Where are all the 997.1 GT3s

[rrroro]

Unless they're applying normal Porsche OCD owner levels of attention to paint quality - IMO Porsche owners (+ Ferrari etc) tend to be more fussy than say BMW drivers when it comes to bodywork condition. Depends where the bar was set - if they thought OPC resale levels of paintwork were required for sale, then I would expect even minimal imperfections to be mentioned compared to say 'regular' car dealer prep levels. Who knows, maybe the car was detailed to within an inch of it's life before the pics were taken

[rrroro]

I see the auction is now live, it's fitted with Ohlins and Soul Performance exhaust, "This example has been upgraded with Öhlins Road & Track coilover suspension, and a Soul Performance Products modular competition exhaust system."

Edited by rrroro on Wednesday 14th February 11:50

[Digga]

rrroro said:

I see the auction is now live, it's fitted with Ohlins and Soul Performance exhaust, "This example has been upgraded with Öhlins Road & Track coilover suspension, and a Soul Performance Products modular competition exhaust system."

Edited by rrroro on Wednesday 14th February 11:50

Decent.

[IbanezDan]

Well well well...

https://finder.porsche.com/gb/en-GB/details/porsch...

Common as muck lately... Another Riviera blue GT3 - did this belong to anyone on here? RK11NZP - WP0ZZZ99ZBS780644


Priced up at 159,500!

Edited by IbanezDan on Monday 19th February 08:57

[rtholet]

GT4RS said:

kith said:

Curious one currently on Collecting Cars. Super low mileage but Cat D and no service history between 2009 and 2023!

https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2007-porsche-9...

Someone’s either going to get a bargain or a nightmare…

Cat D = nightmare

Hi guys, first time posting here… thought I’d give an update on the car mentioned above!
I took a real chance on it - I currently own a 991 GT3, a ‘71 2.2s (original matching numbers - my baby!) and a 996 GT3 - all of them in black and all pampered and well looked after.
I’d always wanted a 997.1 GT3 and when this came up on CC I thought ‘what the hell!’
All my cars are looked after by NineExcellence in Horley and when I put in the bid on this car (on a whim on a Sunday Father’s Day!) I knew Adam was either going to slap me or clap for me!

I’m pleased to say… he clapped for me! The car has turned out to be fantastic. Condition is actually excellent, it was just very very dirty and hadn’t been looked after properly at all, cosmetically in particular. The engine and gearbox however are perfect - and the suspension and underpins are all very good. Only thing I’ve replaced is the top mounts in the front and brakes. I’ve used it on two separate trackdays with no issues at all and a faultless performance all round.
It’s now my ‘daily’ and I’m loving it - yes it’s Cat D, but I thought does it really make a difference and, given the low mileage and outstanding condition report from 9e coupled to regular maintenance now and a proper record, I wondered how much money could I lose in future???
The damage has been repaired well - it had a passenger door shunt - and has been given a clean bill of health after clearly having time on a proper jig during the repair… so at least the chassis is perfect and the repairs have been properly executed. I’m an old racing driver, so ‘repaired’ cars aren’t the be-all and end-all for me… as long as they’re repaired properly.
Also, knowing it’s not a concours car helps me deal with parking it at the station each day and using it in all weathers - I love it!
God knows what happened in the intervening years and why someone would neglect such a great car - but hey ho, it’s worked out well for me!
So I guess the moral of the story is… it’s definitely better to be lucky than smart - and I got lucky! Thought it would be interesting to follow this up and close the ‘story’ out. Cheers and best, Ryan

[jms1]

Hi Ryan,
Thanks for an interesting post. I enjoyed reading that and am pleased to hear that it all worked for you. Sounds like you’ve got a sensible attitude to good repairs too. Enjoy that great car.

[VerySideways]

rtholet said:

Hi guys, first time posting here… thought I’d give an update on the car mentioned above!
I took a real chance on it - I currently own a 991 GT3, a ‘71 2.2s (original matching numbers - my baby!) and a 996 GT3 - all of them in black and all pampered and well looked after.
I’d always wanted a 997.1 GT3 and when this came up on CC I thought ‘what the hell!’
All my cars are looked after by NineExcellence in Horley and when I put in the bid on this car (on a whim on a Sunday Father’s Day!) I knew Adam was either going to slap me or clap for me!

