GT3 vs Caterham

Author
Discussion

vallance5

Original Poster:

181 posts

137 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
I currently have a 997.1 GT3 CS and have been considering scratching the Caterham itch.

I have never driven one but from what I have read and heard from others they seem to be something quite special.

I plan on booking a test drive to find out for myself first hand but was wondering if anyone has any experience of how the two cars would compare?

They are both very much an "analogue" drivers car and also track day toys. But I am guessing there will be a big difference in how they drive and feel.

Just wanting to know peoples opinions that have had experienced either or both, and whether or not it would make sense to have two cars that have a similar focus but obviously go about it in two very different ways.


RDMcG

19,093 posts

206 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
Have had exactly the same thought. My personal issue was that I fit very comfortably into my Porsche but when I tried the Caterham I could barely fit,and my size 13 feet were all over the pedals. I would have one in a flash if I could fit comfortablysmile.

toohuge

3,429 posts

215 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
I had a Westfield for a while and whilst it was very involving to drive etc. It is such a huge compromise over a road car that makes it pretty impractical as a car.

The great thing about GT3's is that the ability to noon around the track and drive cross country etc.

Driving one of those types of car in the rain is a real pain and certainly not enjoyable.

Chris

DMC2

1,827 posts

210 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
I have extensively driven both. No comparison. The Caterham is a much more exhilarating experience, the closest thing you will get to a motorbike. Stunning controllability and sensation of speed. The GT3 is obviously a MUCH better road car in every other way.

I do the odd trackday in my R300 racecar (175bhp) and it goes past trackday GT3s like they are standing still. Even on fast circuits like Spa it takes an amazing driver to get a lap time anywhere near my car.

In an ideal world you would want both....

TheDeadPrussian

854 posts

216 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
I’ve owned both. The Caterham is a very compromised road car – but on track little will touch it.

Both are ‘track focused’ but go about their business in slightly different ways – one caveat however, this is dependant upon on the power output of the Caterham (mine was low powered at 125bhp); the more power the more similar they become.

The Cateham, like the GT3 rewards like little else, driving a Caterham on track (I did less than 100 miles on the road in mine) teaches you all you need to know about handling, lift-off over steer, braking and throttle application are just some of the lessons it will teach you!

The cost to track is greatly reduced over that of a GT3, primarily due to the low weight, and tyres and brake pads etc are all relatively cheap etc. Also should the worse happen, it is relatively inexpensive to fix (in relation to the GT3). I knocked the front left corner off my Caterham at Rockingham and £2k later it was a good as new…

If you want (relatively) cheap track day fun, in car that will be both challenging and rewarding to drive, the Caterham is where I would start.


Edited by TheDeadPrussian on Wednesday 28th May 16:39

fergus

6,430 posts

274 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
RDMcG said:
Have had exactly the same thought. My personal issue was that I fit very comfortably into my Porsche but when I tried the Caterham I could barely fit,and my size 13 feet were all over the pedals. I would have one in a flash if I could fit comfortablysmile.
Ronan, I squeeze my 6'6" 16 stone, size (UK) 13 footed frame into a "narrow bodied" S3 caterham, albeit with lowered floors. As long as you're wearing driving boots, you'll be fine. See if you can try one for size somewhere around Toronto?

marky911

4,417 posts

218 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
Grass roots driving, with every input being felt. I love small lightweights but I'd hate to have a big off in one. Your legs are the crumple zone.

TheDeadPrussian

854 posts

216 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
marky911 said:
I love small lightweights but I'd hate to have a big off in one. Your legs are the crumple zone.
I've seen some big accidents in them (whilst racing) and everyone walked away - head on, on a road, you might have a point, but on track I would say they're pretty safe.

boxsey

3,574 posts

209 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
The best way to find out what a Caterham can do is hire one for a trackday (Bookatrack have a big fleet) as you won't even scratch the surface on a road test drive. I had great fun when I tried one out. It was way quicker than my 964 around a track. Yet strangely, I was more than happy to get back in to the slower 964 and haven't been tempted to try one again.

Far Cough

2,191 posts

167 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
I`ve made that jump and can echo some of the comments above. The caterham is a more focused car and as such, compromises need to be made. It is nothing like I have ever driven before. I went in with my eyes wide open and knew that it would be a pain to drive on the motorway and when it rains you have to stop and put the roof up but it all adds to the fun. Some people get it , others dont. It is not a car you could just hop in a shoot down the shops. Not without a little planning anyhow. Luckily it is not my only car so it does very little mundane driving and when its being used it gets used properly.

