Porsche 997.1 GT3 to 12C
Discussion
I've had a 997 GT3 RS and 997 GT2 and now own a 12C. I have to concur with everything that has been said on this post. The 12C plus points and minus points for me are as follows:
+: speed; power; acceleration (when you really go for it the car is like a bloody rocket-ship - faster even than the GT2 and that thing was RAPID); grip; exceptional ride; braking (carbon discs); air brake; gearbox in manual mode; seating position; visibility; practicality (to a point); scissor doors; looks (subjective); and, "special-ness" (subjective).
-: dealer servicing and customer care just not up to scratch yet; synthetic; perceived fragility/unreliability; engine note low down in the rev range (sounds like an almighty 4-cylinder and not an 8-cylinder); some light turbo lag; gearbox in auto mode (from time-to-time); IRIS 1.0 infotainment (I upgraded to IRIS 2.0 which has made a big difference but the radio is still poor); the car's superior ride comfort does give the sensation that you are floating somewhat over the road rather than keyed into it; rattly turbine air vents; and, I'm still trying to get the hand of the bloody swipe mechanism for the doors!
+: speed; power; acceleration (when you really go for it the car is like a bloody rocket-ship - faster even than the GT2 and that thing was RAPID); grip; exceptional ride; braking (carbon discs); air brake; gearbox in manual mode; seating position; visibility; practicality (to a point); scissor doors; looks (subjective); and, "special-ness" (subjective).
-: dealer servicing and customer care just not up to scratch yet; synthetic; perceived fragility/unreliability; engine note low down in the rev range (sounds like an almighty 4-cylinder and not an 8-cylinder); some light turbo lag; gearbox in auto mode (from time-to-time); IRIS 1.0 infotainment (I upgraded to IRIS 2.0 which has made a big difference but the radio is still poor); the car's superior ride comfort does give the sensation that you are floating somewhat over the road rather than keyed into it; rattly turbine air vents; and, I'm still trying to get the hand of the bloody swipe mechanism for the doors!
baronbennyt said:
I've had a 997 GT3 RS and 997 GT2 and now own a 12C. I have to concur with everything that has been said on this post. The 12C plus points and minus points for me are as follows:
+: speed; power; acceleration (when you really go for it the car is like a bloody rocket-ship - faster even than the GT2 and that thing was RAPID); grip; exceptional ride; braking (carbon discs); air brake; gearbox in manual mode; seating position; visibility; practicality (to a point); scissor doors; looks (subjective); and, "special-ness" (subjective).
-: dealer servicing and customer care just not up to scratch yet; synthetic; perceived fragility/unreliability; engine note low down in the rev range (sounds like an almighty 4-cylinder and not an 8-cylinder); some light turbo lag; gearbox in auto mode (from time-to-time); IRIS 1.0 infotainment (I upgraded to IRIS 2.0 which has made a big difference but the radio is still poor); the car's superior ride comfort does give the sensation that you are floating somewhat over the road rather than keyed into it; rattly turbine air vents; and, I'm still trying to get the hand of the bloody swipe mechanism for the doors!
Fair assessment really.+: speed; power; acceleration (when you really go for it the car is like a bloody rocket-ship - faster even than the GT2 and that thing was RAPID); grip; exceptional ride; braking (carbon discs); air brake; gearbox in manual mode; seating position; visibility; practicality (to a point); scissor doors; looks (subjective); and, "special-ness" (subjective).
-: dealer servicing and customer care just not up to scratch yet; synthetic; perceived fragility/unreliability; engine note low down in the rev range (sounds like an almighty 4-cylinder and not an 8-cylinder); some light turbo lag; gearbox in auto mode (from time-to-time); IRIS 1.0 infotainment (I upgraded to IRIS 2.0 which has made a big difference but the radio is still poor); the car's superior ride comfort does give the sensation that you are floating somewhat over the road rather than keyed into it; rattly turbine air vents; and, I'm still trying to get the hand of the bloody swipe mechanism for the doors!
Dealer service network is not up to scrathc but you can mitigate that by booking your service in well in advance........the issue is the unexpected issues that might take you off the road.......they are not set up (unless seriously pushed) to get you back on the road immediately............they do seem to have an attitude that we all have 4/5 cars and will accept our cars to be off the road for weeks on end rather than days.
Turbo lag is prominent.............I'd not noticed it really until I'd driven the sport series....Iris 1 was absolutely fine for me, but mine was my a DD so it being sluggish wasn't a problem for me.....the floaty ride is part of what makes you feel a little detached......ironically because it's so good, you don't feel all undulations of the road etc.....victim of it's own success etc etc.............
Despite all of the above I'd still take the 12c..........the doors, it's drama, it's rarity (nobody looks twice at any Porsche bar a CGT/918/GT3RS etc) and blistering pace..........make it a winner for me.
I've also gone from Porsche to McLaren. (911 Turbo, GT3, Cayman). I currently own a 12C.
