Sunny
Premium
TLDR version -
I am the new proud owner of a 2011 997.2 GT3 - a basalt black car with ceramic brakes, bucket seats and full leather. The car is almost new with just 2700 miles. Skip to the bottom for pics.
The soap opera version -
I drove a GT3 for the first time about 2 years ago - bad idea, it was love at first drive. Tried many cars before and since then including GTR, Evora, various Caymans, various other 911s including few 991s but they just didn't cut it for me. I just couldn't get over how special a GT3 felt - even at a walking pace. And I have driven couple of other GT3s and even couple of RSes since then and each time it just reenforced how I felt about them. So I been looking for the right car to come along for sometime now. But nothing happend for a long time, so I put a deposit down for the 991 GT3 in Aug or September of last year. I was very excited and grabbed every spy pic/video I could find. Then Geneva came and I was sort of disappointed or rather disheartened. PDK was only part of it - I already expected it, but there were others - like the non-homologated engine, a weight increase from the normal version instead of weight reduction, the electric steering (which I tried in a 991S back to back with an 997 GT3 RS), how big it looked, the very Panamera-ish looking interior. I am sure the thing would be gobsmackingly fast.
So I renewed my search for a used 997.2. And woulld religiously look at autotrader and cars.com every morning and night. But nothing really clicked. "People just didn't know how to option what was supposed to be a 'stripped out' driver's car", I concluded. I would find an odd RS that would meet my criteria, but they were either high milage cars or far out of my budget. Also I started noticing the supply of GT3s and RSes drying up and prices edging up. Where as most of last year there would be about 10 or so 997.2 RSes and 20+ GT3s on the Porsche N American website on any given day, now there is hardly a couple of RSes if that and maybe 10 GT3s.
Then end of March, I came across my almost perfect car, it was a Basalt black (Porsche talk for metallic black) car in LA with just 2700 miles. I was't keen on a black car, but the specs and milage were just right. It was a low option, but high MSRP car. The person who ordered it did an awesome job spending his money on either keeping it light (ceramic brakes, bucket seats, light weight battery) or aesthetically improving the interior (lots of alcantara and Porsche exclusive options). 2 months later and after missing out on that car twice, third time proved the charm and now I own that car.
Haven't had a chance to take it out much since then. But detailed review coming once I get to drive more.
I still vividly remember as a kid falling for a 911 after seeing the pic of a black 930 in a magazine. I even remember the cover of the magazine - it was head-on shot of a red F40. That was 25 years ago.
As an aside, a quick note thanking my wife for all the support and understanding. She suffered innumerable hours while I would bore her - a non car person - talking about dynamic engine mounts, ceramic brakes and other features on the cars available that day.
The good part - pics.
At the dealership.
In the transporter, being delivered.
In my dumpy garage.
3 is the magical number.
As you can see, I suck at taking pics, but the dealer posted some good ones of the interior, here they are -
I am a sucker for a black interior.
Sad you will never see this on a GT car again.
Neither this!
I am the new proud owner of a 2011 997.2 GT3 - a basalt black car with ceramic brakes, bucket seats and full leather. The car is almost new with just 2700 miles. Skip to the bottom for pics.
The soap opera version -
I drove a GT3 for the first time about 2 years ago - bad idea, it was love at first drive. Tried many cars before and since then including GTR, Evora, various Caymans, various other 911s including few 991s but they just didn't cut it for me. I just couldn't get over how special a GT3 felt - even at a walking pace. And I have driven couple of other GT3s and even couple of RSes since then and each time it just reenforced how I felt about them. So I been looking for the right car to come along for sometime now. But nothing happend for a long time, so I put a deposit down for the 991 GT3 in Aug or September of last year. I was very excited and grabbed every spy pic/video I could find. Then Geneva came and I was sort of disappointed or rather disheartened. PDK was only part of it - I already expected it, but there were others - like the non-homologated engine, a weight increase from the normal version instead of weight reduction, the electric steering (which I tried in a 991S back to back with an 997 GT3 RS), how big it looked, the very Panamera-ish looking interior. I am sure the thing would be gobsmackingly fast.
So I renewed my search for a used 997.2. And woulld religiously look at autotrader and cars.com every morning and night. But nothing really clicked. "People just didn't know how to option what was supposed to be a 'stripped out' driver's car", I concluded. I would find an odd RS that would meet my criteria, but they were either high milage cars or far out of my budget. Also I started noticing the supply of GT3s and RSes drying up and prices edging up. Where as most of last year there would be about 10 or so 997.2 RSes and 20+ GT3s on the Porsche N American website on any given day, now there is hardly a couple of RSes if that and maybe 10 GT3s.
Then end of March, I came across my almost perfect car, it was a Basalt black (Porsche talk for metallic black) car in LA with just 2700 miles. I was't keen on a black car, but the specs and milage were just right. It was a low option, but high MSRP car. The person who ordered it did an awesome job spending his money on either keeping it light (ceramic brakes, bucket seats, light weight battery) or aesthetically improving the interior (lots of alcantara and Porsche exclusive options). 2 months later and after missing out on that car twice, third time proved the charm and now I own that car.
Haven't had a chance to take it out much since then. But detailed review coming once I get to drive more.
I still vividly remember as a kid falling for a 911 after seeing the pic of a black 930 in a magazine. I even remember the cover of the magazine - it was head-on shot of a red F40. That was 25 years ago.
As an aside, a quick note thanking my wife for all the support and understanding. She suffered innumerable hours while I would bore her - a non car person - talking about dynamic engine mounts, ceramic brakes and other features on the cars available that day.
The good part - pics.
At the dealership.
In the transporter, being delivered.
In my dumpy garage.
3 is the magical number.
As you can see, I suck at taking pics, but the dealer posted some good ones of the interior, here they are -
I am a sucker for a black interior.
Sad you will never see this on a GT car again.
Neither this!
. Insurance doen't cover track use and I definitely can't afford snuffing it in to a wall, which given my limited driving skill is probably very likely. But if I did, Infineon Race way at Sonoma is probably closest. I was actually was there three weeks ago for the Porsche road show thing. Drove a Cayman/Cayman S/Carrera 4/4s back to back. All PDK. The Carrera 4S is bloody fast, but that day also convinced me I didn't want a PDK. Yet.
