Domster drives... a 996 GT3 Mk2
Discussion
I took one of these babies out for a spin around Donington on Sunday. Some driving impressions:
I've not driven the Mk1 GT3, but the Mk2 is certainly a great car, and also a great Porsche. The one I drove was a clubsport spec car with Nomex seats, fire extinguisher and cage, and looked the business inside and out. The cupholders, stereo and electric windows were a bit incongruous, but the owner didn't appreciate me trying to prise them out with my swiss army knife, so they stayed. Weird to have a cage with A pillar bars AND electric windows. Just seemed odd coming from the Baron, but undoubtedly a luxurious and classy place to be.
First thing I noticed is that it's very easy to drive, clutch is quite sharp as it's a racing-style jobby, but the controls are light and the gearbox easy to navigate. Being a six speeder, 1-3-5 are quite close in the upper gate, so coming from a 5 speeder meant I got gear 3 and a half for my first upchange from second
WHAT A SOUND.... it is a quick old beast, even if it was still being run in (up to 7k revs with Porsche's permission) with only 300 miles on the clock. The engine sounds as glorious as the Baron - and this is a standard exhaust. Amazingly, the flypast is quiet and it comes in under 98dbs, so Porsche have worked a miracle - glorious noise inide the car, little noise outside.
It is still not as pure - or raw - a driving experience as the Baron, so the hardcore mentalists should maybe still conside the 964RS or 993RS and save their cash. You can feel the extra weight in the 996 and the refinement and undoubted extra sophistication of the later model do mean that the classic RS seat-of-the-pants feedback is blunted by a fraction. But the driving experience is still excellent, and you can feel what is going on chassis and steering wise.
Handling is exemplary, but lively... this is not going to be as quick a car on real roads from A-B as it is on a smooth track. Take Daz's turbo to Tescos instead. Legend has it that lift off oversteer has been dialled out of the stock 996, but this beast will go sideways very easily. In the right, smooth, hands, it is a joy to drive and will be immensely rewarding. In inexperienced hands or in the wet, it will go badger hunting with glee. I was careful with the downhill off camber Craner Curves at Donington - if you lose it there you will still be spinning next month.
The pedals were perfectly set up for heel and toe downchanges, much better than the floor hinged ones in the Baron, and the engine is hungry to rev. It doesn't feel as accelerative as Daz's X50 turbo, because the delivery is pretty linear and it doesn't have the torque, but it's all the power you'd need on the road probably.
Domster verdict? Big thumbs up, but not an everyday car for people who want to go from A-B without concentrating too hard, or for the wife to borrow in the wet. It will take no prisoners - get the Turbo which helps you out a lot more. If however, you do a bit of track work, this car will reward like an older RS, but is a fraction friendlier on the limit than a 964RS and much more refined and luxurious when tootling around.
Hmmm, I can see myself in one of these in years to come...
I've not driven the Mk1 GT3, but the Mk2 is certainly a great car, and also a great Porsche. The one I drove was a clubsport spec car with Nomex seats, fire extinguisher and cage, and looked the business inside and out. The cupholders, stereo and electric windows were a bit incongruous, but the owner didn't appreciate me trying to prise them out with my swiss army knife, so they stayed. Weird to have a cage with A pillar bars AND electric windows. Just seemed odd coming from the Baron, but undoubtedly a luxurious and classy place to be.
First thing I noticed is that it's very easy to drive, clutch is quite sharp as it's a racing-style jobby, but the controls are light and the gearbox easy to navigate. Being a six speeder, 1-3-5 are quite close in the upper gate, so coming from a 5 speeder meant I got gear 3 and a half for my first upchange from second
WHAT A SOUND.... it is a quick old beast, even if it was still being run in (up to 7k revs with Porsche's permission) with only 300 miles on the clock. The engine sounds as glorious as the Baron - and this is a standard exhaust. Amazingly, the flypast is quiet and it comes in under 98dbs, so Porsche have worked a miracle - glorious noise inide the car, little noise outside.
It is still not as pure - or raw - a driving experience as the Baron, so the hardcore mentalists should maybe still conside the 964RS or 993RS and save their cash. You can feel the extra weight in the 996 and the refinement and undoubted extra sophistication of the later model do mean that the classic RS seat-of-the-pants feedback is blunted by a fraction. But the driving experience is still excellent, and you can feel what is going on chassis and steering wise.
