I currently own a 997.1 C2s and love it.
I've had it for over 5 years and have been getting into doing PCA DE events.
I'd like to step into a GT3 instead of modding my car out to be something its not and then at the end of the day... it's still not a GT3.

I can into a pretty well sorted 996 GT3 easily and there's a certain appeal to it's raw nature.

I can get into a 997.1 GT3 but that would be at my limit and I'd have to find the perfect car with Roll Bar & Sport Buckets.

A 997.2 would be awesome but I'm afraid the debt to the wifey would just be too much.

Any advice on what to avoid, look for in any of these.

Thanks

-Mark

 

With the budget you are telling us I would go for a 996gt3! Gives you plenty of room for some upgrades and running costs. Tires/brakes/coaching! And a very rewarding car to drive and improve with. Good luck.

 

The 996gt3 would be great except it is not as good as a DD as the 997.1 is and that isn't as friendly as a c2S is.

 

I was precisely in your situation last fall. Had a really nice '07 Carrera S, and decided I wanted to find a way to move to a 997 GT3. My son came here and asked questions, and hooked us up with a forum member selling 997 GT3 to move up to an RS. It was a big stretch to add about $32K to the price I got for my Carrera S, and not easy to convince my wife it was doable. She eventually relented. I actually went back to part time work for months to be able to afford the premium of our GT3. One of the advice points you will get from this forum is to have your money ready, and ask this forum for information about any prospective car, as the history of these uncommon cars is usually known to someone here. Our present car came to us with about $30K worth of modifications and changes, and a history of 4 DE's, and all maintenance records since new. Right now it is getting the coolant pipes welded and other consumables replaced, and should be back together in a week or so. So I am adding some $4K to the car's cost, but it should be set up for some years of routine maintenance. I do believe the GT3 cars will likely hold their value pretty well, even if not likely to be an appreciating asset, at least much more so than the non Mezgar cars.

The GT3 cars are totally different than the normal 997 cars. My wife liked to ride in my S Carrera, and won't ride in my GT3, as it is just too raw and visceral for her to enjoy.

You will get good advice from more senior members on this forum.

Happy hunting, and all the best....

 

Couple of things to be aware of for GT3 track use:

You will want to get the infamous coolant pipes welded or pinned. If it's already been done, that's a big plus. That's also true of the 996 GT3.

You will also want an aftermarket LSD because the OEM unit doesn't stand up to track use. If it's already been replaced, that's also a big plus.

Of course there are lots of other tweaks and upgrades you can do but the GT3 is otherwise pretty bulletproof on the track.

 

GT3 is considerably stiffer, everything is heavier and requires more effort. If the car is mainly for street with a few events a year the C2S is better if it's a track toy with a little street time the GT3 wins. Once you put fixed back sport buckets, harness, etc into a GT3 you won't want to drive it much on the street anymore.

 

I have an 07 with 53k miles, CPO warranty and the engine pinned... Looking for a new home! She is all prepped for the track season!

 

I'm in the same boat, except I'm not into track use. I currently have a 997.2 C4S, but I take public transportation to/from work every day, so my desire is for occasional weekend toy. I don't care for Turbos and I hate, er, despise, the 991. I would love to get into a .2GT3 as upgrade for Sunday drive on a sunny day only. Would you guys not recommend? Sounds like, from reading your posts here, that if no track use, GT3 is a waste of $$$. Am I interpreting correctly?

 

Probably best not to think about it. If you want a gt3 just get one.
Just know your current 911 is probably a better daily.
If your 911 is your hpde + fun/weekend car, then a gt3 is a no brainer. it's better in every way.
if you daily your 911, gt3 could be a bit much depending on your tolerance level.
Lastly, don't be afraid of miles, these cars are so well built. 41k on mine.

 

a bit pricey for a weekend only toy. If you track 4 x a year; you will get hooked and want to track more. Drive a friends 997.1 GT3 and then decide.
I went from a 2009 C4S with pdK to 997.1 GT3 but I track it and had to learn H/T.
Still learning. :-)

 

Waste of $ IMO.

 

You guys are telling me what I didn't want to hear, but was hoping nonetheless. Definitely not a daily, and don't mind the $$$ tied up for just a Sunday car. No matter what I get, if I do upgrade, that is, will still be a weekend car. No way I will daily drive in/out of NYC for work. My other issue is clearance between transition from road to my driveway. The C4S makes it by a couple of mm. I suspect a GT3 is, what, 10mm lower? Do 997GT3s have front end lift options like 991GT3s?

 

I grew up in Triumphs, MG's, Anglia's, and other primitive cars, had a Superformance Cobra replica for 140K miles, no AC, no radio, and our GT3 isn't much different. Has AC of course, but I can't hear the radio (our car does have the full Sharkwerk's "cup" exhaust), ear plugs in, and with the GT2 seats, I have to crawl into the car, then lever myself over the seat bolsters to get out. But I have always enjoyed the driving experience of just being out on the open road, windows down, arm out, top open, so I am happy and content with such a raw visceral experience. I think of the "normal" 997 cars as GT machines, whereas our GT3 allows me to drive a race car just to get cat litter. So how much you will drive and enjoy a GT3 variant really depends on how you experience driving.

all the best...

 

I think .2 GT3 has front axle lift option and .1 does not. The front lip on the GT3 scrapes on everything.

 

I think you understand me best.