Originally Posted by Nugget

I guess the bottom line is this -- the difference in handling and performance, on the street, between a GT3 and a "regular" Carrera 2S is minimal to nonexistent. At 8/10ths of the limit they're pretty much the same experience. It's only at 9/10ths and beyond, at extra-legal speeds, that the differences come into play.

That's the honest truth. My street-driving experience didn't really change at all when I sold my C2S and bought the GT3 RS. The C2S wasn't any less fun to toss around, it wasn't any less fun to run on the streets and highways, it wasn't any less great at street driving. For reals. It was quite a bit less of a hassle on the street, but that better livability didn't come at the expense of street performance.

Absent track miles, there's not much upside to a GT3, from a technical and performance standpoint.

Now, sure, from a heritage and aspirational standpoint the GT3 RS is leagues beyond a "regular" 911. If you're willing to endure the compromised comfort and utility solely for the sake of aesthetics then that's your call. I just don't think it really translates to an actual difference in driving pleasure/fun/excitement. Really. I honestly think that.

You can't hoon around a street corner any faster in a GT3 than you can in a C2S. You can't pass someone on the highway any faster in a GT3 than you can in a C2S (not measurably, at least). On the street you won't be stopping any quicker, turning any sharper, or blowing any more doors off at traffic lights in either car.

Here's the bottom line (and this will probably get a bit scrolly):

When you're buying cars that cost upwards of $100K, there stops being a "good, better, best." Porsche make 30 different flavors of 911. You simply cannot put them in a line from worst to best. The buying philosophy that works for more pedestrian cars just doesn't work once you cross a certain price point.

If you're buying a BMW 3 Series it's simple. You make the line of cars from worst to best, decide what you want to spend, pick that spot on the line and Bob's your uncle -- you've got your car.

With a 911, what? Which is better? A Turbo S or a GT3 RS? The answer is elusive -- they're two different cars built for very different things. Which is better, a Turbo S or a GTS? Again -- that's a tough call. Turbo S is dramatically faster, but also less fun in the twisties and less "pure." I'd never council an S2K guy to buy a Turbo -- you almost certainly want to stick to the RWD flavors of the 911.

With the GT3 and GT3 RS you've really got a very focused set of options and features. These are cars that are built for the track. That doesn't mean they're "better" than the more street-oriented Porsches, it just means they're a more specialized tool. Just like the Turbo is aimed an entirely different set of capabilities.

I'm the world's worst offender for always wanting to buy "the best" of whatever I'm buying. When selecting products I always start at the top of any model range and work my way down if budget or circumstances demand. I get it, I really do. It's easy to see those historic "RS" letters and assume the same approach with the GT3 RS. Isn't Porsche saying it's "the best" 911? But it isn't, really. It's a 911 for track junkies, which isn't the same thing at all.

This reality is evidenced by the startling number of GT3s you can find on the secondary market, owned for a year and sold or traded with just a few thousand miles or less. Guys get the GT3 then wonder what they were thinking because on the street it's just not any faster or more fun than their old C2S. Sometime around the third replacement chin spoiler they realize that they're not really getting much satisfaction from knowing that the brakes have extra cooling ducts or that the engine is "super durable" or that they could, in a fit of lunacy, dial in 2.5 degrees of negative camber up front without needing to buy aftermarket suspension hardware. So they trade in on a GTS or a Turbo and really get "the best" 911.

And I know that through this whole thread it probably sounds like I'm trying to deter you from buying a GT3, but really that's not where I'm coming from. I grew up with posters of the '73 RS on my bedroom wall, lusted after the RS America, and made squeals of joy like an adolescent schoolgirl when the 996 GT3 hit the US market. As much as I love these rear-engined quirks of racing, I'm a sucker for the Porsche marque and pomp.

Orange wheels and that "RS" script on the side of the car give me a thrill -- and if you're in that boat then you should just suck it up and buy the "RS" because otherwise you'll forever be wondering. Maybe yours will end up for resale 12 months later like many do, but at least then you'll know it wasn't for you. If that's where your head is then there's only one actual solution. Sometimes it's impossible to escape the siren song of marketing and heritage.

But you did say you wanted a candid response, so I'm being honest. These cars aren't that awesome on the street. A GTS will be 99.9995% as thrilling on the street, without a lot of the nuisance. If I didn't track my car I'd ditch and and get a GTS in a heartbeat. Same street experience, really, without the additional hassle and expense. For a street-only buyer, ignoring the emotional component of the purchase, I think a GT3 is a poor choice.

But if you buy the GT3 I'll be the first to wave and gawk and smile at you. Just be ready for me to never stop shutting up about getting you out to the track to really see what it can do.

Originally Posted by Nugget

I do. For the same reason jet fighter aircraft don't have a long wingspan.

Originally Posted by Nugget

Are you really suggesting that the normal maintenance schedule for autobahn-driven cars involves replacing rotors every 2000 miles? Is that accurate?

Originally Posted by triode

To me, while previous posters have made valid points regarding just how crazy one can get on public roads - in essence, that a GT3/RS is limited in the degree of incremental "hoonage" one can responsibly indulge - it is the feel and soundtrack of the GT3 which sets it far apart from a GTS/C2S/etc. The way the car lightly judders at idle, the sound of pebbles ticking up against the wheel wells, the steering feel and the glorious soundtrack are only available in the normally aspirated GT series cars.