My neighbor just got his new gt3RS and wants to put 500 break in miles on it this week. So I get the call for a test ride last night...and when I am thrown the key fob, the night gets interesting
4 Liter n/a, 7 speed pdk, just about everything adjustable. Lots of c/f body panels, huge carbon brakes and a big rear wing , looking back at you in the mirrors, I was in for a treat.
The factory does indeed build their brand to thrill the owner/enthusiast ...to say the least. I was short shifting this beast cruising through the night and still carving up some local canyon roads with a huge grin.
Good neighbors are a good thing
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Digging further into the car, it appears to have adjustable upper camber boxes built into the front suspension; beautiful cnc machined billet alumium, that just need a bit of finishing up to become operational
I really dig the center console array of Nanny switches, especially Pit Speed.
I'm just happy with my 914's Fasten Seat Belt light !Click to view attachment

Sweet! Now I've gotta go read up in GT Porsche the article with all the spec goodies! Wish my neighbors were like that...

After 500 miles in that with all the creature comfort, its going to be hard to go back. .. ya, wish my non car Neighbors would do that...

Ohhhhhhhhhh nice...

Its a big ass car though.

Is the top right button night vision?

Looks like a switch related to the exhaust to me.

My friend has one.Click to view attachment

It is nice to have a friend with GT3 RS although the '72 is a hoot to ride in:

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With the light on, it's probably in LOUD MODE. I'm guessing that light off would be the quiet mode.

--DD

Why would you want a "quiet mode" in a Porsche? Oh, yeah, for those folks that listen to music while they're driving.

Yep, it's the sport exhaust button.

Quiet'er mode is just used for when you leave your $$ neighborhood at 0-dark-30 for Cars and Coffee without pissing them off.

Very nice ride...I'm not sure even all of the magazines have gotten to drive one of those yet!

On the money Dave; some countries (like Swizerland) have super low dB exhaust requirements on new cars. The control flaps in the mufflers do the trick

There is a pretty good youtube of a gt3rs drive on the Nordschliffe / Nurbugring , just do the usual YouTube search.
As far as quiet time in the neighborhood, I like twin open zork tubes on my black six

and as fast and cool as that car is....I would take the ones in sb914 and Kansas 914's posts in a heartbeat over the new one. Both you posted a 997.2 GT3RS, which has a MAN PEDAL and MAN STICK. Marty posted the new 991...missing all those MANLY parts.

But...always good to have a friend with one that will let you drive it for sure!!

Noise? What noise?

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I got to drive the 991 RS as well that night, and as I do agree having a manual transmission is as close to being as pure as possible, the 991 RS was not designed for it. The PDK in the RS is set up and tuned differently than a lower entry model with PDK.

I was skeptical at first about the PDK before driving it, but once you're at 8800 RPM, the shift sounds and feels like a 12 guage shotgun blast loaded with a slug.

It banged that next gear so quick and ferociously, as if it couldn't wait to do it again and again...which it did...and it was amazing! It was nothing short of a cup car feeling on the street.

I've driven a 991 GT3 a bunch of times, each time it feels like I'm playing a video game (and it goes to 9000!!) But...it honestly got boring after a while. Sure, very cool when you're going out on a test drive (or it's someone elses car) but after a few times driving them, I lost interest. Felt gimmicky to me. Of course it's faster than a manual, but that's not the point. IMO, it loses the EXPERIENCE of the drive. At least to me it does...

Personally...I would take a GT4 over any new GT3 right now... wish I was in a position to buy one..

I'll stick with my "old school" manual cars...

Naro - Sounds like the rumored 991R is the car for you. GT3 bits on a lightened narrow chassis with a manual

Re: GT4, I wonder how much it would cost to redo the gearing on it so 2nd gear doesn't take you to 85mph...

egads!

I hope that shelf is secured to the wall....

I'm a little disappointed, I fully expect anyone with that awesome of a car to have a much more fancier garage

Newest and coolest Porsche I've driven was an '02 996 twin turbo last year....I still smile and talk about that cool weekend like it was yesterday!

I need to make more friends, hahaha

I'm not sure what all the complaining is about the 2nd gear thing...our GT3 goes to 83 in 2nd - doesn't mean I wind it up to 8200 RPM every shift but it WILL do it....I never heard a complaint about that...

I see, I didn't know the GT3s were about the same. I guess there is no way to get around it with that much power and the want for decent mpg.

BTW I love the 996.2 GT3!!!

I would never get a speeding ticket in that car.

Fast and fun yes. But can you tinker on it and will the proprietary hardware and software be supported in 40 years? I'd say no, but then again, in 40 years gas will be a thing of the past, and come to think of it, I too will likely be a thing of the past...

As for bothering the neighbors at o'dark thirty, you just need more property between you and the neighbors - works for us.

Most people buying $200k++cars don't 'tinker' with them...or anything for that matter...

Tell that to current 928 owners. Those were $80K+ cars when new, and the parts still cost like they are $80K+ cars. Which is one big reason why you can find some of them for less than $10K now.

--DD

The 928 was slated to be the replacement for the flagship 911....never happened. Then -Boss Peter Schutz brought in the 911 cabriolet and stood fast on the 911 heritage. Although great cruisers, the 928 would not budge MBZ or the top series BMW off the block. Right now buy all of the 928 32v gts that you can...these will be the next "9146" collectable/ fun/ appreciating Porsches . As far as the 911 gt3rs goes: limited production / factory hot rod will do well in future $$ appreciating . A 918 owner/ friend of mine just sold his Weissach Spyder to a collector that waited too long and missed the boat. Friend pocketed $500k on the deal and walked away from his 918. This is just my .02cents, your results may vary
ps...great prices on 928 parts new/ takeoff at 928 International

Neither would Maggie Walkman

Wow. Usually when someone does you a quick favor in Hollywood..... oh, never mind.

