Hi Guys,

I am thinking of possibly getting a GTR once my M5 sells. I was able to do a little 5 -10 minute mini test drive at the local dealer and came away with these initial impressions:

1. Interior looks fine contrary to some of the complaints I have heard regarding looking "cheap".
2. Seating position seems a little tall but there is still enough head room.
3. Car feels like it has stronger acceleration compared to 997tt.
4. The chassis feels very strong and rigid.
5. The ride was very firm even in the comfort mode.

My main concern is the ride stiffness(probably a lot of it coming from the run flats/20" wheels) and the worry that I might get bored with the car quickly due to the car "doing everything for you" and being "too good" so that almost "anyone can drive it fast".

Just for reference, I have owned the following performance cars in the past: 996tt, 997S, F430, 997tt, 997 GT3, E60 M5(present).

Please let me know your experiences with the GTR concerning the ride quality and the "fun" factor given all of the car's electronic aids and also the weight of the car.

 

I think based on your past and present the GTR is your next logical choice. With a few mods this car is unreal.

Buy with confidence, you won't regret it.

I drive mine everyday with 22" wheels. And still feels soooo much better than a vette. My buddy has a Z06 we traded for a week and I couldn't take it. Much less driving it everyday.

 

jlee: GTR and 997.2 GT3 together? LOL guess who's on the same boat??? =)

Do it bro! my gtr comes this weekend!

 

Hi David,

I decided to wait for the GT3 RS. I already have a #1 spot for the RS with a dealer in Oregon, but got a little antsy and wanted to see if I can get the 997.2 GT3 but the earliest build that may be available is ~October, which is getting within a few months of the first RS's(anticipated).

The GTR is a great value for the performance. I am just concerned about the extra firm ride and the car being too easy to drive fast.

 

Thanks for the input!

 

I'm also debating on whether or not I should take the GT3, since I also have allocations for the RS. I was thinking about taking the 3 and then dumping it for the RS when it arrives, but still debating.

I will pm you once I get some ride time on my GTR. I will be picking the car up from out of state and driving it back, plus i'm in NYC so I'll know exactly how comfortable/uncomfortable the car is after couple days of driving. From what I heard, if the kw v3 actually makes the ride a little more comfortable, not as rough... but who knows...

 

jlee, the ride is a bit firm but I leave it in comfort mode for just cruising around town. That said, it can get a bit boring after a few months of everyday driving. But then again, I just got rid of my Z06 so I'm a little biased.

Interior is nice, not a Porsche but it's just right in my opinion.

It feels like driving in a video game a lot of the time... but it's a great daily driver for me. Short gears, good power and awd confidence is inspiring. Put the car in all R mode and it's almost a whole new animal compared to startup and comfort mode.

Finally, if you throw even just a few modifications at the car it's an absolute beast and it can take it thus far. Mine is all stock but I really love the car, it's just not that entertaining sometimes...

 

This is exactly what I was concerned about: how the car feels when driven just "regularly". I know the car kicks **** when driven hard. For me, since I live only 2.5 miles from work, I really don't care what I drive for my daily driver. We have a R500 minivan and I don't mind lugging that around town. I am looking for a car that is exciting to drive fast and slow and something that will keep me interested for more than a few months.

 

In my opinion, nothing is fun when driving slow... But I find the car quite adequate for the daily drive. Great visibility (you already noted the high seat position), ride isn't unbearable, but the AWD and drivability with computer controls make me feel at ease while driving everyday in any type of weather. I find the musicbox quite convenient, the navi system makes 'sense' (functions, setups with dual screen, etc...), the ipod control is pretty neat as well.

As long as you don't mind the constant attention, this car can be a lot of fun.

 

Right after I installed H&R springs on the M5, I had a chance to drive another M5 with the kw v3 and that car's ride was much smoother than stock and I was pretty impressed.

By the way I sold the M5 yesterday, and today bought a new daily driver. Guess what? After all these talk about GT3 and GTR, a 2010 Toyota Prius! What kind of mods should I get?

 

I think you should mod it with a GT-R.

 

You could always get rid of the runflat tires. That's most of the harshness right there. Lots of people do and report it's MUCH better.

 

^ What tire would you recommend and what size?

 

fwiw, i owned a gtr for 5 months and 4k miles. It was a great car to drive fast. Driving slow, forget it. Too quiet, sterile, un-involving...and all the gadgets ended up being annoying...i just didnt have time to care about the gs i was pulling or my acceleration for the last 20 seconds..awesome in theory, but the information just ended up cluttering the driving experience. Quality interior for sure, just too busy...

Ive since moved to a gt3 and couldnt be happier.

Unfortunately for you, judging by your past cars, you have car a.d.d. and you will probably just have to buy one and experience it for yourself...

 

Although I can't discredit your opinion (everybody has one), your reasoning baffles me...

Were you forced to watch your G's while driving? Or would you be happier shutting off the unnecessary MFD? I drive with the user-defined (preset) gauges: oil temp, trans temp, oil pressure, etc...

This doesn't seem cluttering, just informative. My in-car instructor found the 4th view quite helpful.

If you seem to get distracted by a yellow ball zigzagging, why not switch it to your Ipod controls, or the on-board MP3's you ripped from your library?

Why not just put on your Navi or set it to the optional dual screened Navi setup?

I just don't understand the whole 'cluttering' aspect. I'm sure there is more to your point, but I'm confused by too much information being a bad thing.