continental/General tires for the road, not much grip on dry, but great for monsoon rains in South Florida. They look like all terrain tires ;-)
In my case they are fine to putter around Florida traffic without bends, but they might not suffice for the roundabouts..

Nizer

Ah but the Brits (or should I say Londoners, because many aren't nationals these days) have a completely different mindset when it comes to exotics. Ferraris, Bentleys and Astons, not to mention Porsches, are a common site parallel parked on High Street.

rost12

Maybe, if you're talking about 10 mile radius around Mayfair

rost12

I've got a GT3 with Pilot Sport Cups on and I've driven through torrential downpours without slowing down. It's doable, but gotta be on your toes and look ahead for any standing water. Following the little troughs in water that trucks leave is a suitable survival technic!

Realistically, if you drop your speed to correlate with how scary it is outside, you could almost drive on slicks.

Rain wouldn't stop me, but planning to drive it in the snow (especially if it lasts for more than 2-3 days a year like we got down south this part winter) would make me reach for the keys to another car

Targa Tim

997.2GT3RS should not be ones only car.

Yes, it can be driven daily (almost any car can), but it has way more disadvantages and no advantages over your current 997S for daily use.

Larry Cable

I dont think either your insurance or the warranty would or could be invalid as long as you use street legal rubber on the car.

As for choice of wet summer tires, I would not recommend the MPSCs as they are not at all good with any standing water whatsover ... the Pirelli Corsas are significantly better, even MPS2 ...

IAortho

Larry is right on about the Corsas. I was hoping for them on my '11 gt3 and they have been fine in the wet. While not an RS, my gt3 with the lift and standard seats has been driven daily around these parts in the MidWest. She will have to go into hibernation when the temps drop below 45 degrees F though!

Larry Cable

Ive had corsas on both my '07 and '10 GT3 and their wet performance (even on track) is significantly better than the MPSC, although the MPSC does have I think a dry dtray advantage.

You just have to compare the thread pattern and depth of the two tyres to appreciate the differences. The corsas have a deep, directional "V" pattern and the MPSCs have the "distinct" shoulder with shallow diagonal groves ... stands to reason that the corsas will channel standing water much better than the MPSC.

Ive seen (or heard of) too many cars "pinball", "pirouette" or just plain slide on MPSCs in the wet to contemplate driving them in the rain on or off track ...

dont forget the trickle charger for the hibernation!

axhoaxho

With the right tires and front-lift-system, the car can be an everyday drive (the ride is one of the major improvements in the 997.2 GT3RS) Just to make sure after some heavy rain/snow driving, rinse the undercarriage since it has less rust-proof coatings compares to a regular 997.

The real question is that the GT3RS is flashy without doubt... If that is your only car, do you really want to drive & park it everywhere you go?... The risk of being keyed and vandalized in questionable neighborhood (I think thugs can easily tell that huge carbon fibre rear wing worths some good money) , ricers try to race you everyday, gets unnecessary attentions from the highway patrols, etc., etc.

It is exciting to get all people's attention when you first get the car, but after a while the above unnecessary attentions may wear-in to you as an only car you have to drive & park it everywhere everyday.

Regards,

gooner

agree with the above post - had a 911 in london - had it keyed twice in 6 months as was using it everyday - an RS would even stand out more! just get the sense lot more resentment to nice cars in the Uk !!
but that of course is just my view - would only have it as weekend car if i ever moved back.

scott40

+1 on the MPSC being just dangerous in the rain, unless you like hydroplaning all over the highway and driving 40mph. Great on track once they hook up though for a street tire!

TRAKCAR

+1!!
I sold mine with a couple of hundred miles on them after the first cloud burst!