Greetings! This is my first post. I have my heart set on a GT3, but my brain is saying to get the higher clearance 911 Turbo because of the bad roads in Massachusetts – ramps, bumps, pot holes, driveways, etc. I like the sound, racing pedigree, excitement, and the visceral responsiveness that a GT3 brings over the turbo. Since I am close to the city, I am convinced that the Front Lift System is the only useful option.

I missed the opportunity to order a new GT3 by 2 wks this summer! I can only find the GT3 RS in the lots now, which looks silly for MA roads. Too bad Porsche dropped the popular GT3, as no one is buying the RS here. There are several GT3 RS 3.8 that haven’t left dealer’s lots for a whole year, whereas the non RS GT3s would always be sold out. As a weekend driver, the RS with its color schemes, outlandish wing, decals are a bit juvenile for N.E. The dealer told me that he can repaint the mirrors, wheels, change the wing flares, and remove the decals on a GT3 RS 3.8. But the extra effort will cost an additional $9k. I gave up on the RS, and I am now back to the risky preowned GT3 market. I am also trying to determine if I should lease or buy cash. If the car is not a lemon, I'd like to keep it for 10 years, and I won't be tracking the car.

To those who are familiar with GT3s, I appeal to you for advice/help, as I am a Newbie to Porsche… Questions:
1. Can a Front Lifting System be added to the air suspension system in a non-equipped GT3 since finding GT3 with Front Lift System is rare?
2. What is the ground clearance on the non-RS GT3. I measured 4.4in to the front rubber spoiler on the 2011 GT3 RS in the showroom. (I don't know how Porsche states 3.66in in the manual).
3. Any clues/advice for a GT3 buyer - do's, don'ts, quirks, advice, experiences, etc.
4. Besides the dead giveaways (PCCB, lightweight components, Dynamic Mounts, racing mods), how can you tell if a GT3 has been tracked?
5. Can the 2010-11 GT3 wing be changed to a lower height? It's a bit tall.
6. Any ideas on actual selling prices for a mint, black/black, <3kmi, 2010-11 GT3?

Thanks!

 

Do a search on Autotrader. There are still a number of new GT3's (non RS) available. My local dealer has about 3 of them on their lot. They have been sitting around for a while so I imagine a good deal could be made.

And, yes, you can add a lift kit to a non-equipped GT3.

If you are going to hold onto the car for more than 3 years, just buy it.

Good luck with your search.

 

Karman:

Welcome. It sounds like, from your descriptions, that the GT3 will be the right car for you. Let me try and answer your questions:

1. Yes. Techart makes a kit and I believe another top aftermarket Porsche company does as well but neither are cheap. I think around $8-9K installed. Cars with the lift may be a little harder to find but not entirely rare. I'd opt to find one with the factory system first. It's possibly my one regret on the car I purchased. There is an upside as the front lip is really a consumable: $200 buys you a new front spoiler that you can then scrape the hell out of all over again.

2. On my 2010 GT3, from ground to edge of lip is a tick under 4". That could change based on setup/ride height of the car you purchase.

3. Search far and wide; be patient; prioritize your options and colors; be ready to pounce when your find the right one. Make sure you have a PPI done on any car you're serious about. Check the DME for over revs. Don't be scared off by a car that's tracked. Most guys who track (myself included) probably take better car of their cars and do accelerated maintenance on them.

4. Try to find a car from an original owner and/or find a car with a verifiable history. A good PPI can probably tell you if the car has seen hard labor. Don't be scared by it. That is what these cars were made for and they seem to hold up to it quite well. Personally, I'd be more averse to a garage queen that was never driven.

5. Probably. Check the aftermarket tuning companies (Techart, etc). If you buy one, live with it for a while then decide if you don't like it.

6. Depending on whether PP or dealer and options, I would say a range of $95-105K. Lower mileage cars tend to bring a bit of a premium. CPO as well. Dealers tend to markup more because they have to make a profit.

I'd also highly recommend joining Rennlist and browsing the GT3 forum there as it is much more heavily trafficked and there is a greater depth of knowledge. Post there with a WTB ad and you may just find a member with a great car. There have been a couple of black cars up for sale in the time I was looking (Feb - June). So far, as far as the GT3 goes my only regret is that I didn't buy one sooner.

 

[QUOTE=I missed the opportunity to order a new GT3 by 2 wks this summer! I can only find the GT3 RS in the lots now, which looks silly for MA roads. Too bad Porsche dropped the popular GT3, as no one is buying the RS here. There are several GT3 RS 3.8 that haven’t left dealer’s lots for a whole year, whereas the non RS GT3s would always be sold out.[/QUOTE]

Porsche of Westwood has 2 new GT3 listed on their website. Give Mike a call there if you're still looking.

-Rey

 

As far as the height goes, I have a very steep driveway with poor approach and departure angles. I've resided to the fact that the cheap front black plastic spoiler will hit every time. Once it gets too tattered I replace it.

