I had a 997.2 GT3 and loved it. Except as a daily driver. I found it brutal as my commute has lots and lots of traffic lights.

My buddy has a V10 R8 Manual. It is a thing of beauty and drives terrifically. Yes a very light clutch but fine nonetheless. He has tracked the R8, does fine.

I found the brutal'ness of the GT3 tiresome and traded it in for a Turbo S. Ultimately hated the PDK as I found it soulless and traded down to a Turbo Manual. Much happier. ( I do miss the GT3, but that clutch.........)

360'sh days a year vs a handful of track days. Majority wins, go with R8. V8 is fine too, obviously not as fast but a great car.

 

^
KK makes excellent points.

The R8 makes a better DD. And, if I may to be outspoken to comment that if you knew you wanted a GT3 then you'd be driving it.

GT3 is a much more visceral beast. Good luck with your hunt.

 

I've driven both and I can tell you that the main difference is how SOLID the GT3 is. There is something about it that the R8 just can't compete with on that level.

I have driven many R8's actually (used to work for Audi) and between the sloppy clutch, crappy interior and gimmicky options, I would go with the GT3 and not have to think about it.

Acceleration: GT3
Braking: GT3
Handling: GT3
Looks: Tie
Price: Tie
Fun factor: GT3
Exotic awe factor: R8

The fact that it has that exotic look is what makes it a contender at all imo.

 

I sold my 07GT3RS for a 13 GTR and then sold that for a 14 R8 V8. I'm going softer because I wanted a comfortable soft car with good driving feel and decided to stay with manuals. Not a fan of autos thus got rid of the GTR. Just feel more involved with the manual tranny. The R8 is the better NSX but a totally different animal than the other two. If I were you i'd consider the 991 GT3 but I feel since you have a GTR and not offering a stick with the 991GT3 would be a no go.

The 997 GT3 is hardcore. The only car as hardcore I can think of is a lotus elise/ exige. It wears me out like a motorcycle and not enjoyable for my taste anymore. Some people love it and some hate it.

Other cars you may consider to add to the fleet would be the new M3 since that will be available in a stick and of course the Cayman which is one of my favorites.

 

Something I really don't understand about the R8 - Audi specs cold tire pressures at 45/41. What I and many others have found is that by going to 35/36, the understeer is greatly reduced. Why does Audi spec such high tire pressures? Don't know. Also, there is a technique (which Randy Probst best described) to track driving the R8, which is challenging but fun when mastered (sound familiar?). In any case, you are right that the GT3 is the way to go for track driving. In fact, I think that a R8 and a GT3 are apples and oranges.

 

A comment about the exotic awe factor. It's absolutely true, and I've found that most everyone is very friendly about the R8. They seem to genuinely like the car and like to ask questions, etc. The other thing I found is that the R8 is equally liked by men and women. In my Porsches, it was always guys that would want to discuss the car. With the R8, I have more women telling me how much they love the car and that it is their dream car. If you get a R8, you will be photo'd and video'd nearly every time you drive the car. Not kidding - took me awhile to get used to it.

The clutch on my R8 is no more sloppy than that on my 997 C2S and far more user friendly for street driving than the 997 GT3. The gated shifter is definitely balkier than the Porsche sport shifter. Compared to the GT3 or GT3 RS, the R8 should not be considered for someone who intends to track a car regularly.

 

The V8 engine is less elastic than the V10. The power of the V10 is there whenever you need it independent of RPM - not true of the V8. What the V8 has is a great engine/exhaust sound and since it is a lighter car, it may feel more tossable in the corners. Most R8 owners opt for the V10 after driving both.

 

Looking back at your original post, I have a question. How do you feel about the GTR's ride? I found the GTR to be rather harsh on these crappy northeast roads. If you don't, maybe the ride of the 997 GT3 will not bother you. I would not buy either a R8 or the GT3 without driving them - they are so different.

