Gransport vs 911 and M3 CSL

[Porscheplayer]

Hi all


Seem good value and with favourable reviews

Haven't driven on yet, but 400 BHP sounds nice

Looking for a weekend toy, something a bit special.


Anyone gone from a 996/997/CSL to a Gransport

How does the GS drive compared to the 911 and is it more of a GT car than sports?

Cheers

[k99]

You have to drive a Gransport to appreciate its virtues
Great to look at, luxury 4 seater but goes like stink all the way to a 180.
I've taken mine on a few track days and it's just wonderful.
The F1 gearbox is addictive and I wouldn't go back to a manual again.
The other two cars you mention are also great but wouldn't you rather drive a rare & beautiful Italian thoroughbred head-turner?
Downsides? Maserati dealers are few and far between unless you live in a major city. Supercar running costs but reliable. It will do 22mpg but the engine begs to be revved so expect less...
I'm never usually happy with my cars for long as there's always something else that comes along or I wish I'd bought instead. But honestly if you need 4 seats, luxury, performance & style there isn't anything else that comes close in my opinion. I've considered & driven a GranTurisimo S but it's too big with a smaller boot and not as involving a drive.

[ZeroH]

For what its worth, my views are as follows..

I haven't owned a Gransport but have plenty of seat time driving an 05 GS.... its a league above the standard e46 M3... can't comment on the CSL, but clearly the GS has a very different focus to the CSL.

Compared to the regular M3 then its engine is stronger, paddle shift better than SMG (if you have the latest software upgrades), much more planted in feel and ride quality far better and more controlled on challenging roads. However, I do prefer the M3's engine noise, the GS was a real disappointment (just not vocal enough) when opened up, and in sport mode in traffic the exhaust boom is horrible. Brakes much better in the GS also.

When you ask about comparisons to 911's thats an open-ended question, as it depends which model you are comparing it to.... i've driven pretty much all the 996 and 997 range, and would say its simply more GT in focus than any of them.... quick enough to keep a 997S honest tho and over a challenging b road or mountain road I would expect it to be similarly quick across the ground.

From experience I can say that the GS gets far more positive attention that my turbo does... little old ladies will literally come up and comment on what a nice car it is... whereas a Porsche parked next to it may as well be invisible

[Peter101]

ZeroH said:

However, I do prefer the M3's engine noise, the GS was a real disappointment (just not vocal enough) when opened up,

Are you sure you were driving a GS?? I don't understand how you could prefer the engine noise from an M3, my M3 sounded like a bag of spanners.

Admittedly the GS in the video below has Larini pipes, but even without is miles nicer sounding than an M3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAeg-_6p3_4

[Porscheplayer]

Thanks for the comments guys

Keep them coming.

I'm after something I can drive the wheels off really, in the same way you can drive the CSL or 911C2 S as if you've stolen it, but is the GS really that sort of car, I'm sure it's quick, rare and beautiful and interior ticks all the right boxes for me, but as I said it's a weekend toy I'm after, not every day transport.

[k99]

by "weekend toy" do you mean?
blasting down some favorite country lanes, track days, and/or staying at a country hotel
I do all of the above in my GS, but if it was primarily for track day type activity then maybe a 911 would be best.

Edited by k99 on Tuesday 20th April 11:25

[ZeroH]

Peter101 said:

ZeroH said:

However, I do prefer the M3's engine noise, the GS was a real disappointment (just not vocal enough) when opened up,

Are you sure you were driving a GS?? I don't understand how you could prefer the engine noise from an M3, my M3 sounded like a bag of spanners.

Admittedly the GS in the video below has Larini pipes, but even without is miles nicer sounding than an M3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAeg-_6p3_4

We'll have to agree to disagree here I'm afraid.... The GS to me on full throttle was a real disappointment... very smooth turbine like but as I said, it never really roared.

I also recall reading an Evo review to see what they thought shortly after I drove it, and I noted at the time that they also said the engine was muted... so clearly I'm not imagining it !

Have you ever sat in the rear seats in traffic using small throttle openings whith the car in sport mode ? The exhaust blare is deeply unpleasant... albeit I found it sounds less unpleasant sitting up front.

