Without these forums we wouldnt be able to read so much about what people do in terms of the autos they own and roll out of and into, I find it interesting that so many people have opted to roll out of 996TTs into 996GT3s, 996GT3 is one of the greats built to date and the best all around enthusiast 996 IMO.

 

Indeed, but it is almost impossible to catch a turbo at the track! I've given it my all, and watched as some not very well driven turbos get their owners around the track in double quick time with PSM etc working overtime.

I love the GT3 motor, and am not really a turbo fan (no pun!) so wouldn't swap it out for one, but boy, those things can go, and take care of themselves at the same time!

 

As Turbo prices keep falling (due to high production) they are going to be a better and better deal used. GT3s are relatively limited (certainly under 1000 units in the US) so should hold their value relative to other 996's. I'm planning (yea, right..) to keep my GT3 for a long, long time. We shall see... ;-)

 

yea right Scott, i've been saying the exact same word over & over again and just can't stop buying Porsches. i think they've got us

from now on i might just keep my mouth shut

 

I consider driving the Turbo with PSM on the track cheating. But because of that, I got passed by a few E46 M3's at Thunder Hill last weekend. The Turbo is a handful with no PSM, especially for tracks like the Thunder Hill.

Are you as fast on the GT3 now as you were in the M3 yet? I am still working my way back to my speed in the M3, I am about 65% there in my Turbo.

 

Stuka, the learning curve of getting to grips with a rear engined car certainly puts you at the back of the class, but it is really fun as you slowly improve.

I am now considerably faster in the GT3 than I ever was in the M3, but it has taken 2 alignments, the PDE Masters, MPSC tires and a lot of track days. The learning curve has been a blast, and I'm now a dedicated Porschophile!

The M3 is just such an absurdly well engineered car, it is so damn good it really drives itself, while the Porsche really requires you to drive it. At the end of a year tracking the M3 I really felt it was too clinical, and too uninvolving. Once you get to be 'at one' with the Porsche its both faster and far more satisfying to drive at speed. At the end of every track day you feel you have really attained something.

 

You know I'm torn I have no use for a GT2 & GT3. Had the 3 first and really enjoy it but when I drove the 2 the power got me. The 3 is much racier and i love the rev band. The steering is quicker on the 3 also and it feels more tossable. But every time I drive the 2 I can't belive the differance in power. I guess for now I'll keep two depreciating assets, I never said I was smart!!

 

Carl, trade 'em both in on a CGT!
Please, go on, do it!!
That way we'll get to see something really special at our track days!

 

Hmmm. Which is faster with an experienced road racer behind the wheel? For example, there was an article in one of the P-car magazines that compared track times for one of Porsche's main test drivers for the 997 vs. other cars (GT3 and Turbo in particular) at the Nurburgring. Which was faster? I thought it was the GT3? But, maybe it was the Turbo?. All I remember for sure is that after a 13 minute lap, all were within a couple of seconds of one another.

Also, I've never found a car that I could drive faster with traction control on vs. off. For example, if I forget to turn the traction control off in the M3 race car, I end up going 2 seconds a lap slower. It's been that way in every car I've ever raced.

I have run my turbo at race cornering speeds, with and without traction control. With the traction control, I could tell from my butt-o-meter (which has been reasonably well calibrated from 8 years of wheel-to-wheel racing ) that the traction control was slowing me down.

I have not yet driven the GT3 at speed... But will be doing so soon.

Any way, the performance of the two cars is very similar in terms of straight line speed over say a 1/4 mile distance. I can see where the turbo would have a short term advantage on long straights. But, the GT3 should be quicker in the corners, and it should exit corners with a higher speed at the start of the straight. Also, over more than half an hour on the track, the GT3 should be quicker than the turbo due to the turbo's weight, which will cause its tires and brakes to go off sooner.

Just my $0.02. Either way, you can't go wrong. Both cars are awesome!

Yours in speed.