BTW, I see your budget is around the 100K range. How about saving some more bucks and buying what will be the best combination of DD and track car - the upcoming 991 GTS (or in your budget a 997 GTS?).

 

I would say if you arent going to make it to the 5.2... go with the GT3. That being said, 5.2 R8 6 Speed-- one of my all time favorite cars to drive

 

The regular 997.2 GT3 is not all that difficult to drive as a daily driver, especially if you have the adaptive sport seats which are very comfy. The RS is a bit more of a handful and more noisy and more raw than the non-RS.

For your budget, you should look at getting a 997.2 GT3 (2010+). Speaking of that, I will be listing my CPO white 2010 for sale next week.

 

From what I've heard and read the V8 is more tossable around than the V10 due to lower weight, but apart from that the V10 is naturally more superior.

The experience you have with a GT3 is wonderful. You can feel one with the car. The way the steering communicates to you, the fact that you can feel what each tire is doing is a bliss to say the least...

You won't have back ache or hate the ride of the GT3 if you're not going to be stuck in traffic or driving over bad roads all the time.

I love the fact that I can connect with the car. What I was afraid of about the R8 is what the reviews are saying, it's a wonderful car but it lacks the steering feel and the character. It suits what ever mood you're in, but it doesn't have it's unique character. It's a frickin' audi for God's sake... It's made to be the best all rounder, not a true exotic.

I currently have an E92 M3, it's a wonderful car with great performance. But it's soulless, it's too comfortable for what it needs to be. It's a great all around car, but not a Porsche.

 

Thanks for all the great input and replies
I know you all love your GT3's here and it's good to know why.
I had a GTR but and while fabulously quick it took no skill to drive fast. Amazing feat of engineering but I longed for a manual.
I want to go to the track more and realize the GT3 is far superior to the R8 in that regard - but I don't get to the track much because of job/kids/wife/life.
I don't want the car to sit in the garage either, and I fear I would drive the GT3 less because its more purpose built, RWD vs AWD, etc.
Thanks for your help. Im leaning to the R8..anyone need an NSX??

 

Here's another point of view. I owned, and daily drove, a modified 2006 Cayman S for six years. Loved it! Test drove a 2009 R8 V8 about two years ago and kept the Cayman. The only thing that would've gotten me out of my Cayman would be a GT3, which I now own...2011 GT3.

Although I've never driven an R8 V10, I would have to assume it's much better than the V8, and may have also gotten me out of the Cayman. SO, my advice would be to lean towards the GT3 since V10 pricing is higher, or perhaps even consider a Cayman. I think the bigger question for you is do you lean more toward a visceral driving experience, or a more comfortable one? I could DD my Cayman, probably not the GT3.

One other thing I'd like to point out regarding the R8 V8 vs Cayman discussion is that when debating on what to do, even the people in the Audi section suggested keeping my Cayman over the R8 V8. I thought that spoke volumes.

Btw, I grew up in Youngstown, so I feel your pain regarding the test drives.

 

That's a rather shocking statement considering that virtually everyone on R8talk makes pretty strong statements about how they made the correct decision trading their Carreras and Turbos in on R8s, let alone a Cayman. What Audi section are you referring to? This was recently? Then again maybe your modded Cayman was focused for track use and then I could understand the comment.

But independent of that, perhaps the upcoming, new Cayman GTS would be a good choice for the OP. Could well be a better track car than the R8V8, stick shift available and in his budget range.

 

I recently sold my Boxster Spyder and there is a few things I do not like about it. The driving feel is better than my R8 but mostly uncomfortable due to the interior space, bucket asides. The R8 is wider and has more shoulder room. If you have broad shoulders you will appreciate the extra girth much like the GTR. Even the TTRS has more elbow space than a mustang. I just hate bumping shoulder with your buddies next to you.

I just wish the cayman came with the engine glass or something. Not seeing the engine bother me since I enjoy popping the trunk once in a while.