[Peter101]

ZeroH said:

Peter101 said:

ZeroH said:

However, I do prefer the M3's engine noise, the GS was a real disappointment (just not vocal enough) when opened up,

Are you sure you were driving a GS?? I don't understand how you could prefer the engine noise from an M3, my M3 sounded like a bag of spanners.

Admittedly the GS in the video below has Larini pipes, but even without is miles nicer sounding than an M3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAeg-_6p3_4

We'll have to agree to disagree here I'm afraid.... The GS to me on full throttle was a real disappointment... very smooth turbine like but as I said, it never really roared.

I also recall reading an Evo review to see what they thought shortly after I drove it, and I noted at the time that they also said the engine was muted... so clearly I'm not imagining it !

Have you ever sat in the rear seats in traffic using small throttle openings whith the car in sport mode ? The exhaust blare is deeply unpleasant... albeit I found it sounds less unpleasant sitting up front.

I have got to admit that when I had my 4200 with Larini back boxes I did tend to get the odd headache. But I still think the M3 sounded pretty tinny. It was my biggest disappointment when I owned one. But like you say, everyone has there own likes and dislikes.

[R555WRS]

I went from a 996 to a GS 5 years ago and kept the GS for the last 5 years. I loved the car to bits, although "caveat emptor", it is a GT not a car you can "drive the nuts off it like you have stolen it". If you want that, then you'll be disappointed with the GS and be better off going with a 997 C2S or C4S. If you want to mash the throttle all the time, you'll need a new clutch every 2K miles.

If however, you want the luxury and feeling of a proper "fast" and "involving" GT without paying 612 money, then the GS is a perfect choice.

I found the only downsides were the lack of torque and the pants OEM exhaust note. On the torque, it needs revving a lot to get it on the boil, otherwise granny in her Micra is going to drop you if you put your foot down @ 2K revs in 6th gear!. On the exhaust note, I got a Tubi Ramore exhaust on the car, it was the exhaust the GS should have always had.

Only drive them in "sport" mode only. You will have a 100% better drive and the clutch will last longer.

I just got a new Granturismo S so proves how much I liked the GS and wanted to stay with the brand. It has much more torque than the GS, has an exhaust note to die for (search Granturismo S on Youtube) and has a bigger boot. To one of the previous posters, my GS could not take a Bugaboo pram, the Granturismo S can. That was my benchmark ;-)

Stu

[Mario149]

A bit left field, but if you're potentially after something along the lines of a GS i.e. sporty, but with 4 seats and a head turner, maybe look at a Fezza 456? They're about the same price as a GS, will cost a bit more to service, but you'll save in depreciation. You could also have a 'proper' gearbox with it

[k99]

Stu,
Ref boot space
figures below from parkers.co.uk
GS 315L
GT 260L

Can't find stats on the official site for either car, I always thought the GT was bigger but when I test drove one a few weeks ago I thought it looked smaller than I remembered. When I checked the figures this is what I found.
Seen these figures on some other websites as well so maybe they're all using an incorrect source as it doesn't seem right somehow.

[psp]

To add my 2p's worth to the the valid comments to date. I am a current GS owner which I moved on to from a 996 C4 Cab and to that from a E46 M3 Cab. The GS is a genuine event to drive, unadulterated pleasure to be in and use, can do the weekly shop and blast a b road. Found the M3 rapid but very ordinary and the C4 more special to drive but ultimately slower than the M3. Expect larger servicing costs and low MPG, 18 is the average for me and i dont blast around. The GS is more of an all rounder than weekend thrash type of beast, prehaps the CSL maybe a good option, or GT3 Mk1 or 2.

Cheers

Scott

[robm3]

I did around 44,000 miles in my CSL and it's the only car I truly miss.

You need to drive all three back to back to get a feel for what you could live with.

Value wise I suspect the CSL is the best bet. I sold mine two and half years ago for 25K and values are still around the same. Both the Masser and 911 will continue to drop however to caveat that 3rd and 4th hand values rarely play a part in these decisions.

[rs48635]

Porscheplayer said:

Thanks for the comments guys

Keep them coming.

