15 years since I took delivery of my GT3RS - I have it still
Discussion
Before I ever bought a new Porsche I had spent a long time as a BMW fan, and in 2006 picked up a new E63 M6 at the factory and drove it to the Nordschleife where I met a PH friend (Hammerwerfer) who has since passed away but who instructed at the Nürburgring.
He was polite about the M6 and we spent a number of days at the track with it. However,he said it might be a good idea to try a GT3 and arranged for me to have some passenger laps in a track-prepared 996 GT3. The M6 was too heavy and significantly underbraked for the punishment delivered by the Ring.
On the way home to Canada feeling a bit flat I picked up some reading material in Frankfurt airport. One was a copy of Total 911 which had a review of the then new 997 GT3RS written by Chris Harris who I had never heard of. I became hooked on the new car.
A week later I headed down to the local Porsche dealer where I met Antje , a senior sales rep who was very polite and helpful, so I decided to order the new model. “Ah”, she said, “ I am afraid they are all sold”.
I told her I could wait for the following year model. With a regretful smile she mentioned that they too were all spoken for. However, I decided to come by every so often and see if there was any change in availability without pestering her. This was before the silly limited stuff and all of the competition for GT cars, but they were still selling. Every so often I would see a new one come by. like the one below .but none for me.
The following September I got a call.
“ It’s Antje- we have a cancellation, but I only have it for fifteen minutes before it goes to the next sales rep. If you want it you need to decide immediately and put in a firm order. Incidentally ,the car is here on the floor”.
Done.
I sent a bank courier over that day with a draft, bought some plates down to the dealer and insured it the same day, picked it up the following afternoon. It was also in the colour I really wanted - Green.
Antje ( shown below) gave me the car the next day.
Being late in the year there was not much chance to drive it before there Canadian winter set in. While I might had made some different choices in detail the car was a thrill to get my hands on:
With winter closing in, the fun would have to wait.
He was polite about the M6 and we spent a number of days at the track with it. However,he said it might be a good idea to try a GT3 and arranged for me to have some passenger laps in a track-prepared 996 GT3. The M6 was too heavy and significantly underbraked for the punishment delivered by the Ring.
On the way home to Canada feeling a bit flat I picked up some reading material in Frankfurt airport. One was a copy of Total 911 which had a review of the then new 997 GT3RS written by Chris Harris who I had never heard of. I became hooked on the new car.
A week later I headed down to the local Porsche dealer where I met Antje , a senior sales rep who was very polite and helpful, so I decided to order the new model. “Ah”, she said, “ I am afraid they are all sold”.
I told her I could wait for the following year model. With a regretful smile she mentioned that they too were all spoken for. However, I decided to come by every so often and see if there was any change in availability without pestering her. This was before the silly limited stuff and all of the competition for GT cars, but they were still selling. Every so often I would see a new one come by. like the one below .but none for me.
The following September I got a call.
“ It’s Antje- we have a cancellation, but I only have it for fifteen minutes before it goes to the next sales rep. If you want it you need to decide immediately and put in a firm order. Incidentally ,the car is here on the floor”.
Done.
I sent a bank courier over that day with a draft, bought some plates down to the dealer and insured it the same day, picked it up the following afternoon. It was also in the colour I really wanted - Green.
Antje ( shown below) gave me the car the next day.
Being late in the year there was not much chance to drive it before there Canadian winter set in. While I might had made some different choices in detail the car was a thrill to get my hands on:
With winter closing in, the fun would have to wait.
Having missed doing a factory delivery I decided to ship the car right back in Spring so I could go to the Ring and Spa among other things.
The 997.1 RS is not a monster performer by todays standards (about 4 seconds to 60 MPH,) but it is a very mechanical car, the last model that did not have stability control, simple six speed, hard suspension.
By the beginning of Spring 2008
the car had been barely used, sitting quietly in the Canadian winter.
The shipping process was fairly simple - down to the shipping terminal in Toronto, drop off with a thimbleful of fuel and say goodbye. The car would ship to Halifax and then by ship and road to Frankfurt.
A few weeks later I waited with some trepidation to collect the car. However, it arrived undamaged. I clicked on the key. Nothing. Completely flat. Being a complete neophyte I had not clue how to open the hood to get to the battery. ( simple item if you know it), and the warehouse guys did not know either. Eventually figured it out and after a boost was on the way.
The plan was to do a fairly long road run, stop over in Leipzig and Berlin and then head for the Nurburgring and Spa. I had a while to familiarize myself with the handling of the car. As I got a bit more comfortable I went for a Vmax run one morning on an autobahn stretch I knew.
The car was rock solid up to an indicated 300 km/h and then it began to lighten at the front and to lift so that there was very little steering. ( This was an issue that was solved my 7.2RS that had a lot more downforce and as a result was just fine Vmax).
a more moderate speed
The 997.1 RS is not a monster performer by todays standards (about 4 seconds to 60 MPH,) but it is a very mechanical car, the last model that did not have stability control, simple six speed, hard suspension.
By the beginning of Spring 2008
the car had been barely used, sitting quietly in the Canadian winter.
The shipping process was fairly simple - down to the shipping terminal in Toronto, drop off with a thimbleful of fuel and say goodbye. The car would ship to Halifax and then by ship and road to Frankfurt.
