PH CARPOOL: PORSCHE 911 GT2 (996)
What does it feel like to own the fastest 996 of all? Find out here...
Handbrake definitely works...
Name: Karl Lodwick (KAL)
Car: 2004 Porsche 911 (996) GT2
Owned since: 2007
Previously owned: Porsche 930 Turbo LE
As much as I regret having to sell the 930, I had to find out what the more modern 911s were like. It took me two years to find this one. So many that I went to see had been incorrectly maintained, damaged, or tracked extensively...or sometimes a combination of all three! I wanted a car with low miles and as few registered keepers as possible and eventually this one turned up.
I decided to keep an eye on it for a bit, and before long the price was reduced so I got on to the PH and Porsche forums to see if anybody knew anything about the car I'd found. When no bad news came back and it turned out to be a genuine one-owner car I went for it.
Just how many of these cars have been damaged, tracked extensively, or incorrectly maintained - or a combination of all three!
Things I love
The rush of the turbos spooling-up and the refinement compared to a 930. Both are really exciting cars to drive, but the GT2 is so refined compared with the old car I have friends with GT3s and GT3 RSs, and they're cars that I love the look of, but they belong on the track, where they probably perform better due to the lack of any turbo lag. But on the road I much prefer the rush of the turbos spooling-up in the GT2.
Apart from having to sell the 930 to finance the GT2? Nothing yet. I do read stories about various issues with these things, but so far it's all been good news.
Costs
Aside from regular servicing, none in the 20,000 miles I've done. But I did have the suspension geometry set up at Centre Gravity and it was worth every single penny. Frankly, everyone with a performance Porsche should do the same. You learn so much more about your car and how it works.
Most of my miles have been have been covered on trips with other Porsche owners to Wales, Scotland, the PH meet at the Ace Café and the odd Sunday Service. We did Le Mans and Classic Le Mans too. A trip to Spa was planned as well but we've had to rearrange that - maybe for next year along with a Grand Prix in Europe somewhere.
What's next
To replace the GT2? Nothing, really. Once you've had a GT2 it's hard to know where to go next and I know of several people who've sold theirs only to then try and buy another one. I might get either a Boxster S or a Cayman to give the 996 a bit of a rest, but honestly I can't think of another car in the price range which could give me the same enjoyment.