On the motorway , if you want to talk to your passenger then 70mph is about the limit. Any more and it gets noisy. Worse still with the roof up. If you are on your own then pop in some earplugs and away you go. The standard roof is simple to put up should you be caught out and once up it is a very cosy place inside. So much so , that you will probably find you have to turn the heater off.

Trackdays and the race track are what the car is designed for and it excels in this arena. Mine is 220bhp and next to a GT3 in a straightline drag race is as quick upto the end of second gear and then the longer gearing of the GT3 takes over and it starts to walk away. But it is not about the straightline speed, more about the braking, handling and cornering. Even 2 up mine is still only 750kgs. Having recently come back from Spa which is an epic circuit I was fully prepared to be left behind on the straights but the GT3`s only came past near the ends of the straight and the difference was more than made up on the brakes. Mine is a manual 6 speed car so it tops out at 140mph although I have only ever seen about 130mph as I still have the windscreen on and not fitted the areoscreen yet.

Tyres are circa £80 a corner for Yokahama AO48r`s and the bespoke Avon CR500`s are circa £100 a corner. Brake pads are peanuts and an oil filter is 4 quid !Insurance is much cheapness and my policy gives me 5 or 6 free trackdays built into the policy but if I want to do more then its a whopping £10 per day !!!

I loved my GT3 but it needed to be polished ( thats just my ocd ) and tyres were pricey. I also had to manage the wear on the PCCB`s and was paranoid about throwing such an expensive car round circuits knocking the value with every lap, stone chip, split windscreen & lip spoiler. The Caterham is completely different in that it takes 5 minutes to clean , 5 minutes to wizz the wheels off, 5 minutes to swap brake pads and provides more fun and should it go wrong cost 36 pence to fix !

Add to the mix that Caterham residuals are rock solid, you could get one for a year and then move it on if its not your cup of tea and not lose out.

If you got any specific questions ask away ???

Just to add as boxsey reminded me - Caterham will hire you one out and then if you ultimately buy one you get a refund.



AL001

831 posts

269 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
500kgs vs 1400kgs = big saving on brakes/tyres/etc

As raw a drive as you would ever want/need and all the better for it.

Not great when it rains but mine had no roof so that didn't help matters much. smile

APOLO1

5,256 posts

193 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
vallance5 said:
I currently have a 997.1 GT3 CS and have been considering scratching the Caterham itch.

I have never driven one but from what I have read and heard from others they seem to be something quite special.

I plan on booking a test drive to find out for myself first hand but was wondering if anyone has any experience of how the two cars would compare?

They are both very much an "analogue" drivers car and also track day toys. But I am guessing there will be a big difference in how they drive and feel.

Just wanting to know peoples opinions that have had experienced either or both, and whether or not it would make sense to have two cars that have a similar focus but obviously go about it in two very different ways.
I would just stick with the GT3.....save your self a lot of aggggg

g7jhp

6,958 posts

237 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
Caterham is OK in the wet if you get a half hood and learn to restrain the right foot!

SGBrown

114 posts

159 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
If you think you'd like a motorbike, you'll love a Caterham.

If you think you'd like a trackday weapon, you'll love a Caterham.

For a blast, they're pretty much unbeatable (although when damp, be carefull - no weight to push the tyres through the water = slower than some otherwise slower cars).

For the rest of the time, you'll love your GT3 if you keep it alongside.

AndrewD

7,527 posts

283 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
APOLO1 said:
vallance5 said:
I currently have a 997.1 GT3 CS and have been considering scratching the Caterham itch.

I have never driven one but from what I have read and heard from others they seem to be something quite special.

I plan on booking a test drive to find out for myself first hand but was wondering if anyone has any experience of how the two cars would compare?

They are both very much an "analogue" drivers car and also track day toys. But I am guessing there will be a big difference in how they drive and feel.

Just wanting to know peoples opinions that have had experienced either or both, and whether or not it would make sense to have two cars that have a similar focus but obviously go about it in two very different ways.
I would just stick with the GT3.....save your self a lot of aggggg
I would tend to agree with this, but the OP may need to scratch the itch. I've had an R400/SLR as well as two Radicals and a Juno. On track they are all much much faster than a GT3 (or virtually anything) and also a totally different driving experience and driving dynamics. But the endless faffing around with trailers and bearding is just a pain in the arse (and I also had my car brought to circuit in the end)

APOLO1

5,256 posts

193 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
AndrewD said:
APOLO1 said:
vallance5 said:
I currently have a 997.1 GT3 CS and have been considering scratching the Caterham itch.

I have never driven one but from what I have read and heard from others they seem to be something quite special.

I plan on booking a test drive to find out for myself first hand but was wondering if anyone has any experience of how the two cars would compare?