Handling is exemplary, but lively... this is not going to be as quick a car on real roads from A-B as it is on a smooth track. Take Daz's turbo to Tescos instead. Legend has it that lift off oversteer has been dialled out of the stock 996, but this beast will go sideways very easily. In the right, smooth, hands, it is a joy to drive and will be immensely rewarding. In inexperienced hands or in the wet, it will go badger hunting with glee. I was careful with the downhill off camber Craner Curves at Donington - if you lose it there you will still be spinning next month.
The pedals were perfectly set up for heel and toe downchanges, much better than the floor hinged ones in the Baron, and the engine is hungry to rev. It doesn't feel as accelerative as Daz's X50 turbo, because the delivery is pretty linear and it doesn't have the torque, but it's all the power you'd need on the road probably.
Domster verdict? Big thumbs up, but not an everyday car for people who want to go from A-B without concentrating too hard, or for the wife to borrow in the wet. It will take no prisoners - get the Turbo which helps you out a lot more. If however, you do a bit of track work, this car will reward like an older RS, but is a fraction friendlier on the limit than a 964RS and much more refined and luxurious when tootling around.
Hmmm, I can see myself in one of these in years to come...
domster said:
Hmmm, I can see myself in one of these in years to come...
The ultimate compliment to a car with cup holders me thinks.
I think the American chap (Gary AKA "Bossertrot" on PH, he has owned an 996tt X50 and was in Europe collecting his new GT3) we met at Nurburg in May summed it up, the Turbo is a fast road car you can take on track, the GT3 is a fast track car you can take on the road. I can see many PHers looking at trying to pick up the clubsport versions as trackday weapons in the future once Mr Depreciation has done his thing. Dom I'll see you in the queue.
DAZ
Cheers Don.
I drove the car with Coulson Pritchard (CPA) trackdays ( www.coulsonpritchard.com ). You get about 5 sessions in a day with instruction on a variety of vehicles, although if you were really interested in the GT3 I'm sure you could blag two sessions in it if there was time.
I learnt the course a little in a Seat Cupra R and a Fiat Stilo Abarth - not bad little hatches, Seat was better with 250bhp and had demonic lift off oversteer
- and then had a session in the Porsche. They also have an Ultima GTR, Westfield XTR2, Cerbera 4.5, Caterham on their books.
Cost is 299+vat, see website for dates. The organisers are first class and great people - they throw in drinks, lunch and champagne (well, sparkling wine ) for the best drivers of the day. I came second out of 12, but that was probably just because I turned up in my race suits and boots and avoided hitting any badgers 
My instructor in the Porsche was John Hayman of Evo fame, a very good driver and again a lovely bloke. The day is good value when you think of the insurance, wear and tear, fuel, helmet hire, brakes, tyres, track access, instruction, grub, prizes etc that is all included. If in your own car you could probably do more sessions, say 6-8, but with cooling down periods maybe not much more. You do 5 in a day with CPA Trackdays, and maybe an extra one if time, so there is still plenty of track fun to be had.
I drove the car with Coulson Pritchard (CPA) trackdays ( www.coulsonpritchard.com ). You get about 5 sessions in a day with instruction on a variety of vehicles, although if you were really interested in the GT3 I'm sure you could blag two sessions in it if there was time.
I learnt the course a little in a Seat Cupra R and a Fiat Stilo Abarth - not bad little hatches, Seat was better with 250bhp and had demonic lift off oversteer
- and then had a session in the Porsche. They also have an Ultima GTR, Westfield XTR2, Cerbera 4.5, Caterham on their books. Cost is 299+vat, see website for dates. The organisers are first class and great people - they throw in drinks, lunch and champagne (well, sparkling wine
) for the best drivers of the day. I came second out of 12, but that was probably just because I turned up in my race suits and boots and avoided hitting any badgers My instructor in the Porsche was John Hayman of Evo fame, a very good driver and again a lovely bloke. The day is good value when you think of the insurance, wear and tear, fuel, helmet hire, brakes, tyres, track access, instruction, grub, prizes etc that is all included. If in your own car you could probably do more sessions, say 6-8, but with cooling down periods maybe not much more. You do 5 in a day with CPA Trackdays, and maybe an extra one if time, so there is still plenty of track fun to be had.
LOL, that is always at the back of my mind Colin It sounds a real beast... It is finding the time and a road between Warrington and the civilised world that is delaying matters
I am doing Bedford Autodrome on the 18th October, so if you can make that it would be good to meet up.
PS There could be the opportunity for me to invest in something more Beltonesque... a 993 race car with Turbo 4 engine - sort of a GT2 replica. Should be wild as it has removable front/rear sections instead of wings and you can move the engine to help corner weight it.
