Looks like a bets on... there's no way they will do this turn-a-round.

 

The cup car has pinned coolant fittings, I guess the motor sport division is well aware of a problem.

 

BMW did it with the E60 M5 and E63/64 M6. In fact, BMW said when they made the E60 M5 that no one wanted that car with a manual gearbox, because it wasn't the demographic. Something like 30% of initial orders were dropped upon that news, and 1 year the manual actually outsold the SMG here in America. That's what secured the F10 M5 having a manual gearbox in the States.

Car companies do turnarounds all the time. Ford said that no one wanted the higher end Focus with a manual gearbox for 2012. However, enough people complained that Ford have started offering the manual with ALL Focus models, both in the US and in England (except the electric).

GM brass said that no one would buy a CTS-V wagon. They were sold out immediately upon release... And then they added an extra year of production because of demand. Oh, and the manual outsold the automatic with that car.

My point is, car companies' initial "market research" is nothing more than talking to a few people 9 times out of 10. Most of the time they end up with the answer they wanted from the get-go, simply because they skewed it that way.

Market research in the automotive world means ****, most of the time. Automakers are constantly screwing things up because of their "research" of that particular vehicle's market.

With the PDK the 991 GT3 can compete much better against the 458 Italia and McLaren MP4 on paper. In our hearts, It's a much different car for a more purposeful reason. McLaren fixed EVERY issue customers and journalists complained about within a few months for the MP4. A carmaker is only as good as its customers' voices in its head. If you listen, then you're a good car company. If you don't and march to your own drum, you end up like GM, Ford, and Chrysler, and France.

 

The vast majority of Porsches at the track are 20 yr old beaters racing each other...the GT3 is a slick way to sell more units of a platform to a niche market (wannabe racer-boys & girls-the ones who show up at PCA HPDE events). On the track, they are not in the same class as ACR's, Z06's and GT-R's, so who really thinks they are gonna beat one? (TTS vs TTU) jmo

 

Well you're speaking of a massive horsepower difference. The GT2 and GT2 RS do just fine against those cars, and with a manual gearbox, too. The GT3 RS 4.0 wasn't too far behind, either. And hell, the GT3 RS 4.0 was down about 120+ hp from the GT2 RS, ZR1, and ACR. It's about 80 or so down from the GT-R that also has all-wheel drive and a DCT. Still, it handled itself quite well.

Andreas did say that the 485 hp was a very modest number for the new GT3...

 

' and France'... to true, made me sneeze my coffee lol!

Again we will see.

I would like to make the assertion that upwards of 90% of GT3's never see a track or run slicks and the vast majority are garage queens and cars and coffee types where the PDK will fit in well.

I fit into another small group who tracks the car and daily drives, I have no elisions that my GT3 in Club Sport spec is a 'race' car, its just a bit more track focused than a turbo etc, the RS is just a little more of a nod in that direction. To make either a 'race' car takes almost as much money to modify as it did to buy.

Porsche is now big and profitable enough to make a dedicated race car that just looks like the road car and this is the way they are going, just like Ferrari and Lamborghini, McLaren etc.

Jay

 

I'm glad you and I can agree to disagree, but also laugh at the same time.

Porsche are the reason car companies can be successful: Overcharge the hell out of people, but offer a pure, premium and emotional core, and you'll be the best there is.

My buddy tracks his 997.1 GT3, but does have a dedicated 993 C2S track car. In fact, I have pictures of him spinning his GT3 somewhere on my computer. Man does it look like he's going to slam it into the wall. The pucker factor was high just for me looking at the photos.

I'm telling you, though... a manual 991 GT3 is coming. Hell, Porsche have already admitted defeat in the +/- shifting battle. BMW and Mazda are the only two car companies I've seen that go -/+. Everyone followed Porsche and Audi into the deep, dark night of wrongness. If you notice, the 991 GT3 has the shifter going forward to downshift, and pulling back to upshift.

 

Its been an interesting view from different ends of the same detail. And all smiles and some laughs a long the way.

With you on the +/- battle although you get used to it either way as I did on my M5. To be honest why would you use the stick when paddles are there?

Jay

 

I typically use the paddles 9 times out of 10, but some of those hand over hand corners on mountain roads have me reaching for the shifter to get a lower or higher gear, depending on whether I was in the wrong gear to begin with or not.

 

I know what you mean, I did the same specially when the bend tightens unexpectedly to something like a hair pin, that's where a good spread of torque comes in which the 5l V10 doesn't have!

Jay

 

Oh God, tell me about it. Great car, but such ****ty low-end torque. One of the few cars I've had to shift to first coming out of a tighter corner just to get some grunt. That V10 is so deductive, though. I had an '09 E90 M3, and the 4.0-liter V8 is something I miss. But the better torque response of the 997.1 is something I enjoy a lot more.

 

PDK

 

Hey guys, new member here from NAGTROC. Just recently sold my GT-R and considering some new choices. The new GT3 seems like a perfect combination of luxury, driving pleasure and performance. I loved my GT-R, the car was a bit big though. Naturally, I am under the list of people who are happy to see the PDK introduced into the GT3, although I do agree that it is a mistake to not offer a manual atleast as an option. For me, I daily drive these cars while occasionally tracking them and the DCT gives me the greatest overall pleasure. As of right now, the GT3 and possibly the new NSX are on my shortlist. Hopefully when more concrete specs and reviews are out, I can make my choice

 

I would agree that the GT3 competes with a significant HP disadvantage at all events except PCA...very few of the GT-R's at the track are running stock, more like 1,000 HP. Just go with a used Cup car if you are rich, insist on a gold emblem, and serious about competing with the big displacement cars. The GT3 makes for a great 'fun' car though if you don't mind getting passed in your $$$$ car! (It would make me a little nervous )

 

I've always been of the belief that you buy an M car or Porsche because you want to be a better driver. Most people I see who buy GT-Rs and Ferraris just want to pretend they're fast. It's easy to be fast when your car has tons of horsepower and the technology from the space shuttle to keep you on the track. It's not easy to be fast with a slow car.