I’m pleased to say… he clapped for me! The car has turned out to be fantastic. Condition is actually excellent, it was just very very dirty and hadn’t been looked after properly at all, cosmetically in particular. The engine and gearbox however are perfect - and the suspension and underpins are all very good. Only thing I’ve replaced is the top mounts in the front and brakes. I’ve used it on two separate trackdays with no issues at all and a faultless performance all round.
It’s now my ‘daily’ and I’m loving it - yes it’s Cat D, but I thought does it really make a difference and, given the low mileage and outstanding condition report from 9e coupled to regular maintenance now and a proper record, I wondered how much money could I lose in future???
The damage has been repaired well - it had a passenger door shunt - and has been given a clean bill of health after clearly having time on a proper jig during the repair… so at least the chassis is perfect and the repairs have been properly executed. I’m an old racing driver, so ‘repaired’ cars aren’t the be-all and end-all for me… as long as they’re repaired properly.
Also, knowing it’s not a concours car helps me deal with parking it at the station each day and using it in all weathers - I love it!
God knows what happened in the intervening years and why someone would neglect such a great car - but hey ho, it’s worked out well for me!
So I guess the moral of the story is… it’s definitely better to be lucky than smart - and I got lucky! Thought it would be interesting to follow this up and close the ‘story’ out. Cheers and best, Ryan

Wow, what a bargain! And good on you for using it.
Hope you get to enjoy many, many miles in it.
Always disappoints me to see these cars underused, dailying a 997 GT3 is epic :-)

[Digga]

9e know how to look after these cars, so if you've got it under their care, you can't go far wrong.

It's nice to know the car's gone to a good owner.

[rrroro]

rtholet said:

Hi guys, first time posting here… thought I’d give an update on the car mentioned above!
I took a real chance on it - I currently own a 991 GT3, a ‘71 2.2s (original matching numbers - my baby!) and a 996 GT3 - all of them in black and all pampered and well looked after.
I’d always wanted a 997.1 GT3 and when this came up on CC I thought ‘what the hell!’
All my cars are looked after by NineExcellence in Horley and when I put in the bid on this car (on a whim on a Sunday Father’s Day!) I knew Adam was either going to slap me or clap for me!

I’m pleased to say… he clapped for me! The car has turned out to be fantastic. Condition is actually excellent, it was just very very dirty and hadn’t been looked after properly at all, cosmetically in particular. The engine and gearbox however are perfect - and the suspension and underpins are all very good. Only thing I’ve replaced is the top mounts in the front and brakes. I’ve used it on two separate trackdays with no issues at all and a faultless performance all round.
It’s now my ‘daily’ and I’m loving it - yes it’s Cat D, but I thought does it really make a difference and, given the low mileage and outstanding condition report from 9e coupled to regular maintenance now and a proper record, I wondered how much money could I lose in future???
The damage has been repaired well - it had a passenger door shunt - and has been given a clean bill of health after clearly having time on a proper jig during the repair… so at least the chassis is perfect and the repairs have been properly executed. I’m an old racing driver, so ‘repaired’ cars aren’t the be-all and end-all for me… as long as they’re repaired properly.
Also, knowing it’s not a concours car helps me deal with parking it at the station each day and using it in all weathers - I love it!
God knows what happened in the intervening years and why someone would neglect such a great car - but hey ho, it’s worked out well for me!
So I guess the moral of the story is… it’s definitely better to be lucky than smart - and I got lucky! Thought it would be interesting to follow this up and close the ‘story’ out. Cheers and best, Ryan

I don't think I'd be alone in saying I'd love to hear your thoughts on how it compares to your other 911's

Especially given your history as a racer, for example what turns you on/off this car in comparison to say the 996 and 991 GT3's?

And the 2.2, is there any commonality in the drive and way they handle or sound, or had the rear engine characteristics all been engineered out by the 996/7 generation of cars (relatively speaking)?

There's a lot of anecdotal info out there, would be nice to hear the thoughts of an actual owner

[Sukh13]

https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2008-porsche-9...

This went unsold at a last bid if 56,500.

[IbanezDan]

Sukh13 said:

https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2008-porsche-9...

This went unsold at a last bid if 56,500.

60580 with fees. Didn't seem a bad buy for a cheap way in too GT3 ownership.

[thegreenhell]

It's listed with a buy-it-now price of £62,250 now.

[rtholet]

rrroro said:

I don't think I'd be alone in saying I'd love to hear your thoughts on how it compares to your other 911's

Especially given your history as a racer, for example what turns you on/off this car in comparison to say the 996 and 991 GT3's?

And the 2.2, is there any commonality in the drive and way they handle or sound, or had the rear engine characteristics all been engineered out by the 996/7 generation of cars (relatively speaking)?

There's a lot of anecdotal info out there, would be nice to hear the thoughts of an actual owner

Hi guys,

Happy to try answer these questions best I can… for me, the 911 as a platform is a challenge to drive properly (and at pace) and each one of these have their quirks and subtleties to get the best out of them (well, my best anyway… they’re probably capable of more with someone else!)

