Greg Lab

After just going thru this search process myself, it can be frustrating. I guess I spent about 6 months. I kept waiting for the market to come off a tad, and it never did. It even went thru the stock market correction in Aug without a blip. In fact, if anything it firmed about $10K in front of my eyes... Perhaps with the season, prices may soften some, but I would not be surprised if they don't... It is a totally different market than the 993 or 997 turbo market. That 993 market is crazy. People ask $120K for their car, and settle for $100K. That is not the same with the GT3 market. Be happy if you get $1000 off on a $120K car... or it will be gone...

my 2 cents, after driving both 7.1 and 7.2, I preferred the 7.2 for street. I prefer the broader power band of the 3.8, wing, taillights and interior, just seemed a little more polished to me. But we all have our opinions...

FYI, just so you know, here are the worldwide production numbers, they are about the same, not many out there...

7.1 GT3 2378 cars
7.2 GT3 2200

monk46

I have 7.1 and recently acquired 7.2. Comments above are accurate. Both are equal fun with 7.2 a bit more refined, a little more low end grunt, easier ride. On a long road trip I think I would prefer the 7.2, but that could be my age.

757driver

Well you guys are giving me a lot to think about. I am starting to think about a .2 car now more than before. Mainly because I don't want to regret not getting the updated model down the road. Taking a hit on a .1 trade and paying more for a .2 would be dumb when I could just do it now the first time. I just don't know. My only hold up is price. I like the looks of the .1 better, with the possible exception of the rear wing. I do know I want an unmolested stock car.

bobaines

Thank you Latebraking for expanding and defining my comments, and my apologies for expecting you (757Driver) to know these terms.

My experience is mostly with air cooled 911's (964's and longhoods) so my driving impressions of my .1GT3 are related more to those. I did have a 996 cab which I found unsatisfying. The GT3 is much better than everything I read or had heard about it. Shortly after getting the car and having the work done on it to include the modifications, I took a 5400 mile trip from Plano, TX to RRV in Monterey and then to PCA Escape at Mt Rushmore and then back to Plano. The trip was a joy, the car preformed flawlessly, it was much more refined than my aircooled cars. Comments about the car being rough, too much on the edge, clutch too heavy, too loud must come from people with a softer prior set of experiences. In fact I think a GT3 makes a nice DD. Tires being the one issue for winter driving. The DSC worked well on its softest setting for most of the trip with the middle setting working well on the spirited twisty sections. The shorter ring & pinion improved responsiveness and was not too short for interstate cruising, not indicated if one is interested in fuel economy. This .1 is a long term keeper for me and it will get used as do all my others.
I found mine on Rennlist and after a conversation with the seller bought it without a PPI, which is not something I recommend, but it was the car I wanted with 6800 miles on it. As luck would have it I found a great car.
Now go and create your own great story with a GT3 of your own.

NJRickD

The mechanics at the McLaren store in West Chester are really good as well. Probably an hour drive for you. I'm driving about an hour over to them as well from South Jersey.

NJRickD

I just went though this recently so my only advice would be to find the one you want and be ready to strike when it pops up. And you need to be diligent in watching all the forums for FS posts as well as the Autotrader/Cars.com sites. I was pretty picky with what I wanted and had some "must haves" so my search took me just shy of a year and while prices did continue to rise, I ended up with what I feel was a good deal. I missed out on 3 cars that I would have bought because I hesitated, 1 by a day and 1 by 3 hours. Be prepared to ship the car or go pick it up and drive it home. Probably a small chance in finding something local but you never know. When I saw the car pop up that was my color, had almost everything I wanted (except front lift) and after missing 2 in the previous few months, I called the dealer immediately and gave him a deposit after a 5 minute negotiation to knock a grand off the price and waive the dealer fees. I did the PPI after I put the deposit down because I didn't want to lose the car. Worst case, I lost the $500 deposit and that was a chance I was willing to take on this car.

757driver

All great advice! Thanks so much everybody! I have to wait until after the end of the year to make sure I get my raise, but I am getting educated now so i'm ready to strike come Jan. The available cars and prices will determine if I can swing a .2 car or not. But a clean, low mile .1 is still a wonderful car i'm sure I would be thrilled with. I see that the official Nurburgring lap times for the .2 is only 2 seconds ahead of the .1. 7:40 vs 7:42. I can't imagine the performance I would loose with the .1 is very significant after seeing that.

997s07

Sold my .2 and bought a .1. The .1 is more raw, more demanding, faster revving, looks better, sounds like a race car, more dependable motor, I can go on…

Drive both and see which speaks to you. The .1 demands driver skill and pure concentration. The .2 allows some mistakes, but it will still bite.

Greg Lab

Since there are so many different options for the GT3 (seats, brakes, axle lift, roll bar, etc), maybe it would help the OP to know our experience with the market relative to MSRP.

I would say, over the past year, for a 7.2 with approx 15K miles, the market clearing price is approx MSRP-(10-15)K.

I am not as familiar with the 7.1's...

Any other votes?

757driver

Seems like i'm seeing low mile .1 cars at MSRP - 5-10k and .2 cars at MSRP - 0-5k. Seems crazy!

757driver

These are mainly cars being sold by dealers.

Fisher

Using MSRP as a basis for today's selling prices doesn't seem to work with 7.1. 5 years ago I bought my GT3 when it was 3.5 years old. It had 11K miles on the odometer and I paid MSRP minus $55K. Today, just like 5 years ago, the options are given little consideration relative to selling prices. Low optioned vehicles will fit your description.

BTW, I was very lucky because my car has every option I want and nothing extra. Part of my "luck" came about because the 7.1s were being dumped for the new 7.2s.

tgil

Hello 757.

Give me a call, at 703-627-8221. Be happy to help in any way, and I know longer time Porche guys that will know even more than me. IMO I have heard the most positive things about Porche Mainline in Kennet Square but Porche Bucks County sponsors a GT3 Cup Car in that series (Driver: Colin Thompson) so I like them for that support.

Todd

757driver

Thanks Todd, I appreciate that!
I was wondering if some of you guys could answer a question I had.
Out of curiosity, Can a .1 GT3 with some suspension tweaks get to the same neutral or forgiving handling characteristics that the .2 car has? Would an aftermarket set of coil overs make any improvement in this regard? That .1 for sale by me does have the H&R setup installed. I must say, being new to 911s I feel like a more forgiving handling car might be the wiser decision.

ChrisF

I think by most accounts, the answer is yes. The key is finding the right hardware and even more importantly, the right person to set it up. The difference between a well setup GT3 and a poorly setup GT3 is night and day.