sandwood

Interested to hear what any of you cross shopped before deciding on a GT3. I'm in the market for a lightly used GT3 but feel obliged to at least go test drive some comparables while I am at it.

z06 corvette
GT-R (out for me bc no MT)
AM Vantage?
R8

??
Lotus
other 911 variants

Others?

TIA

Larry Cable

try a GTS sports suspension+LSD etc ... or Cayman R/Boxster Spyder.

R8 or R8V10 would be fun also.

masmole

If this will be a dual use track toy/occasional dd, just get the GT3 and don't bother considering the rest.

If it's not going to see much track time and will be street driven mostly, R8 (v8 or v10 will do), Turbo, Vantage, Carrera GTS are all much better options. Personally, I'd get an R8 V10. It's a Gallardo but much nicer to drive. And nothing like rowing a manual gearbox on a V10

sandwood

It's going to be a weekend/DE car. Practicality is not a big concern. Ultimate performance is not my top priority either, just looking for something with a lot of character. GT3 is top of the list but I feel obliged to take a closer look at some of the competition just to be sure....

triode

There was nothing else on my radar, and no regrets since in using the '3 as a daily driver. But then I've always been a 911 guy.

Serge944

GT3 or a v10R8/Gallardo. All the others mentioned are way too practical.

Larry Cable

... or crap

aero997c2s

Definitely not V8 Vantage if that's what you were looking at. The V12 Vantage just came out which would be a fun little car. GT3/V10 R8 would be top of my list. I don't think the performance of the V8 R8 justifies the cost.

Larry Cable

+1 on the R8 ...

The Aston's for me have too much "James Bond" trim on them ... you know forward firing grandfather clock, carbon cufflink holder, mahogany glove box and martini chiller etc ...

tcsracing1

the V8 Aston Martin sucks on the track.

the Gallardo is too in your face styling.

the Audi styling maybe dated at some point.

the Z06 is a good car except for the seats.

lotus is too hard for entry exit.

viper is great but taxing to drive.

Ferrari 430 is a killer car.

Id go with 430 or GT3 depending on budget and taste.....

sandwood

yeah, gallardo's are a little too much for me. I like that r8s hold their value so well, but the v8, while a nice engine, isn't that special to me. 430s are also attention grabbing but should be worth a test drive somewhere!

Alan Smithee

In 2009 I was waffling between a GT3 and C2S with sport options; also considered the R8, Vantage, Exige 240, and rented a Z06 for the day, too.

For primarily street use and a handful of DEs per year, I liked the motor in the GT3 (hate the low spoiler and rear wing), SPASM suspension in the C2S (but too common in LA), motor of the R8 (can't get past the styling), looks of the Vantage (too heavy/not enough power, cheap interior bits for the price), intimacy of the Lotus (but that's about it), and performance per dollar of the Z06 (and nothing else).

Then the Boxster Spyder was announced. Although I wish the engine had the character of the GT3, R8, or even the Vantage, its overall ride/handling goodness combined with its uniqueness, good looks, and Porsche quality (compared to Lotus, Corvette, and AM) made for a compelling package. Price is just a bonus.

Since then the Carrera GTS and Cayman R have come out, and are worthy of consideration.

batty

Savvy Boy and PolorPorsche have both a GT3 and a Spyder and swear by the Spyder as a primary road/occasional track car and seem to suggest that the GT3 is better served by a hard core track rat, so maybe they will pop in and give you their hands on experience in their own words.

sandwood

I don't think I can get past the roof of the spyder. wd be a different story if I was in CA or something. The Cayman R is a consideration, although I don't like the looks as much. I've also toyed with the idea of a used Cayman and sticking a TPC turbo kit on it.

aussie jimmy

cayman r