First up, the 991.1 GT3… bought second hand from JZM with 7,000 miles on and a new G-series engine. The car is a clubsport with a DSC module as my only mod. Makes a MASSIVE difference both in soft mode and at the track - 9e have tuned it to my preferences and I think it’s just perfect! This car is undoubtedly one of the best cars I’ve ever driven… it runs Cup 2’s and still has the full Porsche warranty. I’ve had it PPF’d and am not afraid to use it in anger - I’ve lapped just on 1m22 at Goodwood in it and just under 2m38 at Bedford - I literally couldn’t ask for anything more and it’s by far my favorite machine (aside from the classic - more on which later)

Next up, the 996… this has had extensive mods - from a Porsche rollcage, to girodisc brakes all round, to Castrol SRF, to recaro PP’s, to lightened wheels, fully adjustable Ohlins, lightened flywheel, etc etc. The work was all done by 9e and it’s a fantastically analogue and friendly machine! I regularly use it for track work and I share the car with a mate - it’s nowhere near as fast as the 991 but interestingly is faster than the 997 in outright pace and corner speed. It’s my ‘friendliest’ car by far with sublime handling and very adjustable balance with either throttle or steering. When the weather is wet, or the track is tight and with little run-off, it’s my go-to car as I know I can trust it (and myself!)

The 2.2s was a purchase from Silverstone Auctions during Covid and I got it for a great price. That said, it was in tatty condition and the mechanicals were very poor… so it’s had an extensive restoration (again through 9e, who rebuilt the engine from scratch using only the casings, rebuilt the gearbox and all mechanicals as well as adding a Wevo shifter which makes a substantial difference to the feel of the 901 ‘box). It’s a summer car for sure but it’s got only 57k miles from new and is a matching numbers car - nothing better than driving this down to Goodwood on a Sunday morning, sunroof open and flat six screaming (it revs to 7,400) - very visceral and is set up for my driving style… slight turn-in oversteer, relatively low and relatively soft suspension… it’s ‘alive’ and the steering constantly chatters away. It easily four-wheel drifts and has enough power to drive on the throttle… I’ve only taken it once on track but as fun as it was, I much prefer the 991 or 996 by far as it just didn’t have the ultimate pace compared!

So to the 997… it’s (again) completely standard apart from an uprated DSC module as well as an updated PCM unit with ApplePlay. It’s a touring model with no sports chrono - and I hate that the sport button has to be pushed to unleash all the power! It’s a brilliant sounding engine in the upper rev range but I find it lacking torque down low and, on track it’s enormous fun but has been set up with a more ‘road friendly’ geo - so tends to understeer (and not helped by some old Michelins PSS tyres… I’ve got some semi slicks waiting to go on soonest!)
For me, I chose it because I love the look of these cars and had planned to track it - but honestly, I now want to keep it standard given the performance and choice I have with the 996 and 991 - it feels like it wouldn’t be as good or as friendly as either, and always then stuck in the ‘middle child’ position when choosing a car for a trip or track… so better to keep it relatively standard and enjoy driving it daily.

So the million dollar question? If only one, which one?

Truly I couldn’t answer that and would have to choose two - and definitely those two would be the 991 and the 2.2s
Much as I love the 996 and 997, these two represent for me the best of what a 911 can offer, peak air cooled, peak water cooled, one supremely capable, the other completely emotional… both with the same innate characteristics but executed differently and experienced very differently!

I can honestly say, in a lottery winning scenario I really wouldn’t change any of the fleet… I love them all, have my favorites but wouldn’t want to see the back of any of them!

As you’ve guessed they are regularly serviced (at least twice a year), pampered (they’re valeted every 2 weeks) and driven whenever possible.

I would encourage anyone to take the leap, jump in ANY GT3, and enjoy life - it doesn’t get better!

And just so you don’t think I’m a complete Porsche fanboy, I also have a track Honda Type R which I adore… it’s an EP3 with a K24 upgraded engine and a few tasty mods… on a good day it’ll keep up with most things and regularly embarrasses and harasses some expensive machinery - it’s a complete hoot and I share it with the same mate from the 996

[Stedman]

rtholet said:

Hi guys,

Happy to try answer these questions best I can… for me, the 911 as a platform is a challenge to drive properly (and at pace) and each one of these have their quirks and subtleties to get the best out of them (well, my best anyway… they’re probably capable of more with someone else!)