I'm after something I can drive the wheels off really, in the same way you can drive the CSL or 911C2 S as if you've stolen it, but is the GS really that sort of car, I'm sure it's quick, rare and beautiful and interior ticks all the right boxes for me, but as I said it's a weekend toy I'm after, not every day transport.

Why not get an exige if you don't want every day transport? one of the best weekend toys ever. More bhp/ton lighter so better mpg, brakes, clutch, servicing than any of the above.
In fact why not get KTM x-bow or 340R or Caterham R300/R500 or Arile Atom?
Your post reminds me when I was 21 and boys were looking for toys, so started buying Golf GTIs as first proper fast car, instead of a proper sprots car.

What is it you really want? Does your wife/partner/significant other have a choice in the matter?

[Pork]

robm3 said:

I did around 44,000 miles in my CSL and it's the only car I truly miss.

You need to drive all three back to back to get a feel for what you could live with.

Value wise I suspect the CSL is the best bet. I sold mine two and half years ago for 25K and values are still around the same. Both the Masser and 911 will continue to drop however to caveat that 3rd and 4th hand values rarely play a part in these decisions.

GranSports are more expensive today than they were 12 months ago. I know of examples of the very same car being sold for more that it was sold for last year. One car I had my eye on was put up £2k this week (granted, thats not the norm, thankfully!)

[Porscheplayer]

rs48635 said:

Porscheplayer said:

Thanks for the comments guys

Keep them coming.

I'm after something I can drive the wheels off really, in the same way you can drive the CSL or 911C2 S as if you've stolen it, but is the GS really that sort of car, I'm sure it's quick, rare and beautiful and interior ticks all the right boxes for me, but as I said it's a weekend toy I'm after, not every day transport.

Why not get an exige if you don't want every day transport? one of the best weekend toys ever. More bhp/ton lighter so better mpg, brakes, clutch, servicing than any of the above.
In fact why not get KTM x-bow or 340R or Caterham R300/R500 or Arile Atom?
Your post reminds me when I was 21 and boys were looking for toys, so started buying Golf GTIs as first proper fast car, instead of a proper sprots car.

What is it you really want? Does your wife/partner/significant other have a choice in the matter?

Hi

I've driven the Exige S a few times and its great car on the track, but that’s all. It’s not quick enough on the road. Sure it's quick off the line, but runs out of puff past 75mph, due to a of lack outright power and that draggy body.
I want something I can use every day, so that rules out the Exige S , getting in and out of the thing with somebody of my build is a fking nightmare tbh honest and I also find the seat to small across the shoulders, plus I need four seats some times, hence why I want to change from my current car

I have a Z4M Coupe at the moment, which I love, its strikes the right balance between power/driver appeal and practicality(for 2 two people at least), but as I say I would like 4 seats instead and there’s not many which fit the bill or interest me, so far it’s 911 C2 S or CSL

BTW I've had plenty of proper sports cars over the years

Edited by Porscheplayer on Thursday 22 April 15:48

[chillo]

I've had my LE GS for just over a year now, previously in a CSL, then a 996C2 and a E46 M3 cab before that.
The GS is such an event, happy to cruise around soaking up the amazing ambience or if you feel urge its nice to turn the taps on to experience that v8 lunge, its a great handling car with a nice turn in and predictable back end which can be great fun! Nice to take the missus out in too! You get so much positive attention.
The csl is THE loon of a car and I'm amazed I didn't get locked up when I had it! It just encourages you to drive like a tt! Feels bullet proof and is so chuckable, the levels of lateral g you can get are unreal. The missus hated it! ha! It was practical as the rear seats folded down, not a GT car though! Used to get a few frowns from lentil eating types etc
The 996 was something inbetween the GS and the CSL IMHO, great car with a nice occasion, not one for positive attention all the time and not easy to hang it out etc but a great car none the less.
Speed/acceleration wise between all 3 there is nothing much in it on a everyday basis, the csl nudges it handling wise but only on account of it carrying less weight.
The GS is my fav!


ps.
have scratched my itch so putting my GS up for sale in the coming weeks