Chef: Order In! (Long)
The time has finally come. Last week I placed an order for a 997 GT3, a dream come true!!!
Like many people here, I have long awaited the time I would own a 911. My obsession started at a young age thanks to my Aunt. She had a mid 70's 911 Targa, metallic tan with tan interior. When she would come to visit, I would go out after dinner and just sit in the car for hours. I spent much of my childhood making models of every conceivable Porsche model: 911's coupes and cabs, 935's, 956's 962's etc. I went as far as going to the local Porsche dealer to take pictures of the cab mechanism to reconstruct my own 911 cab model.
Fast forward to 2003. I finally escape 26 years of school and post-graduate training, time for a Porsche. Actually, it was my then fiancée who brought up the idea. I guess she didn't think the VW Jetta was quit as sexy. At that time 996's were out of my price range, and being 6'4"-235 the earlier 911's were a little cozy for a daily driver. So I bought a 968 (actually has more room than the 997's). I found a 1994 Polar Silver/Grey cab in Atlanta with only 22K miles and well documented history. What a memory, leaving Atlanta at sunrise, top down, cruising down I-75 with The Cure blaring on the radio.
My 968 has served me well that last 3 years, however I have more than doubled the mileage on the car. Not to mention the 12-year old AC has a little difficulty keeping up with South Florida's summer heat. About a year ago, my wife and I decided it was time for a 911 coupe to replace the 968 cab's daily driver status. The market for 996's was certainly a buyers market. While looking we fell in love with Cobalt Blue and became clear the next Porsche in our family would be Cobalt. To complicate matters, my father-in-law has always had 911's with spoilers: 911SC, 80's Turbo look etc. So to my wife's eyes, a 911 without a spoiler is naked. We actually found a used 2003 996, Cobalt with the GT3 aerokit. Unfortunately, it had a rough life.
At this point we had given up on finding another 996 and decided buy a new 997. But by the time you take a C2S and start add up the fun options: Aerokit, sport seats, short shifter, sport muffler, aftermarket springs to drop the ride height, the price can quickly broach 100K. When the details of the new GT3 started to leak out, I was instantly sucked in. Aero package, sport seats, short shifter, sport muffler, factory lowered, not to mention a race bread engine and transmission; you can see where this is going. Then came a unexpected blessing, a new job, in the same small town with all the right perks. All the pieces came together at the right time. The blessings continued, an 07 build slot, from an in-state dealer, honest enough not to mark up a unique car. So, here are the details:
56 Cobalt Blue Metallic
78 Black Full Leather
CO2 US Standard/Emissions
P74 Bi-Xenon Headlamp Package
810 Floor Mats - Interior Color
XSC Porsche Crest in Headrest
490 Sound Package Plus
P12 Self-Dim Mirrors and Rain Sensor
CUV Storage Cmpt Lid W/Model Logo
EZA Interior Package Carbon (Shifter, Handbrake, Trim Strip)
XTV Door Finishers in Leather
CDZ Gear Lever Trim Leather
X69 Carbon Door Sill Mdl Insignia
XME Rear Ctr Cons Painted Extr Clr
CDR Belt Outlet B Pillar Ext Clr
CGA Headlight Cleaner Cvr Ext Clr
Build date is supposedly December 12, so should have the car by late January/early February. It's going to be a long two months!
As a long time lurker, I would like to thank everybody here for their insight. I spend way too much time on these forums, but when the opportunity came to act on the new car, the knowledge gained over the last two years made the decision crystal clear.
And before people ask, yes I plan to get the car on the track. I have very limited track experience, but living 2 hours away from Daytona, Sebring, and Homestead that will change soon. That, I believe, is the true beauty of the GT3. I could easily spend the next 10 years practicing and still not completely tap the full ability of this car!
Like many people here, I have long awaited the time I would own a 911. My obsession started at a young age thanks to my Aunt. She had a mid 70's 911 Targa, metallic tan with tan interior. When she would come to visit, I would go out after dinner and just sit in the car for hours. I spent much of my childhood making models of every conceivable Porsche model: 911's coupes and cabs, 935's, 956's 962's etc. I went as far as going to the local Porsche dealer to take pictures of the cab mechanism to reconstruct my own 911 cab model.
Fast forward to 2003. I finally escape 26 years of school and post-graduate training, time for a Porsche. Actually, it was my then fiancée who brought up the idea. I guess she didn't think the VW Jetta was quit as sexy. At that time 996's were out of my price range, and being 6'4"-235 the earlier 911's were a little cozy for a daily driver. So I bought a 968 (actually has more room than the 997's). I found a 1994 Polar Silver/Grey cab in Atlanta with only 22K miles and well documented history. What a memory, leaving Atlanta at sunrise, top down, cruising down I-75 with The Cure blaring on the radio.
My 968 has served me well that last 3 years, however I have more than doubled the mileage on the car. Not to mention the 12-year old AC has a little difficulty keeping up with South Florida's summer heat. About a year ago, my wife and I decided it was time for a 911 coupe to replace the 968 cab's daily driver status. The market for 996's was certainly a buyers market. While looking we fell in love with Cobalt Blue and became clear the next Porsche in our family would be Cobalt. To complicate matters, my father-in-law has always had 911's with spoilers: 911SC, 80's Turbo look etc. So to my wife's eyes, a 911 without a spoiler is naked. We actually found a used 2003 996, Cobalt with the GT3 aerokit. Unfortunately, it had a rough life.
At this point we had given up on finding another 996 and decided buy a new 997. But by the time you take a C2S and start add up the fun options: Aerokit, sport seats, short shifter, sport muffler, aftermarket springs to drop the ride height, the price can quickly broach 100K. When the details of the new GT3 started to leak out, I was instantly sucked in. Aero package, sport seats, short shifter, sport muffler, factory lowered, not to mention a race bread engine and transmission; you can see where this is going. Then came a unexpected blessing, a new job, in the same small town with all the right perks. All the pieces came together at the right time. The blessings continued, an 07 build slot, from an in-state dealer, honest enough not to mark up a unique car. So, here are the details:
56 Cobalt Blue Metallic
78 Black Full Leather
CO2 US Standard/Emissions
P74 Bi-Xenon Headlamp Package
810 Floor Mats - Interior Color
XSC Porsche Crest in Headrest
490 Sound Package Plus
P12 Self-Dim Mirrors and Rain Sensor
CUV Storage Cmpt Lid W/Model Logo
EZA Interior Package Carbon (Shifter, Handbrake, Trim Strip)
XTV Door Finishers in Leather
CDZ Gear Lever Trim Leather
X69 Carbon Door Sill Mdl Insignia
XME Rear Ctr Cons Painted Extr Clr
CDR Belt Outlet B Pillar Ext Clr
CGA Headlight Cleaner Cvr Ext Clr
Build date is supposedly December 12, so should have the car by late January/early February. It's going to be a long two months!
As a long time lurker, I would like to thank everybody here for their insight. I spend way too much time on these forums, but when the opportunity came to act on the new car, the knowledge gained over the last two years made the decision crystal clear.
And before people ask, yes I plan to get the car on the track. I have very limited track experience, but living 2 hours away from Daytona, Sebring, and Homestead that will change soon. That, I believe, is the true beauty of the GT3. I could easily spend the next 10 years practicing and still not completely tap the full ability of this car!
