newest acquisition (moved discussion from Ferrari threads to here.)

Just getting back from Houston, Texas this early morning, I had made a decision.
This morning I signed to buy the GT2 from a young man who needed to sell it due to his house going into foreclosure (a huge dissapointment because he recently took delivery.) He released the car for a very good price and plans on down grading to a facelift C2S when the time comes. I came to the conclusion that the 430S is over 40k more than what I agreed to pay for this GT2, and the LP560 is around 200k (which is a safe price) but will not be around in the mainstream until the end of the year. This being said, it should be a good summer in Florida with 2 solid German automobiles - I will be curious to drive my wife's A5 as she opted for the 6spd manual.
The gentleman sent me some fotos which he took and i will share below.

The drive:
This car demands respect and requires either a fast learner or a natural when it comes to driving. Its a feeling you have to be in the mood for, and worth each dime of the cost. Compared to my 993 Turbo it is far more responsive and inturn more rewarding overall. The car acknowledges your driving with deep pitches from the dry sump engine and breif backfires from the exhaust. The interior is louder than I imagined but the sort of loud that brings excitment and magic to the driving experience, much like a 360 Stradale. At first it was quite jerky in the low gears, but i learnt that this car does not need as much gas after gear engagement as other sports cars may (like the 993T.) Should you apply too much gas, then the car will kick you expecting you to respond with a quick gear change... beautiful really. I would say it would be a bully of a car to someone driving a Porsche for the first time, but like any other car, you get used to it.

The best part:
The sound and grip - These two aspects make the car such a pleasure to drive. If you tame the car properly, it will respect you and do exactly what you want, when you want, how you want. There are hardly any flaws to this car apart from the overall rawness, which is interesting because people say these are easier and more friendly compared to the 996GT2. . .


thoughts comments, welcome... figured i'd share.
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Loved the write up mate, and a beautiful example of a fantastic Porsche, congratulations

 

Lovely, lovely car. Enjoy it in good health!

 

Would have LOVED to have been driving that on the track today instead of my '92 928 GTS (a great car, but no GT2/3 or regular TT for that matter). Good time on the track though.

Your car is STUNNING! It looks GREAT in white!

Enjoy it in good health.

James
Austin, TX

 

The 997 GT2 is a very impressive car. There was a recent thread on another board with results of several runs between a 430S and a 997 GT2. Both were neck and neck.

Congrats on picking-up a winner.

 

Cheers.
A 928 GTS sounds very tempting for a track car - something i would never imagine being efficient, but also something with high torque i am sure (good for the apex of corners.)

That comparism is what really lead me to the GT2 because the 430S is not any better for that much more of a cost. The new lp560 is meant to be a direct answer to the 430S, at a much cheaper tag. I personally wouldnt spend the extra money for something equally as good (and exclusive.) Maybe im old fashioned.

 

Thanks, yea, they have great tq off the apex, but they weigh SO MUCH and are so under tired that they have a hard time on a tight track. MUCH better on a more open track. That said, if you pull 1000# out of the car (which is not that hard if it is a straight track car) and bump the power just a bit (that is much more difficult to pull off) and then put same size front and rear tires on and make them W-I-D-E then YEA, FUN CAR!

The silver one is the only '92 928 GTS in the USA and that was what I had on track today...the blue one...well it is obvious what that car is for! ;-) Enjoy guys!

Would LOVE to fly a GT2 on a race track...it would be TOTALLY different from my 928's!

Best,
James
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congrats on one of the coolest cars on the market today.

just don't turn off your tc

 

cheers.
I remember you having one as well? Same color isnt it? are you planning to track it anytime soon?
tc off would be a total joke!

very nice memories of the 90s there. What are the specs for that race 928?

I used to track atleast twice a month when we were based in Portugal (did a few track days at Monsanto Park and Jerez *in spain*) - but I would usually go with my brother inlaw and some other friends in a group consisting of my 993T, a pre-facelift 996GT3, a 600+hp 993GT2 a dieted Turbo'd e36M3 *carries around 550hp* and a 550M. My car was and still is stock, and the 550 only had a tubi exhaust system. They mainly were used as pace cars, then we all took turns in the GT3,GT2 and M3 (since those were more track-ready). Best to do that sort of arrangement because eventually the wear and tear will damage your street car.

I will surely make a report on how the gt2 tracks once that time comes

 

Congrats!

