kosmo

to the OP in addition to the larger or powerful engine, the .2 has DFI LEDs, and a different PCM. I think it also has larger sway bars and brakes?
of course everyone talks about the CL in the .2 and the coolant hoses in the .1.

this is my casual, off the cuff observation.

P.J.S.

the story of my life - great box making me look good

All things being equal, a regeared or ring and pinion .1 gt3 will snack on a stock .2 gt3 at most tracks

Buy the one that you are drawn to more, drive the **** out of it, have fun, and don't let the depreciation bum you out... They are all depreciating.... Between the two, the driver is what will set them apart at the de level

A 75k .1 with a 20-25k mod budget is a much better track performer than a stock .2

ir_fuel

Correct (I think they are DRL leds, not DFI ).

The biggest difference is the brakes I think (unless you take a .1 PCCB and install iron rotors). Some people upgrade the 350mm fronts to 380 on the .1

Also the suspension is better on the .2. Not so harsh on the road as the .1, and very good on the track. Of course if you plan changing it that point is of no importance.

ir_fuel

Friend of mine has a .1 RS with a shorter gearing and it really depends on the track and section if it is faster or not. The main issue is he has to change gears twice as much as I on 1 lap, which makes the gearbox takes more of a beating + you better be very good at heel and toe

What I have been told is that they hold their value well, as long as you don't rack up the miles and do not track them ....

ir_fuel

Another advantage of the .2 in the US is that you can get it with a cage and bucket seats + harness.

C.J. Ichiban

not from the dealer- you still have to get it aftermarket style...


to the OP- I had an 08 GT3, sold it for an 08 RS, then sold that, waited a few months and got a 2010 RS...

putting thousands of miles on all of them, taking them all on the track-

if you are gonna do mostly street driving the .2 is a much better car- as has been said the suspension is more compliant on a daily basis.

if you are only going to take it on weekend drives, and a few track days here and there- I'd have to say the best value is the 08 RS as it will hold up much better than a "regular" .2GT3.

If you can handle the garish color choices on the .1 RS I'd vote for that. cheaper than the 2010 car, and has a bit more of the raw unrefined character and you won't feel guilty if you want to do some mods here and there. realistically the performance envelope is so high that you really won't be able to tell the difference unless you're in the top 10pct of most aggressive drivers on the track in regards to lap times between the 2 cars- 90pct of people would be within negligible lap time differences.

the real key next is to find the right car- some of them in all years you are considering were, for some reason or another, more prone to experiencing issues such as the rear main seal seep, the center lock issues, clutch switch, PCCB stuff, etc. it just goes without saying from a lot of posters so I will say it but you really really need to get any used gt3 inspected by an independent mechanic (should cost you 100-200 bucks)

hope that helps.

btw next year I'll either be buying my old 2010 GT3RS back from the guy I sold it to, or getting an 08 RS and putting some goodies together for it...I think everyone in that 70-95k price range is stuck in your same dilemma of going the extra 10k or so for the new car or saving cash and plunking down on a .1

ir_fuel

Really?

I thought you could get the GT2 buckets + half cage + belts in the US, contrary to the mk1 where the "carrera GT" buckets were not avail because of no airbags.

tcsracing1

Half cage is not allowed to be sold by dealers in USA. GT2 buckets are an option.
Belts and Carrera GT seats are part department items.

P.J.S.

Changing gears twice as much... Unlikely IMHO or you are tracking under 4000 rpm
I have found that a regeared car stays in power band and does not require significantly more shifting

I cannot imagine buying any gt3 variant and not really driving it to maintain value or limit its depreciation - seems a bit of a waste but I guess I can understand that people enjoy these in different ways

tcsracing1

OT: hey PJ, what did you use for a trunk lid to fit cup wing?

your avatar pic looks beautiful! A white RS at the track with a Cup wing and track wheels. One of the late great street porsches! My dream car for quite some time!

P.J.S.

Thank you and I agree!

Getty street-cup decklid
Porsche uprights and wing

tasman

I went thru the same dilemma. Almost pulled the trigger on .2 7GT3 but really wanted an RS. Ended up getting 07 .1 RS. Was what I really wanted and in my biased mind is the best looking. Have never driven any other GT3 but for me the ride is not an issue and the roads where I live are not baby butt smooth. I drive it regularly and track occasionally. Car is a blast. As far as value RS may hold value better, then again may not. As far as tracking any GT3 is plenty quick for most of us. If you can, drive both or get what you really think you "need". Best of luck.

ir_fuel

Absolutely not.

And to not get into a yes/no discussion without end I will just show you:

Spa Francorchamps, mk1 GT3rs with shorter gearing


Same track, mk2 GT3 with standard gearing


(both cars on semi-slick tyres, but not on the same trackday)

I only counted upshifts, because some people skip gears when downshifting (5-3) and others dont.

Result, 1 lap, started counting from the La Source hairpin:
GT3RS : 13 upshifts
GT3: 8 upshifts

The delta between the two becomes even bigger when counting downshifts too. example: for each part where the GT3 can stay in 3rd and the RS has to do 3 - 4 - 3 that are 2 extra shifts for the RS and 0 for the GT3

so IMHO very likely.

P.J.S.

You win
Stock gt3 gearing is superior because you don't have to shift as much ;-)

Why did Porsche put a 3.89 ring and pinion in the 3.8RS?

NorthVan

RS's are more manly then non RS's