Only thing I really hate is everyone looks at the car and thinks I can't tell where the parking curbs are. Oh well, it's a small price to pay to be able to drive the car I want.

 

I hear what you are saying. My front lip is tattered after 4 months. I am just going to replace it once a year and live with it.

 

I've beat the crap out of mine in all of 2 months. Oh well. Worth the drive

 

The front spoiler is generally considered a consumable on the GT cars

 

Yes. Get it in white.

 

SKXF430, ChrisEVO, BartN, ScooterP, Rey, evil panda - thank you all for all the great points!!!! I will also check out RennTech too, and inquire about placing a WTB ad.

ChrisEVO, thank you for the detailed response and sage advice! You may have saved me thousands of $$. I had no idea what a DME was. I'll spend the extra $500 for a PPI and definitely request a DME scan on the car, regardless if it's CPO or not. I looked up what this all means. It's really the best "polygraph" test to determine the verity of the sale. That DME, is an unbelieveable litmus test for engine over-revs. If we ever meet at any Porsche clubs in the future, drinks are on me for the honest advice you have given! It's taken a lot of the uncertainty and fear that I had about buying a "track car."

It's reassuring to hear that these cars can take a little abuse. But, from what I surmise about the DME, if there are any ignitions recorded in Ranges 3-6, and maybe even Range 2, I am walking away from the sale. I figured out how ignitions relate to the time spent in the over-rev range. If I find a CPO car with over-revs in Ranges 1-2, I need to make that a part of the sales agreement, AND make sure that neither Porsche nor my local dealer will refuse the warranty. This can get very tricky if there's no past DME scan. If I find the right one, I might have the dealer send me the DME before committing to travel across country to see the car. If it checks out, then I'll have to arrange for a 3rd party PPI from a neighboring dealer.

Rey, I've already spoken to Mike. They made a mistake on the web listing as both GT3s are 3.8 RS... He proposed to repaint parts of the car, but it was going to add to $9K bringing the cost to ~$170K. For me, the RS is a bit ostentatious for just a weekend driver.

Thanks SKXF430 for the autotrader recommendation. I found 3 new 2011 cars that are of interest, even though they're priced in the Turbo range with useless options. One was nice, but has black rims... I'll see if they'll swap with the silver rims?...

Well, evil panda, I really like the GT3 in Black, silver second, and red third.

You guys are the best!

 

I thought those asking prices for two "GT3s" seemed a little high.

 

Rey I used to think the same way as you....why a RS for a street car? Now after have my GT3 for a couple of years, enjoying the stew out of it as a street car, I would luv to trade up to the RS 3.8 for a street car. Of course my wife will probably have a differing opinion. But, if I could afford it, it would be a done deal. Streets can tell no difference between a GT3 or RS...
anyway if GT3 you prefer, you won't be sorry. Both are awesome and the preowned market is ideal for buying either of these. Lots of them with <6k miles and great prices

 

I am curious, has anyone seen this particular car in the Atlanta dealership? It's a 2011 GT3 with 1200mi, CPO. It might save me an unnecessary trip.

http://ucl.porsche.de/ucl/plsql/usa/clients.show_car?sid_=35979192LEGRNOWHDRAMBMN15YXT ABB&pnr_=1&lnr_=4

The MSRP is 125k, and they're asking $119k for a CPO car. Just $6k below new - might be a "lot queen" in the making?!

Has anyone had any experiences of dealers not honoring a CPO car brought from another dealership? That would be my worst nightmare. I've read the PDF file from Porsche, but I am sure there's fine print that they don't tell you... For example, I read about a new owner having his CPO warranty nullified for routine service due to an over-rev from a previous owner.

Can a PPI reveal:
- Burned exhaust valves?
- Wheel bearing damage?
- Worn suspension components?
- Issues with proper idle, or throttle, engine timing?
- Are O2 and other sensors covered in a CPO?

As I made a few calls today around the country, a few dealers reminded me of the fact that it was the end of the month... Could they have been hinting something?....
Well hopefully, it's a buyers market with this economy!

 

Regarding CPO, you should have no issues with it unless the warranty item in question is a result of abuse or track use. Since you said you would not track, I can't imagine you'd ever have an issue.

Regarding PPI, if you are looking at low mileage 2010 or 2011 cars, all of the items indicated as concerns shouldn't be. Most cars I've seen under 3K miles are garage queens and weekenders. A good PPI will tell you if the engine has been zinged (indication of abuse or possibly a poor track driver). The other areas of concern seem more indicative of cars with much higher mileage. O2 sensors shouldn't be a concern ever on a car like this. I haven't replaced on in the past 15 years on any car I've owned. If you're going to put 100K miles on this car, you'll have an entirely different financial concern (resale) beyond an 02 sensor

 

Thank you, ChrisEVO. I am glad to hear that reliability is predictable in these cars. Great ideas so far!