Nice car.

Is that dimensional or characterization of the car, or driver? Got me wunderin C Grn

Mike, don't forget that you had a ride in a two year old GT2 too.
I believe that the owner drove it like an old man

Are you speaking from personal experience here?
What is it you are trying to say?

I would love to get to drive or even ride in one as everyone says the PDK is mind blowingly good, and the front-end grip. For now I am really enjoying this -



What is underneath -

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I haven't forgot that ride...lots of fun , maybe next I can drive..hshahaha

Stiff unibody eh?
This winding driveway is going to be trouble Click to view attachment

Drove a friend's GT3 RS with a 4.2 and 6 speed. It growled at low speeds and positively roared when you put your foot into it. Absolutely intoxicating sound. And speaking of mashing the go pedal, the car didn't accelerate as mush as catapult you. On a very twisty bit the huge tires made the car feel so secure at ridiculous speeds it was almost a non-event. That car did everything so well but lacked one essential element - a soul. It was perfect and perfectly soul-less. The owner must have had the same opinion after riding in my 73S with a 2.7 RS spec MFI because he immediately went out and bought an early car and started modifying. It just goes to show that no matter how fast and loud the new cars are, they still can't beat the old stuff.

I have an '07 GT3 as well as a '73 914. I respectfully disagree. I use the GT3 as my driver and love the vibe of the car. It growls and roars and postively jumps when I want it to. The shifter balks at low speeds and clutch must take 150 lbs of pressure to depress. The car positively abhors traffic, and if you drive her too softly for a few weeks, she generally reacts poorly until you blow off the pent-up steam. The steering is way too light and the suspension too choppy until you push the car. I choose my gas stations based on the angle of approach in the curb cut. My GT3 has a definite personality and I think it has just as much soul as my 914. But it's a different soul. You might have to drive the GT3 a bit harder for a bit longer than you did to make your initial connection with the car and feel the love.

I do not necessarily agree either. Certainly my 914 is raw and engaging - kind of brutal really - but I don't think anyone would argue a 996/997 Turbo or GT3 is "boring". The Turbo is fairly refined, definitely more than a GT3 as it is targeted for street more than track, but still it is edgy in its own way and can downright scare the crap out of you. A few selected mods can help further blur the lines between grand tourer and real sports car. And as jor says above, you have to push the modern cars MUCH harder to get the same level of thrill as an early car. Not everyone can and will do that and so they conclude the car is boring.

Now I have heard many say the 991 generation is actually less engaging and soulless but I have no personal experience with those, yet. I really don't believe it to be true of the GT3/GT3RS (or the sportiest Boxster and Cayman versions) but the 991 Turbo and the regular 991 variants (can't say NA anymore), perhaps so.

Could have not said it better.

To say I didn't enjoy driving the GT3 would be a lie. The car was a blast with it's amazing acceleration. As an early car guy, the GT3 felt so refined, so comfortable, so excellent at what it does that it's a wonder of engineering. Boring it isn't, but driving an early 911 or 914 I find much more involving. What I failed to say is that the Gt3 has to be driven at track speeds for the same level of involvement of an early car at much lower speeds on the twisties. I like the involvement and having to keep my head in the game and not having to go to the track to do so.

Having driven a new Caymen GT3 on the track, it was a phenomenal experience, being able to wring it out. It is a tremendous car I could easily own if I had the coin.

So we have checked this car out for a week now and noticed a few tidbits from Porsche's race cars introduced into the gt3rs.
Carbon fiber front fenders, front hood+ rear engine lids.
Magnesium roof skin, thinner gauge rear window, and minimal sound matting. The rear wing applies 700 lbs. of downforce. The vent grills in the front fenders provide 30% less front axle lift. With almost 500hp and 193 mph top speed, it should be fun on track as well as canyon carving .
We drove it out to Willow Springs (big track) and my friend suited up, car passed tech, and hit the track on street tires. Still breaking the engine in, not reaching the top engine rpm; best lap at 1.31.567 at 98.3 mph average speed.
Next month with the engine settled in , back to Willow this time on slicks...should have plenty of soul !

I do Chris. I contemplated buying a 997 GT3 but after driving one on track I quickly realized it would become borisome very quickly. That is not to say they aren't great cars...just not what I'd call a "pure" sports car. A very, very talented Porsche Factory driver told me a few weeks ago, "these "hotshoes' wouldn't be half-as-good if the electronics were stripped out of the cars". It makes the entire experience a bit of a pharse. The new GT3RS even more so...I also realize this floats others' boats. All the more power to them.

However, having to develop actual skills isn't for everyone...I certainly may not have "skills" but I DO want to know that whatever the car is/isn't doing is based upon my input and control. Not relying on micro-chips and sensors.

PS: This is central to why I choose to build/drive a 914 with retro gauges (mix really), no power-anything and certainly no traction control.

Tony

Electronic aids?

Good luck trying to fly the newest fighter aircraft without them.

Makes the old 930/Turbo pilots quickly learn to disregard the instinct to "lift" rather than hold or add throttle when approaching the curve....

Our '04 GT3 is our daily driver - last of the "no-nannies" GT3's... ABS and LSD ....that's it.

as jor said, it's balky, very heavy clutch, twitchy, stiff suspension, hates going slow, noisy, difficult to maneuver in the real world, etc. But...we love it..it has good days and bad (seriously) it has personality, it has soul. For DD use, a 997.2 GT3 would be better, but where's the fun in that? May have one of these one day, but for now, the 70k miles we've put on our GT3 in the past 5 years have been awesome...

Having said that, I still don't like the 991 GT3 variants, its missing...

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Or as Nadine likes to say:

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