stout

Haha, after 2001 Viper, a Cayman 2.7 would feel awesome. 914 1.7 too.

With apologies to OP, and admission of my love for the way Vipers look and what they represent, my test in Thunderhill in an ACR was laughably bad; I turned in early for T1 and still missed the apex by six feet. It was, however, slightly better than the early roadster I drove at Sears Point. Oversteer on throttle, off throttle, when turning ignition key.

Cool cars, for sure, but, uh, not so good to drive. And foot positioning is hilarious...

Always have believed most people would be faster in a Turbo than a GT3. Must be fun picking folks off in a Cabrio...

Looked back, and you can read my thoughts on your car here, for free: http://www.excellence-mag.com/issues...7-turbo-cabrio

wanna911

I bought a Turbo because I saw a guy at the track one day with a Turbo Cab dog fighting with about 5 or 6 GT3's. The car was different, and could hold it's own, and had more upside in terms of potential, so I got one. Haven't looked back since.

drdrank

Thanks very much for the link! Great article. Fun to read. You hit the nail on the head. The engine is great, combined with perfect feel on the road. It's a great all around car. With the top down, I put my bike in the back seats and go. My girlfriend has also filled the entire car to the brim with supplies at Walmart--the perfect German wagon. I did option the thicker steering wheel.

Traffic53

interesting. i was in the same position. drove a few turbos, but then drove a GT3. night and day in terms of driving enjoyment, with the GT3 the superior machine. i liked the turbo's looks, the soft suspension, quiet cabin, comical power, 4WD. all of it appealed to the sensible side of my brain. still does. after 5 minutes in a GT3, i decided the turbo was just plain boring.

incredible car, boring as hell.

bought a GT3, had some rear seats installed and now use it to entertain myself. as an only car or daily driver, the turbo is better. as a sports car, the GT3 is significantly more enjoyable to dick around with.

drdrank

get both!

jpoint

One thing nobody mentioned is the rare factor. There aren't loads of Vipers on the road. The GT3 or a real GT2 (seems like every "exotic" car dealer with a post 2001 body modded turbo calls it a GT2) are not as common as the turbo. It may not be a reason to buy a car, but it can't be ignored. Also might affect depreciation long term. 996 turbos have been around since '01 and are low side pricing in the mid $20Ks. It may be a long time before you see that price for a GT3 of any year. Looking back buying a used Porsche 15 years ago, would you rather have had a 964 or an RS America if you were selling today (the RS was originally cheaper). 5 years ago an 04 turbo and an 04 GT3 were about the same money. Currently the GT3 seems to be running $5 - $10K more for similar cars. If money is no object - the turbo still offers the wider variety of options. If you had an open top Viper and liked that - a Turbo Cab is available. GT3 cab - N/A.

tcsracing1

FWIT, id keep the 2001 Viper if possible and buy a 997 turbo.

I enjoy a good Viper.

roberga

I would never pick another version of a 911 over a GT. Maybe in addition to but if I could only have one it is a GT3. But if I do not go to the track at some point I will do stupid things on the roads.... the car needs to be released once in a while and track is the ONLY place.

TTurbine

Rarity is a factor there are around 1300 997 GT2 produced ..

Sanyman

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WSH

996 Turbos in mid $20's ?? I dont think you will find many at that price.
Excellence did an article recently on 2 low priced Turbos...one bought for $25k....which had over 128,000 miles and in need of a lot of work (car was bought by a Porsche mechanic who obviously had access to cheap labor ). I have yet to see another one anywhere near that price. On the other end, I sold my pristine 11k mile 2002 996 Turbo last November for mid $50's.

To the OP; I would suggest driving a Turbo, a GT3/RS and a GT2. The "best" car is different for everyone. I owned both the 996 Turbo and an 07 GT3 at the same time over a 4 year period and honestly never drove the Turbo...it was that boring compared to the GT3. But I use the cars as weekend, pleasure only vehicles and the GT3 checks that box better...but no doubt the Turbo would be a better daily driver, and if you LOVE torque that's your car. The 996 TT was also the most rock solid and reliable of the 11 Porsche's I've owned.

Again, the right car is different for everyone...drive all and decide for yourself--it's your money. Best of luck

wsh

mdrums

996 Turbo's are $40-50k ish.....

Mark Dreyer

I am getting an 01 TT with 57k miles for $39k

jpoint

No - you won't find lots of 996 turbos in the mid $20ks - yet. That's the bottom of the market. But as noted above, 996 turbos in the $30ks is doable. I drove an '02 turbo w/a $35k asking price at a Honda dealer. Another dealer had an '01 at $37k. Both were sub 100k miles cars. Not flawless, but decent drivers. That doesn't make the turbo a bad choice - or the wrong choice. Indeed, I see it as a rare opportunity to own a wonderful car for a reasonable price. But buying a rat for cheap can be more expensive pretty quick. My point in rarity was some people like having a car that isn't as common (a Viper). Along that line - the GT3 is less common than the TT. There are many factors that go into the choice - this is just one more.

globed

I owned a '97 Viper GTS from new for about two years, putting 14k miles on it, driving in the US and Europe, with a few track days (just to see how much fun it is to boil brake fluid and flat spot the fronts). I loved the Viper and even took long trips rain or shine (NY to Florida; London to Zurich), so I know it's road manners well... not to mention it's peculiar driving ergonomics.

I'll only debate the 997 GT3 and Turbo S, as those are the models I considered. Any 997 has inifinitely better ergonomics, most obviously pedal alignment and frontal line-of-sight. I assume you're fine with two seats. The Viper had incredible shove from just off idle and was an immersing experience due to darty steering and the frequent potential for oversteer. When 'going for it' I sometimes felt like I was a passenger along for a wild ride, waiting to see whether the shiny side was still facing the sky when it was over. The Viper felt like a racing car in the sense that it was hot, uncomfortable, smelled of things burning, and made lots of mechanical noises. The feeling of accelerative superiority was always there, although my level of connection and confidence was such that I knew I could get a Boxster through the twisties more rapidly.

I deeply desired a high-spinning engine and amazing exhaust sounds, something that is clearly GT3 territory (and something the Viper never had, even with a race exhaust and headers that set off car alarms and had mothers grabbing their children under one arm). Knowing the Turbo S was in my view just a bit more cash, I had to try it. Although my experience was brief, the car is brutally fast and always so with AWD traction. That said, my heart was never in it. The Viper never offered me mechanical involvement, the enjoyment of banging through the box and dancing with the pedals... and a Turbo S didn't solve that puzzle either. That is exactly why I chose the GT3, full well knowing that track time is not my top priority. Yes, compared to a Turbo S it is not as refined, but it's a ***** cat for road use compared to the Viper. It puts a smile on my face that winning stop light races and bragging about 0-60 times at the bar never would.

If you do narrow down to 997, then drive both, and if the GT3 doesn't scream out to you, then you should be a proud Turbo owner with one incredible car. And at risk of getting roasted, don't let track time be your compass. Long winded, but I hope it helps.