Is it just me, or is it 10x better looking than the 996 GT3? Do I just have a case of "the latest always seems so much better" syndrome? And if I have the figures right, the 0-100 time is the same as the current GT2 (8.7 seconds, I believe). From an NA car! Holy rocket-ships batman! I am in the market for a 996 GT3. I don't have the wallet currently for a 997 GT3. But I would have to put some aero-kit mods on it to jazz it up some, for my tastes.
new 997 GT3 is definitely a machine to be reckoned with. my best advice would be to hold off on the 996 GT3, even though its a beautiful machine as well. new 997 will depreciate like all Porsche's and you'll be glad you held out. whereas the 996 GT3 has a ride more for the track, the new 997 is versatile in either road or track.
You mean like Ferrari's ought to come with jack stands, gasoline stabilizer, and wheel cradles? None of the 997 GT3s I have seen in any magazine has a sun-roof. Perhaps your information is erroneous. Or maybe they added it so that the drivers can wave to the other cars as the GT3 wins yet another race... To be fair...Porsche sells more 911 cabs than hardtops, I have heard.
Porsche holds back on 'the good stuff' for North America! Think sort of RS America mentality. I also read that the sun-roof was a 'non-delete' item. There have been no US spec 997 GT3's in the magazines yet, thus no sun-roof equipped versions. NA also misses out on the half cage and the $6,000 carbon seats used previously in the Carrera GT. 3 journalists who did not heed Porsche reps advice to 'respect the GT3' have already crashed them on road tests. NA probably won't get the soft compound 'cup' tires that generate 1.4 g's either. These tires were specially developed for the new GT3 and are a better compromise than those offered on the BMW M3 CSL. The release date for the GT3 is being delayed and only 900 will be built. Porsche is concentrating on the 'money spinner' 997TT. Porsche has to sell 4 997's to get the profit they make on selling just one of the 997TT models... horse fan
I have never understood anyone wanting a sunroof in ANY car. It isn't enough sun or wind to give you even the hint of what a convertible would be like. It just adds noise, possibly that wop-wop-wop pressure surge at certain speeds (if the windows are up), and an annoying feeling of someone lightly flicking the top of your hair. I hate 'em, personally. If I bought a 997 GT3 and it had a sunroof (which wouldn't even be close to a deal breaker for me), it would never get opened. Sunroof deletes have been available in the past on turbos and the like. I am not sure why they would force one on you in a GT3. It feels like a rumor by someone trying to sling mud (albeit lamely) at what appears to be an awesome car. Is that a german horse, or an italian horse? Or both?
I laughed good with "Or maybe they added it so that the drivers can wave to the other cars as the GT3 wins yet another race."
I heard they had to sell it with a sunroof because they haven't crash-tested a non-sunroof 997 for the DOT yet. Nor will they.
Well, I'm not sure who started the rumors, but it's all over the Porsche sites, with many people unhappy about it. As far as I know, it's been confirmed by people with access to the ordering guides and the like. I have also heard that the reason is that PCNA does not want to spend the money crash-testing a non-sunroof 997 chassis for the US.
I predict the great sunroof issue will turn out to be yet another brilliant marketing ploy by PCNA. They will soon offer a sunroof delete option for a put-up-or-shut-up price (my guess: 3-5K) Now if they would only get rid of that hideous boy-racer wing...
Okay, I do remember hearing this, but that would mean sunroof-delete is no available for regular 997s either. Is that true? I guess I won't bother getting too excited, both because a) Who really cares? It would affect nothing, right? Do sunroofs affect chassis rigidity? and b) I can't afford one right now anyway. lol Personally, I like the new rear wing. Boy racers use wings that try to look like racer wings on non-racer cars. A race wing on a race car is okay by me.
Yes. I don't know about chassis rigidity, but the two reasons I've always heard for why track people don't like sunroofs are: 1) Extra weight, and it's high up in the car as well (affects stability). 2) Less headroom, which is important if you're wearing a helmet.
The weight will be low, I would imagine; not optimal, but I doubt it affects the handling of the car in a perceptible fashion. I fit in my 996TT easily with a helmet and it had a sunroof. I am guessing I will fit in this car. Obviously YMMV depending on personal dimensions. Summary: Even if it has a sunroof, at worst it will be an oddity for most folks; not something to get very excited about.