They are both very much an "analogue" drivers car and also track day toys. But I am guessing there will be a big difference in how they drive and feel.

Just wanting to know peoples opinions that have had experienced either or both, and whether or not it would make sense to have two cars that have a similar focus but obviously go about it in two very different ways.
I would just stick with the GT3.....save your self a lot of aggggg
I would tend to agree with this, but the OP may need to scratch the itch. I've had an R400/SLR as well as two Radicals and a Juno. On track they are all much much faster than a GT3 (or virtually anything) and also a totally different driving experience and driving dynamics. But the endless faffing around with trailers and bearding is just a pain in the arse (and I also had my car brought to circuit in the end)
I had a CSR260 that's was built by a F1 team....still a lot of agggg....as above used to get some one to drive it to track days for me.....if its an itch just hire one....

be careful though, on the road....cars can not see you very well....

marky911

4,417 posts

218 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
APOLO1 said:
I had a CSR260 that's was built by a F1 team....
How did I know you wouldn't just have bought one from a normal guy.
Good ole "elevenerife Apollo".

I do agree though re the hassle and not easily seen on the road.

Edited by marky911 on Wednesday 28th May 17:40

APOLO1

5,256 posts

193 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
marky911 said:
APOLO1 said:
I had a CSR260 that's was built by a F1 team....
How did I know you wouldn't just have bought one from a normal guy.
Good ole "elevenerife Apollo".

I do agree though re the hassle and not easily seen on the road.

Edited by marky911 on Wednesday 28th May 17:40
if you took the time to put the "BENO" down, you would note above that said" built by"

the owners that I brought it from was a instructor at PEC....lots are not built at the factory......does not have that in the "BENO" does it....never mind.....Job club tomorrow eh.....

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
APOLO1 said:
AndrewD said:
APOLO1 said:
vallance5 said:
I currently have a 997.1 GT3 CS and have been considering scratching the Caterham itch.

I have never driven one but from what I have read and heard from others they seem to be something quite special.

I plan on booking a test drive to find out for myself first hand but was wondering if anyone has any experience of how the two cars would compare?

They are both very much an "analogue" drivers car and also track day toys. But I am guessing there will be a big difference in how they drive and feel.

Just wanting to know peoples opinions that have had experienced either or both, and whether or not it would make sense to have two cars that have a similar focus but obviously go about it in two very different ways.
I would just stick with the GT3.....save your self a lot of aggggg
I would tend to agree with this, but the OP may need to scratch the itch. I've had an R400/SLR as well as two Radicals and a Juno. On track they are all much much faster than a GT3 (or virtually anything) and also a totally different driving experience and driving dynamics. But the endless faffing around with trailers and bearding is just a pain in the arse (and I also had my car brought to circuit in the end)
I had a CSR260 that's was built by a F1 team....still a lot of agggg....as above used to get some one to drive it to track days for me.....if its an itch just hire one....

Can you define 'agggg' and why on earth would you need an F1 team to build it for you?


be careful though, on the road....cars can not see you very well....

APOLO1

5,256 posts

193 months

Wednesday 28th May 2014
quotequote all
REALIST123 said:
APOLO1 said:
AndrewD said:
APOLO1 said:
vallance5 said:
I currently have a 997.1 GT3 CS and have been considering scratching the Caterham itch.

I have never driven one but from what I have read and heard from others they seem to be something quite special.

I plan on booking a test drive to find out for myself first hand but was wondering if anyone has any experience of how the two cars would compare?

They are both very much an "analogue" drivers car and also track day toys. But I am guessing there will be a big difference in how they drive and feel.

Just wanting to know peoples opinions that have had experienced either or both, and whether or not it would make sense to have two cars that have a similar focus but obviously go about it in two very different ways.
I would just stick with the GT3.....save your self a lot of aggggg
I would tend to agree with this, but the OP may need to scratch the itch. I've had an R400/SLR as well as two Radicals and a Juno. On track they are all much much faster than a GT3 (or virtually anything) and also a totally different driving experience and driving dynamics. But the endless faffing around with trailers and bearding is just a pain in the arse (and I also had my car brought to circuit in the end)
I had a CSR260 that's was built by a F1 team....still a lot of agggg....as above used to get some one to drive it to track days for me.....if its an itch just hire one....

Can you define 'agggg' and why on earth would you need an F1 team to build it for you?
be careful though, on the road....cars can not see you very well....
sorry I can not be arsed at times on here....."aggravation" due to ownership niggles...a lot of the CSRs were built by race F1 engineers...As above I brought it from the owner...I took some comfort that it had been built with enthusiasm and passion....lots of bespoke Carbon and ali parts