997 GT3 first 1000 mile report!
Now that I can use the cars full rev range & having completed the Milbrook experience course plus a good few weeks of daily commute, I thought it was time for a first ownership report on the 997GT3.-
Plus points +
This car means business & as you approach it shouts "focussed sense of purpose," not so much because of the huge rear wing & gaping front air scoops, more because it sits so low hunkered down, wheels filling the arches, front splitter skimming the ground! You know it means business before you have even turned a wheel, hunker down into the "grippy" seat & as you wrap your hands around the chunky Alcantara steering wheel you feel the horns start growing out of your head! The further good new is when you can resist the calling of the race-car inside, it is also pretty fine on the drudge of the daily commute!
The car is awesome, alive, you feel part of the machine! Even better (IMO) than some of the past Pork with over twitchy steering, it filters out what is unnecessary & leaves the pure feel-some detail. It is direct, darty, obedient, you sort of "feel" it around corners & it doesn't hop & skip & twitch like GT3's past on bumpy B roads, it follows your directions rather than the road surfaces! There is zero body roll & its cornering potential is simply gobsmaking! I thought the car defied the laws of physics in the hands of the instructor at Milbrook! You can feel it listen, move and come alive, directly in line with your inputs, much more so than the Turbo or C2 (996 or 997)!
It sounds awesome, from grumble to guttural growl, to bellow, then a howl then a screaming howl & above 4500 revs it pulls as fast as pretty much anything else on the road as you scream towards the 8400 rpm limit! At Milbrook I hit just under 180mph & the car was still pulling like a train & it stops as quickly as it goes! On a twisty track this car is unbeatable for its combination of grunt, grip, interaction, feedback & ability at this price point, whilst still being able to drive you in relative comfort over 100 miles on an M road! I haven't encountered any major issues with the low splitter & it offers a ride pretty much as good as the 996 with 030, (firm but fair!!) yet the handling balance is hard core! And this to me is the revelation in the new GT3, you can have your cake & eat it, with standard seats (plus C-G lock for track)& a decent upgraded stereo it is perfectly comfortable for my daily drive into traffic, but when the empty B road route opens up it rips off its suit , puts its pants over its trousers & turns into super-car!!
Minus points -
I'm not 100% sure about some of its styling or image, coming out of an AMV8 I have noticed much more aggression & less courtesy from other road users. On the move it certainly looks supercar, but parked up it can look a bit aftermarket Scooby-ish from some angles (without the gold wheels) add a lairy paint colour & it also has the equivalent of gold wheels! Halfords here we come, but you certainly can't argue with its driving credentials or value & looks are subjective!
The gearbox is very notchy & obstructive when cold, but very quick & direct when fully warmed up!
There is a vibration on all the cars around 3k revs, variable & it is only a problem if you have major rattles, mine is minor!
It smokes on start up more than other Pork I've had, but mine seems to be doing less each week!
My brakes are grumbling badly when used hard, with the odd load thump, I'm going to get this checked!
We have all commented on the short life of the tyres & their increased aquaplaning risk, but they are awesome when warmed up! But one negative not commented on, is the fact that stone chips stick to them like glue, only to be flung off as you build speed, I already have a deep stone chip on the drivers door believe it or not, from those sticky front tyres, don't know how it will fair as the mileage grows.
Summary:
I think Porsche have achieved the "win-win" scenerio with this car, it isn't vastly better than the 996GT3/RS in terms of its ultimate driver involvement or performance, but it is a quantum leap forward in terms of refinement & on road handling without loosing the "ultimate drivers car tag"! Two cars in one....stuck in a traffic jam with the decent stereo playing in relative comfort it is pretty much as good as any other 997, but on track or favourite B road, it is on an entirely higher level as a pure drivers car! Oh & it sounds better than any standard 911 ever!!!!
Plus points +
This car means business & as you approach it shouts "focussed sense of purpose," not so much because of the huge rear wing & gaping front air scoops, more because it sits so low hunkered down, wheels filling the arches, front splitter skimming the ground! You know it means business before you have even turned a wheel, hunker down into the "grippy" seat & as you wrap your hands around the chunky Alcantara steering wheel you feel the horns start growing out of your head! The further good new is when you can resist the calling of the race-car inside, it is also pretty fine on the drudge of the daily commute!
The car is awesome, alive, you feel part of the machine! Even better (IMO) than some of the past Pork with over twitchy steering, it filters out what is unnecessary & leaves the pure feel-some detail. It is direct, darty, obedient, you sort of "feel" it around corners & it doesn't hop & skip & twitch like GT3's past on bumpy B roads, it follows your directions rather than the road surfaces! There is zero body roll & its cornering potential is simply gobsmaking! I thought the car defied the laws of physics in the hands of the instructor at Milbrook! You can feel it listen, move and come alive, directly in line with your inputs, much more so than the Turbo or C2 (996 or 997)!
It sounds awesome, from grumble to guttural growl, to bellow, then a howl then a screaming howl & above 4500 revs it pulls as fast as pretty much anything else on the road as you scream towards the 8400 rpm limit! At Milbrook I hit just under 180mph & the car was still pulling like a train & it stops as quickly as it goes! On a twisty track this car is unbeatable for its combination of grunt, grip, interaction, feedback & ability at this price point, whilst still being able to drive you in relative comfort over 100 miles on an M road! I haven't encountered any major issues with the low splitter & it offers a ride pretty much as good as the 996 with 030, (firm but fair!!) yet the handling balance is hard core! And this to me is the revelation in the new GT3, you can have your cake & eat it, with standard seats (plus C-G lock for track)& a decent upgraded stereo it is perfectly comfortable for my daily drive into traffic, but when the empty B road route opens up it rips off its suit , puts its pants over its trousers & turns into super-car!!
Minus points -
I'm not 100% sure about some of its styling or image, coming out of an AMV8 I have noticed much more aggression & less courtesy from other road users. On the move it certainly looks supercar, but parked up it can look a bit aftermarket Scooby-ish from some angles (without the gold wheels) add a lairy paint colour & it also has the equivalent of gold wheels! Halfords here we come, but you certainly can't argue with its driving credentials or value & looks are subjective!
The gearbox is very notchy & obstructive when cold, but very quick & direct when fully warmed up!
There is a vibration on all the cars around 3k revs, variable & it is only a problem if you have major rattles, mine is minor!
It smokes on start up more than other Pork I've had, but mine seems to be doing less each week!
My brakes are grumbling badly when used hard, with the odd load thump, I'm going to get this checked!
We have all commented on the short life of the tyres & their increased aquaplaning risk, but they are awesome when warmed up! But one negative not commented on, is the fact that stone chips stick to them like glue, only to be flung off as you build speed, I already have a deep stone chip on the drivers door believe it or not, from those sticky front tyres, don't know how it will fair as the mileage grows.
Summary:
I think Porsche have achieved the "win-win" scenerio with this car, it isn't vastly better than the 996GT3/RS in terms of its ultimate driver involvement or performance, but it is a quantum leap forward in terms of refinement & on road handling without loosing the "ultimate drivers car tag"! Two cars in one....stuck in a traffic jam with the decent stereo playing in relative comfort it is pretty much as good as any other 997, but on track or favourite B road, it is on an entirely higher level as a pure drivers car! Oh & it sounds better than any standard 911 ever!!!!
Thanks and enjoy it in good health.
although I used full mid-range grunt to seal the engine! After that I added 1k per 100 miles, so by 800 miles I allowed 8k revs, not all the time just sensibly now & again to ensure it frees up across the rev range!
, so it does tempt you go for that red line......!