It sounds a real beast... It is finding the time and a road between Warrington and the civilised world that is delaying matters I am doing Bedford Autodrome on the 18th October, so if you can make that it would be good to meet up.
PS There could be the opportunity for me to invest in something more Beltonesque... a 993 race car with Turbo 4 engine - sort of a GT2 replica. Should be wild as it has removable front/rear sections instead of wings and you can move the engine to help corner weight it.
They sold the E46 M3 to buy the GT3. Fair enough - I'd rather drive an 80k GT3 with 380bhp than a 40k M3 with 340... although I was quite looking forward to the E46 in all honesty. It was a manual tho', so would have missed out on full smg experience.
I am driving the Ult at Bedford on 18th Oct as one or both head gaskets had expired on it a few days before.
PS Got a 2hp/50litre compressor now...
I am driving the Ult at Bedford on 18th Oct as one or both head gaskets had expired on it a few days before.
PS Got a 2hp/50litre compressor now...
Domster,
The CPA day sounds very interesting - I'm interested in doing the Rockingham day. Just a couple of questions - do they really let you off the leash, ie does the instructor have a seizure if you dare to get a little sideways? How is it decided which cars you drive, there's nothing on the booking form denoting what you drive?
cheers,
Steve
The CPA day sounds very interesting - I'm interested in doing the Rockingham day. Just a couple of questions - do they really let you off the leash, ie does the instructor have a seizure if you dare to get a little sideways? How is it decided which cars you drive, there's nothing on the booking form denoting what you drive?
cheers,
Steve
trackdemon said:
Domster,
The CPA day sounds very interesting - I'm interested in doing the Rockingham day. Just a couple of questions - do they really let you off the leash, ie does the instructor have a seizure if you dare to get a little sideways? How is it decided which cars you drive, there's nothing on the booking form denoting what you drive?
cheers,
Steve
The cars you drive depend on availability really. They have a few hatches to get people used to the track (Fiat Stilo 170bhp and Seat Cupra 250bhp, so they are still quite useful) and then they throw in a few exotics from their garage... a Cerbera 4.5, Porsche GT3, Westfield XTR2, Ultima GTR, Caterham etc. The Porsche and Caterham were the ones in service on my day as the others were being serviced, fettled or repaired. You know what these exotics are like...
The instructors were fantastic. Some of the best I've sat beside and they ENCOURAGED you to push on, but with an emphasis on smoothness and track technique, not hooliganism. They even disabled the stability control on the lift-off oversteering Cupra R for one of the guys, and told him to have a play... he had the time of his life and was getting the tail out nicely. Obviously they won't let you do this on the first session if they don't know you
The Porsche and Caterham had no driver aids so they rely on common sense being applied. I have been on a nannying 'rev limited' day before, but this was different. No rev limits - and instructors keen to get you going faster, in safety. They didn't just shut up and mark your score card, they would properly instruct you and even take you out after the session to show you what they meant or how to take the right line through a tricky corner.
Cheers
Dom
Try a GT3 with 500bhp+ - this is the ultimate road going car which is available for Track day use in the South / Midlands area.
This is the most exciting car I have ever driven - even though it was basically a race car with number plates on it.
In summary when you hit the throttle pedal the car moved not forward but the earth rotated far quicker! Handling was like something out of the 1980's Tron movie!!
I envy all owners - but in a nice way
SVG
This is the most exciting car I have ever driven - even though it was basically a race car with number plates on it.
In summary when you hit the throttle pedal the car moved not forward but the earth rotated far quicker! Handling was like something out of the 1980's Tron movie!!
I envy all owners - but in a nice way
SVG
ninemeister said:
Who's organising the Bedford day Dom and how much is it going to cost me?
Not sure. I will try and find out. I am going with CPA (Coulson Pritchard Associates) Trackdays at www.coulsonpritchard.com but these guys piggyback other events AFAIK.
ATB
Dom
Bedford Sat Oct 18th is being run by RMA.
www.rma-limited.com
Cost for non-RMA members is £245 on an open pit-lane basis using the GT circuit.
Forgot to mention, I should be there aswell.
>> Edited by paulc on Tuesday 16th September 16:29
www.rma-limited.com
Cost for non-RMA members is £245 on an open pit-lane basis using the GT circuit.
Forgot to mention, I should be there aswell.
>> Edited by paulc on Tuesday 16th September 16:29
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