SSTHO

I am a Cup newbie. Looking for a track specific car and thinking about letting go the 997.2 GT3.

Can you guys direct me to some good information?

1. Can someone quantify maintenance annual maintenance costs?
2. Are there outfits that take car of maintenance, storage, transportation so I can arrive and drive?
3. I plan on getting good seat time in a car to adapt. However, I would be interested in joining some races later on. One of my good friends is in Carrera Cup Asia - he tells me OEM 997 Cup from Porsche Motorsports was the spec. However, I notice there are a lot of specs - AMLS, Grand Am, Carrera Cup, Super Cup, GT3 Rs, RSRs,... can someone detail the differences for me?

Being new to this, what would you guys suggest I go with to start getting more serious about track driving? I'll be a sponge and soak up info. TIA

tcsracing1

Bullet Racing in Vancouver currently run 3 997 CUP cars. 2006, 2007 and 2011.
(they also have a gaggle of 996 Koni cars)

(i think the 2007 car is looking for a new owner or renter... hint, hint)

They know these cars well and can help with coaching, logistics and service.
They would be your answer to arrive and drive either for track day education or actual race series at what ever level you feel comfortable. (follow them along their tour i assume is the name of the game)

Im thinking the same route depending on the 991 CUP platform.... (I need a sissy shifter cause the 997 CUP shifter requires skill i do not have. Hard enough focusing on driving LOL)

for 2011 i watched them put a GT3 street driver into a 2006 CUP. Very cool!

Give them a call or email as they may have the fix for your jones

tcsracing1

AMLS are about the same as Grand-am i believe. Grand-am cars are open to modifications to RSR levels thus cost more and are substantially faster then OEM Cup cars.
Carrera Cup/Super Cup is the series for OEM spec Cup car.

GT3 R is factory hybrid and RSR is creme de la creme. Both too expensive for mere mortals...

A lot of Series in North America offered for OEM Cup.
Patron series
Pirelli series
PCA club racing
etc....

Leigh2

I'd recommend a 6 CUP to start with. They have ABS brakes and a manual shifter so easier to make the transition from a street car. They are a lot of race car for the money and light years faster than your GT3 on the track. They are also quite reliable and not too expensive to maintain if you find the right garage to look after it. Prices can vary quite a bit...
All in, including amortizing engine work it's a good estimate to calculate the car cost at $1500/hour. That doesn't include travel costs. Out of pocket the average race weekend is about $4k to $5k including tires, fuel, track support, entry fees, maintenance, travel....but this is for a full race weekend with professional track support. If you tow to the track yourself and do a DE on old tires it's much less.

Leigh2

BTW I keep my car at Tatum Racing at Miller Motorsport Park in Utah. I show up and drive the prepared car out the front door of the shop and right onto the track. It's a sweet deal. Good hotels and restaurants nearby and the local race series is competitive, fun and the entry fees are reasonable.
In two years of racing I've had the car break twice during a race; the first time due to a cracked manifold and the second time a hole in a radiator due to track debris. It's great to have people that really know what they're doing look after your car...

jrgordonsenior

+ 1 on getting a 6-cup first. The learning curve is steep enough transferring from a street car to a fully prepped race car. The inclusion of non ABS brakes combined with a sequential shifter is a lot to overcome. Additionally the 6 cups are holding their value well as of late as their numbers diminish with age. There's several good ones on the market right now....

Let me add that if you can change tires and transport the car yourself you'll save thousands. I ran a 6-cup for 4 years taking cars of the basics myself and it only broke on my twice. I clutch/PP wore out and I snapped a lower control arm....

SSTHO

Thanks Tom - ok, so I'll be looking for a basic OEM Cup car. And with a few people chiming in, I should look into a 996 Cup car.

Going fast is not a priority. As JR mentioned, there's a lot to learn and get used to.

Unfortunately, I don't have space for a trailer, wheels, parts in the downtown condo. So, I'll be looking for a reputable shop to take care of my arrive and drive.

Back on topic - I see that prices between 997 and 996 GT3 Cups are about even. However, I am not sure how to evaluate a used "Cup" car or know how to ask the right questions. Can someone point me in the right direction on the most important questions to what to ask and what to look for?

I would be interested in eventually engaging in some OEM racing. Does having a 996 Cup car not allow me to compete in some series versus a 997 Cup car?

I miss my 996 GT3 as I felt like it had better driver connectivity than my 997 GT3 street car. Would anyone with experience on both cars say this is the same on the 996 GT3 Cup?

Thanks guys - this is great help!

Gus F

After a couple of years tracking my 997.1 GT3, I was considering the same a year ago, until I got a '08 997 cup last February.

If you are pushing hard at DE's and intend to get more serious about the sport get a Cup Car ASAP, a Cup car is the safest car you can drive fast. the Cup is an amazing car.

Adjusting to no ABS and sequential shifter takes a bit but not really complicated for me (just focus and take it easy the first few weekends, be ready to flat-spot a few tires,...)
Definitely it is much better to have a local shop to take care of you and the car on and of the track. Depending on how hard you drive these cars requires a good maintenance program to stay sharp and safe.

FFaust

Apart from RL, any other preferred web sites to monitor for good cars?

coryf

What are your goals for the next 1 ,3, 5 years? Do you see yourself just doing track days or club racing (PCA, SCCA, NASA ect..). Maybe a semi-pro series like IMSA challenge or the Canadian IMSA challenge. (the closest thing to a US carrera cup). Do you have aspirations of going Grand-Am or ALMS racing in a few years? Where you want to go would affect what car I would suggest looking for right now.

What region would you be doing most of your driving? (north east, south east, west coast ect..) There are very good shops in most areas that could provide the storage/arrive and drive you are looking for.

I would look for a stock 996/997 cup. They fit into the spec series requirements and also are easier to sell later when trying to move up the cup ladder. There are some very good values out there right now.

jrgordonsenior

There's some good advise in the posts above. Last thing I'll add is go slow and perform your due diligence. You really need the help of a reputable friend, racer, or shop owner to help you evaluate what your looking at. It absolutely has to be someone well versed in cup cars perferably with racing experience. As I mentioned previously there's lots of good car available, you just have to get out and kick some tires....

TwentySix

I vote 996 cup for all the above reasons, but he forgot to mention that they are great fun to drive

Here is a classic thread about the differences between 996 GT3 Cup models.

Good luck!

K964

PM Glen here on RL!!!

GTgears

+1 to this. Call Steve Paquette at Bullet. They can both provide arrive and drive service for you and coaching. And they can also help you find the car that will best fit you. They're right in your backyard, so it's a very good starting point.

mooty

cory , u got PM