I dont disagree with you.

My 991.1 GT3 with Dundon headers was more raw than my 991.2 GT3. The gearbox made sounds like a coffee grinder when manouvering at low speeds, and the cabin sound between 8-9000 rpm was louder - that 3.8 was really shrill at the top end and quite spine tingling. It always sounded like you were on the edge of it popping. Mine popped twice so I had three engines and never paid for a service once in 3.5 years, 25,000km and 22 track days!

For the 991.2 I went for manual. I drove both before making the decision. The manual made up for the PDK which was now smoother and quieter and the engine which was more bassey in the 8000-9000 range. The manual would also bark on heel and toe downshifts unlike the PDK. I did 25,000km and 24 track days in 2 years with that car. I did enjoy it more on the road for the manual. you felt the gear changes more dramatically due to the gap between shifts.

The 992.1 GT3 I chose PDK again because by now I realised any modern 991-992 gen GT3 was too large and capable for enjoying on my monthly 300km fast back road run with the car guys (we are all ex Targa competitirs and live in the middle of North Island by Lake Taupo so we have access to a bunch of roads used for Targa campaign which are very very good - tight twisty deserted). I figured it was now only used for the track and not for the road other than to get to the 7 different tracks I visit annually. PDK took some risk off the table and on the track was at least as enjoyable as manual if not more so. The ride home could be as involving or vanila as I pleased...

992 Dissapointments? A few. Gearbox is now far too smooth even more than 991.2 GT3PDK. Paddles. Each generation from 991 has less "click". I race sim so Im used to magnetic shifters on my Cube wheels and my sim set up for iRacing GT3 Cup car is way more raw feeling than the 991 & 992 gen GT3s! The exhaust however isnt as quiet as I thought it might be now its done 11 track days and 10K km. Its actually surpisingly good given what I expected but mine is a non OPF car as we dont need that here...

If I only ever drove the 992 GT3 on the road I would have been disappointed like you. It turns in quicker but thats about it. It mostly really shows is subtle improvements on the track IMO. Asthetically however its grown on me more and more. But I dont buy these for the looks so much just get what Porsche give me lol.

On the plus side for my useage is the 992 GT3 rides well on the road and makes comfortable work of the often 600km return trips to the track (same day).

It no longer understeers at the track. With 991 GT3s the car understeered more and more from fresh tyres to 4 track day old tyres. With the 992 GT3 even the oldest heat cycled tyres near needing replacement understeer no worse than fresh tyres on the 991 GT3....It has enough space for my gear even a week away as I have a Roadster fitted luggage set since my Euro Delivery 991.1 GT3 in 2013.

When you have driven 280km to the track spent 6 hours doing 6x 15 min sessions and need to drive home the 992 GT3 can be an easy ride.

The more modern interior doesnt offend me. Id nice to have a change after 5 variants of 991,981 in last 10 years. I do however think the 981/991 interior is a class act and its one of the positives of the GT4RS (no silly stop start, more solid feeling build etc). Some of the new tech is actually useful and handy (GPS auto lift for nose save my paint each time I come to my driveway etc).

So the GT4RS appealed to me as a better fast road car that may get me using it more often for back road "performance driving" - mostly because of the noise and immersion. I enjoyed my 981 GT4 tho the chassis is flawed IMO on the limit. We have some bumpy tracks here and many bumpy roads and I enjoy the work out but not always the unpredictability. But the new GT3s are too easy on the road so the Cayman shortcomings are a bit more welcome for fun back road driving.

I havent yet driven the GT4RS on the track although I now have 5 friends with them so I hope too soon. Having driven with them on track I have no doubt the 992 GT3 is a superior tool for the job. Its way more composed on the bumpy tracks and the precision of the front axle allows you to extract more from it corner entry to mid apex. The aero no doubt helps but its just flatter and less fidgety from what I have personally observed watching the cars being driven at their driver limits.

Interestingly I have 5 friends with GT4RS and met 4 more at a track day last week who have one on order soon to arrive. All of them bar only 2 ordered a GT4RS as they could not get an allocation for a 992 GT3 or they were tired of waiting. Our country will get alot of GT4RS already 24 and more than that coming in first half next year. The two that did not order because they couldnt get an allocation already have 992 GT3 in garage and can afford to have both. 

Therein lies part of the rub. Rightly or wrongly the Cayman will always in the minds of the mass audience be a second class citizen to the 911.

This doesnt apply to you, I appreciate you have multiple high value cars and buy on the basis of what pleases you but for the new rich who are driving this insane asset class bubble cycle the coveted car is the GT3/RS. I dont play into that book either although a GT4RS for me will just be a gap filler until my 992.2 GT3 order is fullf illed assuming of course I dont fall in love and decide to stop hunting for the "next best thing" at that point in time. Id really love that if it happened.

For track cars used intensley for their intended purpose there is no nostalgia. The newest is usually better from my experience. It was the same from my 993RS to my Mk1 996 GT3 and has been from that point forward.

In truth Im not far away from giving up the track quest and the next car being just a fun road car, Purchasing a used 911 Cup car for track work. With that in mind the goal was a 992.2 Manual touring in PTS in 2024 and call it quits before the ICE engine is tainted with electricity. This perhaps is the key driver to trying the GT4RS next. Because it might actually fit that remit just as well. My only real gripe is that to be perfect for a last fling ICR GT car it would have been really nice if it could have had a manual box. But life is never perfect!


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2022 Toyota GR Yaris, 2021 992 GT3, 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia QV, 2009 Lotus Elise SC