Raron

He gang. I love my 11' XKR and I do believe it is the ultimate GT save the SLS. But I find myself missing rowing my own gears, go-kart like reflexes etc. So I'm thinking of the next toy... That being said I'm heading to Miami next week for the R Experience where I get to drive these 510hp beasts on a track for a day with pros! Perhaps this will change my thoughts as I've heard the XKR is very strong on a track with brakes that don't fade and surprising balance - but I digress.

Anyhow, for some context on my taste in the past 10 years I've had 3 NSX, 993, Viper GTS, Z4 M Coupe, S2000, Evo, Lotus Elise, 944 Turbo, S2 to name just a few.

I loved the NSX as evidenced by having 3 of them. Great feel, sound with headers and exhaust, presence and virtually no maintenance. Frankly it is one of the best looking cars of all time - particularly lowered on wheels. They are dumpy stock. But when you see a sorted one... It has that elongated F1 sort of feel. The Viper was a sledghammer compared to the scalpel like feel of the NSX. Loved the torque but the build quality was irritating. The 993 was great from rear angles, felt tight yet supple ride on my coil-overs. It lacked power and sat so upright it didn't exactly feel special - like a purpose built race car. Z4 M was lots of fun. XKR is a beast when I need it to be and yet just a quiet GT when I want to chill.

I had concluded my next stop should be a Gallardo since I have not owned Italian yet. With Gallardo I have the 500hp, the low go-kart like turn-in and the sound and presence of a mid-engined toy. I arrived at Gallardo because the 360 just never did it for me. Seemed to blobby if you will. I drove one back when I had the yellow NSX and got back in my car thinking "why would I ever spend more $ for that thing!" The 355 is gorgeous but I worry its money pit.

GT3 is just a stellar car to drive and is super durable. In fact, I do believe it is may be more fun to drive then the 1st Gen Gallardo's I've driven. My only issue was that they aren't as exotic as a Gallardo or even 360. I told myself I wouldn't buy an Italian until I was over 30. Well I'm now 36 so wondering if I need to jump in now!

BUT... All of this was before last night when I stumbled upon a Graphite GT3RS on the Tollway. It was lowered on some matching red center wheels with polished lip. Wow, it definitely looked and sounded exotic! Got me thinking... maybe I can enjoy the practicality, durability and great drive of the GT3 and still get my exotic. The practical side means I get an 11 for the price of an 04 Gallardo!

So here are my questions...

1) What else did you look at? What else have you owned and how does the GT3 Compare?

2) Is the GT3 RS worth springing for? Or am I better off getting an 07 or so and doing $10k worth mods? I'm doing wheels on both anyhow.

3) How reliable are they? I assume like my other P cars there are no crazy high major service bills?

4) Do you have any regrets?

DRPM

I would suggest the Gen 2 GT3RS 3.8 vs the Gen 1 for sure.

Alternatively and if budget permits, find a 4.0 and you'll be totally in awe.

BTW, I'm talking from first hand experience in both cases

tcsracing1

www.6speedonline.com

Raron

Right! And there still isn't a response on 6speed. Then I remembered Rennlist from my 993 and 951 days. Seems a more engaging down to earth bunch. Not sure why...

CRex

You have a self-selecting, naturally biased audience here.

The Gallardo is a great car but go-kart it isn't. In fact, it's the antithesis of a handling/track-focused car. Ask anyone who's spent more than test-drive miles behind the wheel and they'll tell you it doesn't want to corner. The Balboni and now 550-2 made things much more interesting, but outside of that the 4WD versions are not enjoyable on twisties. The sound and looks are off-the-charts cool tho--and you choose what matters to you--just don't mistake it for a driver's car. And don't even get started on track reliability, coz there's none to speak of. Overheating issues are rampant and there are zillions of other little things which will annoy you at the track.

The GT cars are track machines with little to offer in the way of luxury. A lot of the cars you see around here are plain-jane strippers and reflect the owners' intent for these vehicles. But even if you bling them to the max they'll never offer the same feeling of an italian exotic--that "cocoon of luxury", pomp-and-circumstance and head-turning factor. All these cars do is take you around a track as fast as YOU'RE capable of. It'll hang with the best Italians on tarmac and probably last 15-20 laps around COTA (assuming that's your home track) when pretty much everything else--Scuds, LP-570SLs, GTRs, M's and AMGs of all stripes--will have quit or petered out by lap 5. That's just first-hand experience.

So in short, horses for courses. You seem not to have mentioned track use as a requirement. If that's the case go with the Gallardo. You'll be happy either way.

911SLOW

^ You had me on self selecting audience.

aussie jimmy

brutality!!!!

mooty

GT2
GT3
scuderia
everything else boring, yes including mp12c and any form of lambo...
but i am biased of course.

Eddie - RPW

Gallardo lasted 31 days in my garage... I wanted to burn the car to the ground. 3 laps around Sebring, and was enough to hate it... I think it was a brain fart on my end.

almeena58

GT3 RS 996
GT3 997.2
458
as track and exotic

Raron

Guys, thanks for all the feedback. What about these questions:

1) What else did you look at? What else have you owned and how does the GT3 Compare?

2) Is the GT3 RS worth springing for? Or am I better off getting an 07 or so and doing $10k worth mods? I'm doing wheels on both anyhow.

3) How reliable are they? I assume like my other P cars there are no crazy high major service bills?

4) Do you have any regrets?

tripleblack

Given your intended use: +1 to what Mooty said.

Raron

Daily and weekend fun. I work from home so daily really means 'when I'm ready to get out of the house and de-compress. I put around 10k miles per year on the toy. Oddly I have not tracked yet. But something tells me with a GT3 I will. Especially with my first full track day this week I may be get the bug!

Serge944

No regrets. I haven't owned dozens of GT3s like some others here; however, I am on my second one, and have had an opportunity to extensively work on them, including an engine build. They're engineered well, easy to work on, and everything makes sense. Out of warranty, I would rather own a GT3 than anything Italian, that's for sure.

I would say the 997.2, when optioned correctly, is about as practical as two-seaters get. This Fall, I drove my 997.2 from Newport Beach to Monterey (400miles), did a track day at Laguna Seca, drove to Sacramento to visit family, picked up the girlfriend and went to Lake Tahoe for some freediving. You can do it all. I wouldn't even think about it in my old modded 996 GT3...that car beats you up.

It's far from the fastest car, but the feel and overall package is one of the best money can buy.

The RS 3.8 is a hard case to argue - I would get it only if can't live without a widebody and a cup-style wing.

zanwar

Try out the V10 Audi R8. The engine is the equal of the GT3 and the "clack clack" open gate manual shifter is just great. It also has some sound proofing and a light clutch so it doesn't beat you up the way a GT3 can. You might find it boring though ... but then everything is boring in comparison to a GT3.