You'll have to come to our Cars and Coffee. It's the first Saturday of every month. Check the Texas section for more details.

 

Nothing like the stuff you are used to, but it is fun!

4.5L CIS engine w/ custom exhaust not good for any more than 230HP...
2690# wet (1/3rd tank fuel)
12" wide X 16" diameter Goodyear racing slicks (the best part of the car! running on slicks is AWESOME!)
928 S4 brakes (smaller than the 928 GTS or Big Reds, but not by a lot, still really good)
Custom, dash, cage, suspension, door, etc. etc.

You can see the build process at this link, but I put the pics up in the reverse order so be sure and click to reverse the slide show:

http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk185/pcar928fan/?albumview=slideshow

I like a lot of HP but it is so much easier and less deadly to drive a lower HP car to its limits in the corners. I drove about an hour on track this weekend in the silver car w/o the slicks and the difference was staggering! The sliver GTS has over 345HP/369Tq but it is on 235/45 fronts and 255/40 rears with an extra 1000# and man I had to be WAY more precise with that car in the corners. The race car is much more forgiving.

Be sure and leave us a link for some pics and video after you take that beast to the track!

Best,
James

 

Nice Car!

But the guy you got it from must have been a real jackass of a tool.

I mean....how is it a disapointment for him to loose the car after just getting it?

It takes some time to reach foreclosure on a home. If he made it all the way to foreclosure...then frankly, he shouldnt have had the car. Instead he should have solved his home problem 6 monthes ago.

Guy sounds like a real poser to me.....and as soon as hes out of foreclosure, its on to a C2S...ROTFL. What priorities!

.......this is how good deals are found! and theres gonna be plenty more real soon on the horizon.

Enjoy! The new 997 GT2 is one heck of a car!

SM

 

I was thinking the same as you!
But hes a young guy with a few other properties, so i think some of his assets are now catching up to him, due to the american economy (i would guess.) I tried not to ask him too many questions - at first I thought it was a joke, but then an associate of mine (who knows this guy personally) reassured me of his situation and i decided to take a quick trip down. Everything turned out real and he is simply a young man who took an overstep when he took delivery of the car. That one house of his in foreclosure was already in bad shape after he had already been waiting to get the car, but from what i understand, he assumed to get a loan from his company to cover the losses (granted he managed to sell it in time, which he obviously did not.) Basically, he doesnt need to have extra funds tied up into the GT2... If it can happen to Storch, i suppose it can happen to anyone..The C2S i doubt will happen for him any time soon - wish him luck if he really NEEDS a porsche. If i were him, i'd pick up a used e46 M3 for 35k or 40k, instead of making stupid moves like trying to get the newest porsche.
At any rate
Cheers!

 

Very good stuff mate.

I agree with you, lesser powered cars are more fun to push to the limit. A BMW e30 M3 used to be the car i tracked in 1993, then I fell for the 993T a few yrs after, but never did flying laps with it, only parade laps.

I will definately post additional fotos once i make plans for a track day - do you know any good ones on the eastcoast of america? I am not really based here, so its all new to me.

cheers!

 

Other guys will have to help you w/ the East coast tracks, but some of the biggies:

Road Atlanta...VERY FAST! Loose it there and it can cost you BIG TIME!

VIR... I think they have many different iterations of that track so it depends on what they are running when you are there. I think it can be configured to more than 3.5 miles! That is LONG!

Barber Motorsports Park... Also has a SPECTACULAR motorcycle museum. I have heard good things about it and the grounds are like a park they are so beautiful.

Sebring... In FL...VERY bumpy, not sure how many events take place out there.

Daytona... FL, super speedway with a road course, as above not sure how many events happen out there. Probably pretty expensive to rent.

Help me out guys...those are all in the South and East...and I don't know much about anything north of there or exactly where you are at...FL I think you said though so many of those could be quite close.

Best of luck! Beauty of a car!
James
Austin, TX

 

Nice to see my old car live on. May it bring you as much fun as it did me.

 

LOVE IT MARK! Love to put you back in the drivers seat sometime. It will be a real boring ride for you though with less than half the HP you had in it...not to mention the auto trans might be a little boring for you!

You built a hell of a chassis/roll cage in that car my friend and I LOVE the dash layout and build...

Be cool Mark!
James
Austin, TX