according to a quick search of the members list, there seems to be about a dozen GT3 owners here. curious to hear your opinions of it. i used to have an '01 996TT - if any of you have owned both, i'd LOVE to hear a comparison. i got sick of AWD, turbo lag, and e-gas. availability doesn't seem like magic. a few dealers purportedly have cars on their lots for sale (scrapped orders? who knows). or am i gravely mistaken and availability is a 360CS-like mess? any info appreciated. doody.
It's a great car - very involving with lots of personality. I might even keep this car for many years rather than the usual two. It's not for everyone as it's noisey and you need to concentrate whilst driving even at legal speeds. I was ready to buy a Ferrari 360 or 550 but was disappointed that they were so easy to drive - I wanted every trip to be an experience. I've never been a Porsche fan but the GT3 is very, very good.
Dood: there should be some slightly used ones at this point too, by those car of the month guys who already tired of the thing. I just don't know if the GT3 would have enough TORQUE for moi. I expect that it would be an exceptional car to run almost flat out in the right (track) conditions, but for the street, and the need to thwack the occasional upstart in true American tradition at stoplites, i still think the GT-2 is the way to go, after a few modest modifications. (I still owe you rack pics, i know).
alex - that's exactly the kind of thing i'm looking for. i wouldn't be selling my 550, but i want something mid/rear engined that's really visceral - and the 360CS price point just didn't work for me for the kind of use i'd give it. how much do you use yours, alex? whart - i agree on the torque-slut front - it is a concern. but the GT2 is too pricey for what i want in this. i guess i could wait a year or two and the prices would continue to decline, but i'm not a patient boy. and it's still turbocharged - i've just developed a thing against turbos - dunno why. there are quite a few GT3s on the market now - both used with minimal miles and new. my unscientific estimate is something like two dozen on the market about 50/50 new/used. that's quite a bit for a quite new, limited production vehicle. some dealers apparently still have unspoken-for allocations. my guess is that a lot of guys ordered without really thinking, and then either passed on delivery or drove it a few hundred miles and begged the dealer to take it back. doody.
Dood: when i bought my GT-2 there were (and still are) cars sitting in inventory in Porsche dealerships that just aren't getting any action. One dealer refused to sell the car to "my" dealer and insisted that i buy it retail directly from him. Last time i checked this silly dealer still has that car. Mine came from a new dealership in Georgia that didn't have the clientele (yet) and was happy to unload the car thru dealership channels. If you want, call my paisano, Frank Donatoni, near Phila. and ask him what the story is, but please tell him we are good friends. He manages a Porsche dealership, ran Algar Ferrari for a number of years, and is an all around lovely, straight-shootin' guy. 610 886-1000.
You should peruse the rennlist GT3/GT2 forum, as there's been thread after thread about woeful ex-cushy car owners who bought GT3's (b/c they were just too cool to pass up) and were sorely dissappointed; however, nuclear concencus of people who want what the car offers (no frills, responsive handling, stout ride, etc etc) more or less decided that those that couldn't handle the GT3's rough edges, were, how should I say, pansies. Plainly, if the thought of shaving with a straight razor scares you, don't buy a GT3. The car is brilliant. (Just be sure to buy one sans PCCB -- especially if you ever want to track it.)
I don't use mine everyday but only because I don't drive everyday - I opened an office just up the road from my home. However, I do use it at lease once or twice a week around London, once a week on business trips within the UK and (have/will) two or three times a year for trips to Spain or Italy with diversions via the 'ring when possible. I do about 10K miles a year with about 6K of that on long driving holidays. The car feels like it'd cope with 2 or 3 times that with out a problem but it would be quite unusual for a GT3 to be used that much. If you're keeping the 550 I'd say it's a perfect stable mate for those days when you turn the clock back, the only thing you'd be missing is some fresh air - I use an MV for that. I doubt you'd regret it and I'm sure if you're near any of the Rennlist owners they'll be happy to give you a demonstration - with the enthesis on demon!
