I wonder why I've hardly seen any GT3s who have spec'd the lip painted to match. Do people really go through that many lips? I've owned a lot of low cars (Gallardo, GT3, Lotus, etc.) and haven't lost a lip or even done much damage to one (granted, I'm in the flatlands of Illinois...)

Has anyone else noticed this?

Given the options lists many of us tend to order, I can't imagine it's the $585 preventing anyone.

What's the rationale? No reason to paint a disposable part? Afraid to look too much like an Aerokit C2? Worried about keeping it clean?

Curious what comments people have on this.

 

it scrapes easily because of the long overhang nature on the front of the car. i scraped mines the minute i rolled out of the dealer lot and it's very visible with white lips! it hurt. i've since replaced it with the black lips and never gone back. actually think the black lips gives it a good contrast. plus the scrapes hides better with the black lips.

 

Well I don't own a GT3 or even a porsche. Can't afford one just yet.

However, my opinion might be the same.

I have an '07 STI and I added the factory lip to my car. I could have sent it off to paint before installing, but I felt by leaving it black it made the car look better.

I just feel it looks better and it breaks up the colors on the car.

here are some pics.

I'll leave them as direct links don't want to flood the Porsche board with my Subaru.

http://www.mikealonso.com/sti/sti1.jpg

http://www.mikealonso.com/sti/sti6.jpg

 

My atlas grey GT3 came form the factory with the painted lip. Car has just 3,500 miles so far, but includes several track days and the lip still looks just fine. So not sure why folks avoid them other than they don't like the look. I think the painted lip ties the front of the car together better, but that's just my opinion of course.

 

I have close to 3k on mine, and the lip is trashed. I scrape getting in and out of my driveway, and I occasionally scrape on regular suface streets with dips. Speed bumps are not a problem. My car is black, so not as noticeable.

 

13000 miles = 4 lips

 

AzGT3, that's really not that bad in terms of total cost of ownership. That's the equivalent of four or five extra tanks of gas for an SUV...

 

Unless the roads around you are very, very good, I wouldn't get the painted lip. I'm pretty careful and I've scraped mine plenty of times, some areas have small chunks missing. Also, the spoiler's pretty flexible, a decent hit probably bends it backward, this may crack the paint beyond the point of impact.

 

It's not worth the headache. It'll get scraped. Then you will pay a visit to the paint shop.

 

Don't bother. No matter how I pay attention, I hit it all the time. First time was leaving the dealers lot. Ten minutes later did it again trying to pull into the gas station. Hits going up my driveway. Just ignore it, wear the wounds with pride.

Painting is silly. I actually think it looks better black.

 

I have had my chin painted and in raw plastic. The plastic chin and vent grill (smily) create a nice contrast. They can not match the paint perfectly on the plastic. Also, the painted lip takes damage worse, but both will end up needing replaced.

I may do Oakley Design's carbon fiber lip. I wonder how that will hold up to damage?

 

I would never prefer to paint that tinny lip. It looks good the way it is, no matter talking about 996 or 997 GT3.
I scrached mine also 2 minutes after getting the car. Sure, a garage queen can get a carbon fiber one but it isn't practical at all...

Regards
CHRiS

 

Put a cargraphic carbon fiber lip on my C2s and trashed it. I am very very careful but sometimes that thing is hard to judge or you just forget over time and bingo, its cracked. Had to remove it and throw it away, $1400 in the trash can.

Possibly going to put a GT3 bumper on my new 4S and i will just go with the black plastic. I will buy a few extra and after it gets really beat up throw a new one on.

 

Well as one poster said, sometimes you really need a bit of color to offset the look and on most GT3 colors such as white, yellow, a black plastic lip contrasts nicely. All body color is just too much color IMO and that is why I picked the black plastic.

I've seen white gt3's with white lips and it almost looks kinda "rubbery"?

My NSX also has a black plastic lip and I like it as well....

But as many have said, I'm super careful and very acustomed to driving lowered cars and yet I scraped all the time with the GT3 because of the long overhang. It's unavoidable.....


rk

 

The contrast looks fantastic on any color GT3.