RE: Tell Me I'm Wrong: Porsche 911 996 GT3

[Great Pretender]

Housey said:

Mk1 looks like a C2 with a bodykit.

Not to those that know, it doesn't. And those that don't, won't give a toss anyway.

MK1 is a spectacular looking road car.

[too10]

Greetings from sunny South Africa...

having enjoyed the OP and followed the thread I thought I would ad my 2 cents worth

I currently have a silver 996 MK2 (18 000 kms and stock standard) and have previously had a midnight blue example of the same car (owned from 17000kms to 32000kms single mass flywheel, RS Wing, Europipe system)

The last two sundays I have had the pleasure of doing a breakfast run with a few guys with their various GT3's





With regards to the statement that the MK1's are not as quick as the Mk2's I can confirm this is pretty accurate. Neither of the earlier generation cars in the photos could match the MK2 in most of the comparisons done (standing start, rolling runs, higher speeds)

In terms of looks it would boil down to personal taste. I think the MK2 is a more attractive car. The MK1 gives me the sense that the spoilers and aero kit was added as an afterthought where in the newer car they were implemented as part of the design

The past sunday the run only consisted of myself, an R8 V8 manual and the 997.2 GT3 in the photo above

I had the opportunity of doing some comparisons against the newer GT3 and swapped keys with the owner for a blat, and was mightily amazed at the differences between the cars

There is very little real world performance difference between the two, but what struck me the most was how much easier the new car was to go fast in!

The 996 is far more nervous/edgy feeling and almost intimidates you a bit more than the newer cars. The owner of the 997 commented after his drive of the 996 that it actually scared him and he felt the car was alive through the steering wheel.

In the end my conclusion to myself was that my driving experience is made all the better by having that sweaty palmed adrenaline kick from driving something that if treated poorly can bite you. It gives me a thrill that I have only found on two wheels before

To get back to the point of my post what I am trying to get it is that albeit that the MK2 may be quicker and that the MK1 be more compliant on bad roads, either way you choose to spend your money you will end up with a very special and thrilling thing indeed

These cars were made to excite and to encourage people who love to drive and considering their current pricing and the availability of decent unmolested ones I think they are a performance bargain

Will leave you with a pic of my MK2 taken at the crack of dawn on a cold winters morning in Africa and just looking at it makes me look forward to Sunday already

[offshorematt2]

Chris Harris said:

...it was barely any faster than the admittedly suspiciously fast 996 C2 launch cars

Hmm. Perhaps a little off topic Chris but i hope you're not suggesting that porsche gave tweaked cars to journalists to get better reviews?? I guess you must have forgotten about the 996 when slating Ferrari last year for the same thing then.

Oh and back on topic, for my money it's got to be the Gen 2 RS (with blue wheels/decals) all day long Could never get past the front end on the Gen 1 regardless of the drive.

[Alnassma]

offshorematt2 said:

Chris Harris said:

...it was barely any faster than the admittedly suspiciously fast 996 C2 launch cars

Hmm. Perhaps a little off topic Chris but i hope you're not suggesting that porsche gave tweaked cars to journalists to get better reviews?? I guess you must have forgotten about the 996 when slating Ferrari last year for the same thing then.

Oh and back on topic, for my money it's got to be the Gen 2 RS (with blue wheels/decals) all day long Could never get past the front end on the Gen 1 regardless of the drive.

I seem to recall that he did say this was common practice however ferrari was really taking the piss with cars that was massively faster than your boggo customer car to the point where you really had to wonder how let down a customer would be having driven both..

[Housey]

Great Pretender said:

Not to those that know, it doesn't. And those that don't, won't give a toss anyway.

MK1 is a spectacular looking road car.

I suggest you are perpetuating the Mk1 problem Monkey was talking about. Telling the difference isn't the problem, the key bits look the same, where as the Mk2 didn't. The ride height alone is enough for anyone in the know to spot the difference, but that isn't the point.

[jeremyc]

Great Pretender said:

Housey said:

Mk1 looks like a C2 with a bodykit.

Not to those that know, it doesn't. And those that don't, won't give a toss anyway.

MK1 is a spectacular looking road car.

Housey said:

I suggest you are perpetuating the Mk1 problem Monkey was talking about. Telling the difference isn't the problem, the key bits look the same, where as the Mk2 didn't. The ride height alone is enough for anyone in the know to spot the difference, but that isn't the point.

Surely both the Mk1 and Mk2 had bodykits which at times were fitted to C2s.

There was nothing on the Mk2 that was different to the facelift C2 other than the addition of the body kit.

So I don't see how your argument of Mk1 vs Mk2 holds - I understand there might be personal preference in looks, but both were put together with broadly the same set of ingredients.