There are various niggles that come with 12C ownership:
- the throttle response is a little lazy, as mentioned by others when on full auto mode. (Car is in normal drivetrain and normal suspension when in full auto). But then 911 Turbo's throttle response is also lazy in the same circumstance. In fact if you are just long distance loaping on a motorway at legal speeds this suits the calm and quiet character of the car very well. If you are summoning the beast I drive the car on country roads in manual with sport drivetrain and normal suspension. Some lag is still evident if you are in the wrong gear, but if you are at >3k rpm lag is really very minimal and throttle response good.
- Yes, cabin air vents are noisy and air conditioning is barely adequate if you are in South of France / Summer weather conditions. Under such conditions I usually have the air conditioning set to "LO" (minimum setting) and the fan at 1/3 when the car is already cool, but at maximum fan speed when the car has been sitting in the sun for a while. It takes considerably longer to cool down than any of the Porsche's I've owned.
- Suspension is excellent / very comfortable for such a capable supercar, but around cities at c.20mph the car is far less composed. Don't know what it is about such low speeds with uneven city roads, but as soon as you speed up to >40mph you are back to a ride comfort far in excess of anything you would expect from this type of car.
- Rear indicators get moisture in them. They still work fine, but it looks poor.
- Doors are a fun bit of drama, but are not the most practical. I have gotten used to the McClitoris door opening and can achieve climax 10/10. But as always with Clitoris the secret is not to rush. Jokes aside, seriously whenever you are trying to open the door in a hurry it will not work. The key is to take your time, start with your hand away from the sensor and move your hand slowly over the sensor. Then it works.
In terms of how the car drives it is a cross between the 911 Turbo and 911 GT3. It is ballistically fast in a way that exceeds the Turbo, and it has some of the handling that comes close to that offered by GT3s. The driving position in the McLaren is spot on: so secure, all the controls in the perfect position and ever so comfortable.
The one think that I dislike is that in my various Porsches I was relatively anonymous. With the McLaren I get the rock star treatment even if I am just popping down to the Tesco Extra to get some double cream. Cameras come out, grandads want to talk about the car (I don't particularly, but I don't want to be nasty to them so talk cars with them for a while) and kids on BMXs pull wheelies in front of me and ask me to rev the engine. All this I would much rather do without, thank you very much, but I suppose some people would like this.
There are various niggles that come with 12C ownership:
- the throttle response is a little lazy, as mentioned by others when on full auto mode. (Car is in normal drivetrain and normal suspension when in full auto). But then 911 Turbo's throttle response is also lazy in the same circumstance. In fact if you are just long distance loaping on a motorway at legal speeds this suits the calm and quiet character of the car very well. If you are summoning the beast I drive the car on country roads in manual with sport drivetrain and normal suspension. Some lag is still evident if you are in the wrong gear, but if you are at >3k rpm lag is really very minimal and throttle response good.
- Yes, cabin air vents are noisy and air conditioning is barely adequate if you are in South of France / Summer weather conditions. Under such conditions I usually have the air conditioning set to "LO" (minimum setting) and the fan at 1/3 when the car is already cool, but at maximum fan speed when the car has been sitting in the sun for a while. It takes considerably longer to cool down than any of the Porsche's I've owned.
- Suspension is excellent / very comfortable for such a capable supercar, but around cities at c.20mph the car is far less composed. Don't know what it is about such low speeds with uneven city roads, but as soon as you speed up to >40mph you are back to a ride comfort far in excess of anything you would expect from this type of car.
- Rear indicators get moisture in them. They still work fine, but it looks poor.
- Doors are a fun bit of drama, but are not the most practical. I have gotten used to the McClitoris door opening and can achieve climax 10/10. But as always with Clitoris the secret is not to rush. Jokes aside, seriously whenever you are trying to open the door in a hurry it will not work. The key is to take your time, start with your hand away from the sensor and move your hand slowly over the sensor. Then it works.
In terms of how the car drives it is a cross between the 911 Turbo and 911 GT3. It is ballistically fast in a way that exceeds the Turbo, and it has some of the handling that comes close to that offered by GT3s. The driving position in the McLaren is spot on: so secure, all the controls in the perfect position and ever so comfortable.
The one think that I dislike is that in my various Porsches I was relatively anonymous. With the McLaren I get the rock star treatment even if I am just popping down to the Tesco Extra to get some double cream. Cameras come out, grandads want to talk about the car (I don't particularly, but I don't want to be nasty to them so talk cars with them for a while) and kids on BMXs pull wheelies in front of me and ask me to rev the engine. All this I would much rather do without, thank you very much, but I suppose some people would like this.
The only niggle I have had in nearly a year is horn stopped working and suspension parts were replaced under warranty, I didn't even know the suspension needed doing. It was something the dealer insisted on.
Thankfully its been a reliable car for me. There is a slight bubbling under the PPF on the paint near the front wheel arch which is common apparently and my dealer has said they will fix, just need to plan when I want to lose the car for a while to get it painted.
I love the cars and the brand and am changing for a 650 Spider.
Thankfully its been a reliable car for me. There is a slight bubbling under the PPF on the paint near the front wheel arch which is common apparently and my dealer has said they will fix, just need to plan when I want to lose the car for a while to get it painted.
I love the cars and the brand and am changing for a 650 Spider.
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