Reviews My Porsche mega test

[Sunny]

The local Porsche dealer called saying he had a certified 997.2 GT3. Also drove a few other Porsches - a Cayman R (PDK) and 991 S (again PDK) this past week. Here are my not so well organized thoughts -

The GT3 first -
First thing that strikes you, even as a passenger is how incredibly solid the car feels - like whole car is milled from a solid piece of nugget. The second thing is the tension in the car - it is like a wound up spring. There is absolute lack of any slack - the car reacts to your every input be it steering, throttle or brakes instantaneously. You absolutely have to leave no margin for the car.

Yes, the suspension is hard and you feel every road imperfection, but it doesn't crash over bad surfaces - you just feel a muted 'thud', no 'bangs' or 'thumps'.

The clutch is heavy, even more heavy than I remember from my last drive. I do not mind driving my (manual) M3 in traffic, I do not think I would want to be in that position in a GT3 too frequently. The gearshift is extremely short and precise but the shortness of the throws would take getting used to.

The steering, the best part, it is perfectly weighted and chatty. You feel like turning it, just to feel the weight and texture.

The engine despite being a high revving NA engine is very punchy. You don't have to rev it to high heaven to be seriously moving.

Next up, 991 - I thought the PDK would be the biggest disappointment, but it wasn't. It was the steering and how aloof the front end feels. Despite not being much bigger than 997, The car feels huge inside, I think the main culprit for that is how far he windscreen is from you compared to 997. On the other hand the car is seriously fast and the "fast" is very accessible. Unlike the GT3, there is no effort in deriving it fast.

Before people start thinking I am dissing 991, I should disclaim I wasn't that impressed with 997.2 S that I test drove sometime back either. For me, when it comes to 911, it is GT3 or go home or better go Cayman, which is a nice segway to -

The last but not the least - the Cayman R - As much I hate to admit it, if I was looking for a daily driver, this would be it. I think it stuck the right balance between the rawness of the GT3 and the get in and drive usability of the 911. It had the PDK and for some reason, I didn't seem to mind it. It didn't contribute to the experience the way an awesome manual transmission would, but it didn't get in the way of me enjoying the car either.

In the end I walked away with much more favorable opinion of PDK than my previous attempts. More thoughts on this later - I just wanted to post this quickly while things are still fresh on my mind.

The 997.2 GT3

The 991 S I drove -

The Cayman R.

The dealer had a fugly Mansory -

 

[Sunny]

After all that the worst thing happened - today morning the dealer calls saying he had a 997.1 GT3 RS, even the price was almost right (unlike the the 997.2 GT3). I play it cool and asked him to send the pics and details. But couple of hours later I get an email saying, it is already sold. Sigh! And the car was a gem - just 3800 miles and the perfect color combination -

 

[Sayyaaf]

Thanks Sunny. I am getting a Cayman, that is final. It is just a matter of few confirmations from the dealer regarding few options. No matter how much faster the 911 or more iconic, I can't justify the price difference when I can have fun for much less.

BTW Porsche themselves, they want you to slalom in a mid engine car not their 911, because they know that can easily go wrong

Thanks again Sunny. Remember when you advised me about a GT3, it is pain to drive everyday or in cities. PDK would make you appreciate your choice faster.

Regards

 

[Monster]

Thanks Sunny for the long awaited driving impression, do you mind to tell us about the prices of these cars?

 

[Sayyaaf]

OK that 997.1 GT3RS is my kind of combos ! how much did they ask for it ?

 

[Sunny]

Thanks Sunny for the long awaited driving impression, do you mind to tell us about the prices of these cars?

This isn't the 'long awaited' one, lol. This happened last week. Other one, I had written up a review, unfortunately I sat on it so long, I spilled coffee on that laptop and it is kaput. And it is been so long, I doubt I can do a fair job recollecting my experience. I should still have the pics, I will try posting them. As for comparison, I will just say this, I liked the GT3 more than than the GT3 RS I drove at that time. The GT3 felt more deliberate while the RS a weeny bit looser - but the difference is probably down to the individual cars and what they been through. Most RS's have probably been tracked. The lighter flywheel on the RS probably played a part too?

OK that 997.1 GT3RS is my kind of combos ! how much did they ask for it ?

105k. I know an orange 997.1 RS sold for 92k recently close by, so there is probably some marking for negotiating. But the fact the car sold within hours probably means they got a good price. As for the GT3 (it is a different dealer), they are asking 118, which is ridiculous.

 

[Sayyaaf]

105k. I know an orange 997.1 RS sold for 92k recently close by, so there is probably some marking for negotiating. But the fact the car sold within hours probably means they got a good price. As for the GT3 (it is a different dealer), they are asking 118, which is ridiculous.

Man those hold value ! You need to pick one from here, it will cost shit load less. People could careless about tracks here too so it means it barely saw the track. I can post few examples if you want later but I am damn sure they are cheaper here.

 

[Sayyaaf]

Ok here is a little surprize for you: BTW 1$ = 3.7 AED (Fixed ratio since we are tied to us $)

997.2 GT3 less than 100K (almost 90K us)
http://tnydu.biz/DOlLhS

997.1 GT3 (68K $)
http://tnydu.biz/DOlJo5

997.1 GT2 for almost 100K
http://tnydu.biz/DOlNCn

 

[MoSs]

Very nice review, The 997 gt3 is one of my top of the list cars and sometimes I had wished that I got my self a preowned gt3 over the 991. But the fact that the carrera s is more of a everyday drivers car is one of the reasons why I chose the carrera over a gt3.

On the hand I'm not driving the carrera s everyday, so owning a gt3 will make no difference.

On a lighter note the next generation gt3 will be easier and more driver friendly than the previous generations so I'm looking forward to that.

 

[Sunny]

Ok here is a little surprize for you: BTW 1$ = 3.7 AED (Fixed ratio since we are tied to us $)

997.2 GT3 less than 100K (almost 90K us)
http://tnydu.biz/DOlLhS

997.1 GT3 (68K $)
http://tnydu.biz/DOlJo5

Sayyaf, you can find those prices in the US too, but usually from private sellers and with no CPO or cars with high mileage. Also there is an unofficial silicon valley tax (probably true for other major metropolitan areas in US too) - everything is a little more expensive here. It is cheaper if I go outside the area.

Very nice review, The 997 gt3 is one of my top of the list cars and sometimes I had wished that I got my self a preowned gt3 over the 991. But the fact that the carrera s is more of a everyday drivers car is one of the reasons why I chose the carrera over a gt3.

On the hand I'm not driving the carrera s everyday, so owning a gt3 will make no difference.

On a lighter note the next generation gt3 will be easier and more driver friendly than the previous generations so I'm looking forward to that.

Agree on all counts, I can't imagine negotiating the dreaded LA traffic in a GT3. A PDK version would definitely go a long way in alleviating that.

 

[330CIZHP]

GT3 is timeless.