First up, the 991.1 GT3… bought second hand from JZM with 7,000 miles on and a new G-series engine. The car is a clubsport with a DSC module as my only mod. Makes a MASSIVE difference both in soft mode and at the track - 9e have tuned it to my preferences and I think it’s just perfect! This car is undoubtedly one of the best cars I’ve ever driven… it runs Cup 2’s and still has the full Porsche warranty. I’ve had it PPF’d and am not afraid to use it in anger - I’ve lapped just on 1m22 at Goodwood in it and just under 2m38 at Bedford - I literally couldn’t ask for anything more and it’s by far my favorite machine (aside from the classic - more on which later)

Next up, the 996… this has had extensive mods - from a Porsche rollcage, to girodisc brakes all round, to Castrol SRF, to recaro PP’s, to lightened wheels, fully adjustable Ohlins, lightened flywheel, etc etc. The work was all done by 9e and it’s a fantastically analogue and friendly machine! I regularly use it for track work and I share the car with a mate - it’s nowhere near as fast as the 991 but interestingly is faster than the 997 in outright pace and corner speed. It’s my ‘friendliest’ car by far with sublime handling and very adjustable balance with either throttle or steering. When the weather is wet, or the track is tight and with little run-off, it’s my go-to car as I know I can trust it (and myself!)

The 2.2s was a purchase from Silverstone Auctions during Covid and I got it for a great price. That said, it was in tatty condition and the mechanicals were very poor… so it’s had an extensive restoration (again through 9e, who rebuilt the engine from scratch using only the casings, rebuilt the gearbox and all mechanicals as well as adding a Wevo shifter which makes a substantial difference to the feel of the 901 ‘box). It’s a summer car for sure but it’s got only 57k miles from new and is a matching numbers car - nothing better than driving this down to Goodwood on a Sunday morning, sunroof open and flat six screaming (it revs to 7,400) - very visceral and is set up for my driving style… slight turn-in oversteer, relatively low and relatively soft suspension… it’s ‘alive’ and the steering constantly chatters away. It easily four-wheel drifts and has enough power to drive on the throttle… I’ve only taken it once on track but as fun as it was, I much prefer the 991 or 996 by far as it just didn’t have the ultimate pace compared!

So to the 997… it’s (again) completely standard apart from an uprated DSC module as well as an updated PCM unit with ApplePlay. It’s a touring model with no sports chrono - and I hate that the sport button has to be pushed to unleash all the power! It’s a brilliant sounding engine in the upper rev range but I find it lacking torque down low and, on track it’s enormous fun but has been set up with a more ‘road friendly’ geo - so tends to understeer (and not helped by some old Michelins PSS tyres… I’ve got some semi slicks waiting to go on soonest!)
For me, I chose it because I love the look of these cars and had planned to track it - but honestly, I now want to keep it standard given the performance and choice I have with the 996 and 991 - it feels like it wouldn’t be as good or as friendly as either, and always then stuck in the ‘middle child’ position when choosing a car for a trip or track… so better to keep it relatively standard and enjoy driving it daily.

So the million dollar question? If only one, which one?

Truly I couldn’t answer that and would have to choose two - and definitely those two would be the 991 and the 2.2s
Much as I love the 996 and 997, these two represent for me the best of what a 911 can offer, peak air cooled, peak water cooled, one supremely capable, the other completely emotional… both with the same innate characteristics but executed differently and experienced very differently!

I can honestly say, in a lottery winning scenario I really wouldn’t change any of the fleet… I love them all, have my favorites but wouldn’t want to see the back of any of them!

As you’ve guessed they are regularly serviced (at least twice a year), pampered (they’re valeted every 2 weeks) and driven whenever possible.

I would encourage anyone to take the leap, jump in ANY GT3, and enjoy life - it doesn’t get better!

And just so you don’t think I’m a complete Porsche fanboy, I also have a track Honda Type R which I adore… it’s an EP3 with a K24 upgraded engine and a few tasty mods… on a good day it’ll keep up with most things and regularly embarrasses and harasses some expensive machinery - it’s a complete hoot and I share it with the same mate from the 996

I think I may have met you at Goodwood in late October last year?

[rtholet]

Stedman said:

I think I may have met you at Goodwood in late October last year?

Not sure Stedman? Checked and my last trackday of the year there was 7th October 2023… I think there might have been something in November but I can’t find it in my diary 😉

[Redline88]

Great write up on your fleet but you can’t let that go without a set of pics (or even better a readers cars thread )

[maxest]

Redline88 said:

Great write up on your fleet but you can’t let that go without a set of pics (or even better a readers cars thread )

Seconded

[rtholet]

[rtholet]

[rtholet]