A few weeks later I waited with some trepidation to collect the car. However, it arrived undamaged. I clicked on the key. Nothing. Completely flat. Being a complete neophyte I had not clue how to open the hood to get to the battery. ( simple item if you know it), and the warehouse guys did not know either. Eventually figured it out and after a boost was on the way.
The plan was to do a fairly long road run, stop over in Leipzig and Berlin and then head for the Nurburgring and Spa. I had a while to familiarize myself with the handling of the car. As I got a bit more comfortable I went for a Vmax run one morning on an autobahn stretch I knew.
The car was rock solid up to an indicated 300 km/h and then it began to lighten at the front and to lift so that there was very little steering. ( This was an issue that was solved my 7.2RS that had a lot more downforce and as a result was just fine Vmax).
a more moderate speed
By this stage I loved the car because it felt more like a GoKart in terms of the responsiveness of the steering and the mechanical immediacy, even with the heavy clutch. However, the very low front end meant that it would scrape on steep ramps or speed bumps- there was no front lift available for the car. I have had five front splitters since. I had also been concerned by the lack of front grilles leaving the radiators exposed and had pre-fitted some aftermarket grilles.
I was on Canadian plates ( at the time had NRDSCHLF on that car. ) which raised a lot of reaction from the Polizei, and was stopped several times. However once they saw the papers they were fine and even jolly. I even got them to handcuff me and take a pic with me and I am certainly not publishing that photo.
I was on Canadian plates ( at the time had NRDSCHLF on that car. ) which raised a lot of reaction from the Polizei, and was stopped several times. However once they saw the papers they were fine and even jolly. I even got them to handcuff me and take a pic with me and I am certainly not publishing that photo.
So, to the Nürburgring for a week. I had arranged for a set of new tires to be delivered there would be no delays for worn rubber. Luckily the weather was very good so I have four days of great track experience,. At that time the car was a formidable campaigner relative to others, but I never got to the limits. Still, by day four I was feeling pretty good. The lack of stability control kept me a tad cautious anyway.
Spa was another matter. The track was greasy from rain and very early on the first day I got the car into a spin at the chicane, no harm done and no damage apart to my ego and confidence. This was my first trip to Spa , but I got the hang of if after a day or so. It is still a very challenging place to drive, but beautiful.
It is a very tricky car in heavy rain, and tracking it on Sport Cups in heavy rain is pretty unpredictable.
Since I have other car mileage is to huge..as of now it was 28,000 miles.
Mechanically it has been pretty bullletproof. One new clutch, a bunch of front splitters, all brake discs replaced and there east was very minor stuff. Since it was my first new Porsche of any kind I cannot being myself to sell it. Obviously modern EVs etc can outperform it with ease, but the sense of connectedness, the rattly idle of the Mezger engine and the scream at high revs make for an absorbing experience.
Hard to believe it has been fifteen years
It has had other companions of course, both Porsche and others and I expect it will have more, but as my first new Porsche I will hang onto it.
Since I have other car mileage is to huge..as of now it was 28,000 miles.
Mechanically it has been pretty bullletproof. One new clutch, a bunch of front splitters, all brake discs replaced and there east was very minor stuff. Since it was my first new Porsche of any kind I cannot being myself to sell it. Obviously modern EVs etc can outperform it with ease, but the sense of connectedness, the rattly idle of the Mezger engine and the scream at high revs make for an absorbing experience.
Hard to believe it has been fifteen years
It has had other companions of course, both Porsche and others and I expect it will have more, but as my first new Porsche I will hang onto it.
lingus75 said:
Really enjoyed reading your journey.
It’s just the sort of thing I love reading on PH without any of the faff that usually goes on in a lot of threads.
Intrigued about the police and handcuff photo though!
Just the kind of thing you want on the web when someone does a character searchIt’s just the sort of thing I love reading on PH without any of the faff that usually goes on in a lot of threads.
Intrigued about the police and handcuff photo though!
. The polizei started with great officiousness but once they were fine with the plate being legitimate they were quite interested in the car and sat in it ( no pics of that either). Generally the German police are just fine. I have only copped one major ticket due to a misinterpreting of a road sign. The polizei were beside me and immediately hit me with a ticket. Quite friendly, not a speeding or danger thing, so I just paid the ticket.RDMcG said:
In 2018 I was at an event in Michigan, and had two the greatest Porsche drivers sign the car... Vic Elford ( who has sadly passed away) and Hurley Heywood:
Awesome car OP, best of the 997.1 colours and good to see one being used properly! Sadly in the minority I fear...I had the pleasure of meeting 'Quick' Vic once, such a laid back chap given what he used to race and how he drove!
Chunkychucky said:
Awesome car OP, best of the 997.1 colours and good to see one being used properly! Sadly in the minority I fear...
I had the pleasure of meeting 'Quick' Vic once, such a laid back chap given what he used to race and how he drove!
The Mezger engined cars are pretty bulletproof and you can track them till the tires wear out. Very few maintenance priblems. Vic was a wonderful and funny guy who did not take himself seriously -I had met him before.He had wonderful stories such as doing 240 mph in a 917 on the Mulsanne straight at which speed he had no steeringI had the pleasure of meeting 'Quick' Vic once, such a laid back chap given what he used to race and how he drove!
Edited by RDMcG on Wednesday 19th October 21:26
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