[Output Flange]

Great Pretender said:

I'm late to this party, but I can answer this one:

The GT3 is lighter, faster, grips harder, stops better, corners flatter, revs higher...

If the C2S was a thoroughbred nag, the GT3 (even 996 flavour) would be the same nag, skinned and dipped in tabasco.

C2S a far better daily proposition though.

Interesting.

I had a couple of GT3s (.1 and .2) behind me down a country road recently, and they struggled to keep up...

Edited by Output Flange on Wednesday 1st August 11:44

[Housey]

jeremyc said:

Great Pretender said:

Housey said:

Mk1 looks like a C2 with a bodykit.

Not to those that know, it doesn't. And those that don't, won't give a toss anyway.

MK1 is a spectacular looking road car.

Housey said:

I suggest you are perpetuating the Mk1 problem Monkey was talking about. Telling the difference isn't the problem, the key bits look the same, where as the Mk2 didn't. The ride height alone is enough for anyone in the know to spot the difference, but that isn't the point.

Surely both the Mk1 and Mk2 had bodykits which at times were fitted to C2s.

There was nothing on the Mk2 that was different to the facelift C2 other than the addition of the body kit.

So I don't see how your argument of Mk1 vs Mk2 holds - I understand there might be personal preference in looks, but both were put together with broadly the same set of ingredients.

Hmmm well yes it is personal preference and the spoiler on the Mk2 was very different and wasn't an aero kit option unlike the Mk1 version. We are debating a subjective as you say, there is no right and wrong but I preferred the aesthetics of the Mk2 which is why I bought one some years back. You could add an aerokit to a C2 and it looked like a Mk1 by any sensible judgetment, the Mk2 didn't in the main due to it's spoiler.

[sleep envy]

Output Flange said:

Great Pretender said:

I'm late to this party, but I can answer this one:

The GT3 is lighter, faster, grips harder, stops better, corners flatter, revs higher...

If the C2S was a thoroughbred nag, the GT3 (even 996 flavour) would be the same nag, skinned and dipped in tabasco.

C2S a far better daily proposition though.

Interesting.

I had a couple of GT3s (.1 and .2) behind me down a country road recently, and they struggled to keep up...

Edited by Output Flange on Wednesday 1st August 11:44

maybe they were keeping their distance as the 997.2 C2S wendy house they were following looked like it was falling off the road

[f1ten]

right or wrong Im going to have a Gen 11 car. A good Noise is high on my importance list and Im sorry so are looks. The old egg yolk or boxster headlight is too off putting for me on gen 1. I love the story of being last handmade in the special production line, but its not rare enough or significant enough to make me want / desire it over the Gen 11 car.

[f1ten]

in the gt3 996 ads - absolute criminal and you must be joking...
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3970178.htm

[agtlaw]

f1ten said:

in the gt3 996 ads - absolute criminal and you must be joking...
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3970178.htm

i don't like its smiley face.

[monthefish]

Housey said:

the spoiler on the Mk2 was very different and wasn't an aero kit option unlike the Mk1 version.

It was. Just nowhere near as common as the Mk 1 version.

[sutats]

agtlaw said:

i don't like its smiley face.

It's a she.

[Boddington]

Monkey, you're completely wrong, utterly deluded, and clearly just taking a deliberately provocative stance on this topic to stoke the debate. The Mk1 is obviously the better and more desirable car. I'm in a perfectly impartial position to judge this, on account of me having my lovely Mk1 on the market currently...

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/4052440.htm

Never driven a Mk2, so have no idea which is better to be honest, but I do know that my Mk1 is awesome and I'm sure the Mk2s are right up there too. Whether you go for a Mk1 or Mk2, if you're lucky enough to be in a position to have a GT3 in your life, go for it.

[airiscool]

C.H. what about 996 GT3 MK2 vs 997.1 GT3? Seriously? I am in the market and have been pondering the pros and cons for weeks!

75% commuter + B-road fun use, 25% lapping days in the advanced groups.

Which does one buy...seriously?

[anniesdad]

airiscool said:

C.H. what about 996 GT3 MK2 vs 997.1 GT3? Seriously? I am in the market and have been pondering the pros and cons for weeks!

75% commuter + B-road fun use, 25% lapping days in the advanced groups.

Which does one buy...seriously?

If the budget stretches I'd go for a 997 GT3. Whilst the PASM dampers aren't universally praised I believe they offer the best compromise for road use. 996 GT3 mk2's aren't great on the average B road and I'm not surprised that some owners might find their C2S's just as quick. If UK roads were flat then the C2S wouldn't see which way the 996 GT3 went. I loved my 996 GT3 whilst I had it but it really is/was a track car.

[sleep envy]

Steve, I think you forgot this [/oldman]

[Great Pretender]

[anniesdad]

Hmmm