The .1 GT3RS is just a cooler car!

 

I am in the same boat as OP. However, track-prepping a Cayman pops up when I consider the price of 997.1RS vs. 997.2GT3.

All of the points made by other posters are quite important factors. What are your intentions for the car?

Do you think you'll track it monthly? DD? Weekend car twice a month? How long might you keep it? Forever? 5-10 years?

If you see yourself switching cars in 5 years the biggest depreciation will probably be the 997.2GT3. If you consider my Cayman option the mods - $15k - would likely be flushed down the toilet instantly, plus $4-6k in base depreciation. The Gen I GT3RS will hold its value best in the short run.

Don't forget the beloved 993s and the 87-89 901s. They have held their values exceedingly well. Outstanding model years. The Gen I 997s have a chance of being that reliable and well-regarded in the grand scheme of things in the future.

In the end, if you remain torn, the decision may be based on what is available in the market. If a sweet deal on an RS pops up you may forgo the performance (and the center-locking wheels!) of the .2GT3 and likely never regret it.

Well, you may briefly regret it. However, when you sit in ANY GT3 variant in your garage, you'll light it up, blip the throttle, and just start smiling again. You'll forget all about your debate and take it through some twisties.

 

pick the car that FITS you, not because someone says its better or cooler

 

.1 RS with Sharkwerks 3.9 conversion

 

No wrong choice, but it was a .2 GT3. The engine (which is a marvel), sucked to the road feel and looks made it the only choice for me.

 

Don't compromise. Get the .2 RS. They are out there at MSRP (any below?). The .2 GT3 is a good car. But IMO, it's not "better" than a .1 RS (maybe in straight-line due to larger displacement). Narrow-body, lack of LWFW (not as responsive) and a general lack of driving talent by standard GT3 drivers vs. RS drivers (only kidding here! haha). If you have the $$ for a reg .2 GT3, get the .2 RS. The slower depreciation will more than cover the extra upfront cost down the road.

 

If you want even more, BBI can do a 4.0 conversion as well.

 

Even better 996GT3 with 3.9 conversion + lots of money left in the bank. To me center lock wheels are an expensive gimmick.

 

which is the better/reliable conversion? BBI or Sharkwerks?

 

And if you want more Sharkwerks can do more than this

 

BBi can do a 4.2 liter turbo GT3. I want to know which conversion people would rather do if they could and why?

 

Old thread...

Both are excellent shops and I don't think you could go wrong with either. Personally, I'd go with BBI. They are local to me and they ALWAYS have a line of GT engines they are building, some stock rebuilds, cup cars, some 4.0+ builds, crazy turbo builds, etc. They do a LOT of these engine builds and their engine guy is top notch.

 

Sharkwerks 3.9. - 17 cars running that motor, some with over 20k on the motor. Tried and proven. While I have heard good things about bbi, the times I tried to talk with them their customer service was nowhere near the level of sharkwerks.

 

I don't love the center locks, but you get use to them. But the sound and feel of the .2 is incredible! Good luck...

 

I'd noticed this thread before yet never bothered to respond. Obviously this is a topic that is still relevant for those looking to buy their first 997 era GT3. I'll lend a few of my own thoughts to this thread as I went through the same decision making process in April/May 2013 when I bought my own GT3 RS.

For the budget that I had allocated, which I will admit was a stretch since my 996TT hadn't sold yet, I saw that the same budget would have bought a 997.1 GT3RS or *maybe* a 997.2 GT3. However, I saw that for my particular budget I really had very few options on the market in that the cars were moving very quickly. I had all but decided on a green 997.1 GT3RS but the car sold just before I could put a deposit on it. For me the RS was always going to be the more desirable car, particularly thinking long term...but I was happy that the 997.2 GT3 offered no sunroof (important to me) and the only real negative about the newer cars in my eyes was the mandatory CenterLock wheels...which I'd happily do without.

So, when I missed out on the green 997.1 I happened to stumble upon a 997.2 GT3RS miraculously priced in my budget striking range. Although the car had very high mileage on it (relative to all its peers) I immediately knew it would be worth my time and effort to at least investigate it. I knew that a 997.2 GT3RS would effectively solve all my problems at once, but figured it was an epic long shot as well.

Over the course of 2 (ish) months, I had the car inspected and appraised, pored over the service records, requested multiple photographs of very specific items such as the PCCBs, and pondered whether I was crazy or not for pursuing it. Long story short, this is the car I ended up buying and I literally couldn't be any happier with it. It was a 1 owner car that was driven daily (because he could) and thus was a fairly exceptional case. I was definitely lucky to find a very fair seller who went above and beyond to put my mind at ease when buying such an expensive car.

Knowing what I know now, I'm an even bigger fan of the 997.2 model, but I'd say that getting your hands on an RS model is a better play overall, regardless of 997.1 versus 997.2. The RS is rarer, more desirable, holds its value better, and is the purest 911 experience of them all. I've read a quote that said something like "if you blindfolded someone used to 70s/80s era 911s and put them into into the seat of a 997 era GT3, they would just think it was a newer version of the same 'normal' 911". Meaning, 911s have become MUCH softer over the years, and for those who prize a pure driving experience, the GT3 (RS or not) is the obvious choice. I can tell you that the only thing which really makes my RS harder to drive normally are the seats (I have the carbon sport buckets).

The really good news (for any buyer) is that, RS model or not, you're going to get one hell of a great car!