Crown

Board: Porsche - 911 - 997 Language: English Region: Worldwide Share/Save/Bookmark Close

Forum - Thread


    997 S or 996 GT3?

    I am moving out to LA in a month, and need to buy a car (I currently live in NYC with no car). I have narrowed my choice to a new 997 S, low mileage 997 S or a low mileage 996 GT3. Please include financial considerations in your analysis (also, is it right to assume the 996 GT3 will depreciate the least?. Also, I drove the 997 Carrera S, and I liked it a lot, but it did not excite me as much as the 996 GT3, which has I raw-ness I love.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Will the car be driven daily?

    What is your tolerance for noise/vibration/harshness inside the car?

    I daily drove /tracked a 996 GT3 for 2 years. It is definitely not for everyone. Also note that ground clearance is VERY low. It could barely get into the parking garage at the Palace hotel in NYC whose angle of entry looks quite normal.

    Financially both cars will be in a similar price range, GT3s are about 75-80k now used? Similar to a new/slightly used 997S. Maintainence is the same cost, depending on how you drive the GT3 will go through tires slightly faster. Both cars will depreciate similarly, expect them to be worth 55-60k in 2 years.

    How many days of the year do you attend trackdays/events. If that is less than 20, get the 997S.

    This is an emotional decision but practicality becomes very important if you are going to live with it for some time to come. If you are even weighing the 997S against the GT3, I think that the 997S is better for you.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    My advice....

    1. Don't make the decision with your head, I wouldn't worry about the financials etc - go with your heart and get what makes you happy.

    2. If you get a 997S you can choose pre or post facelift - it's different in the UK but in the US I believe you can buy off the lot - in this case Gen 1 997s will be a bargain. Alternatively place an order for a facelift and enjoy the speccing process.

    3. Whenever I have been driving in LA I have spent a lot of time crawling jams on the freeway - get a new Gen 2 997s with PDK and slip it into auto when in a jam - just don't tell anyone!!

    4. I'm bias as I have on order a 997s Gen 2.

    Good luck....

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Question - how much should a 996 GT3 with 7k miles trade for?

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    At our local autocross events, 2 996 GT3's consistently run lap times around 1:08-1:09. One of them is modified for track use.

    In my stock 997S, I'm consistently 1:10-1:11.

    My 997S is infinitely more comfortable as a daily driver, plus, it has PSM, which, unless you are Michael Schumacher, can really save your ass. I happen to think that electronic stability aids like PSM are a huge advance in auto safety, particularly for sportscars where not so experienced drivers are often tempted to push cars " to the limit" without really knowing what that is.

    I agree with the advice that if you plan to track it < 20 days a year, get the 997S.

    PSE will make it feel a little more "raw".

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Quote:
    Silver Bullet said:
    [...]
    PSE will make it feel a little more "raw".



    +1

    Funny that you mentioned that, I was just walking outside doing some errands when a 997S with PSE drove by very quickly. I was quite pleasantly surprised that the sound was so good!

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Reading the PSE stuff makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.. coz ive just given my 997S away to the porsche workshop for a few days for the PSE to be fit!

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    I wouldn't trade my X51 997 S for a 996 GT3 because I don't track the car and I find it to be a great all around car. For the track, I use my 1987 Carrera 3.2 which, even though underpowered, has no driver aids whatsoever and provides plenty of thrills at the track. It makes one keep up momentum and speed in order to make good lap times and is as old school Porsche driving as I'd go. I am an instructor for PCA DEs, by the way.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Quote:
    Ben_FR said:
    I am moving out to LA in a month, and need to buy a car (I currently live in NYC with no car). I have narrowed my choice to a new 997 S, low mileage 997 S or a low mileage 996 GT3. Please include financial considerations in your analysis (also, is it right to assume the 996 GT3 will depreciate the least?. Also, I drove the 997 Carrera S, and I liked it a lot, but it did not excite me as much as the 996 GT3, which has I raw-ness I love.

    If I was in your shoes I would definitely get the 997 S with X51 (factory installed). Firstly, the horsepower is the same. Moreover the 997 S X51 is torquier and apart from all that the 997S can be driven in a daily basis. Besides all that the 997S will have a higher resale value because it's the latest model.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Emphasis on X51 'factory installed'. Otherwise the price is just ridiculous.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Quote:
    Georgie997S said:
    Quote:
    Ben_FR said:
    I am moving out to LA in a month, and need to buy a car (I currently live in NYC with no car). I have narrowed my choice to a new 997 S, low mileage 997 S or a low mileage 996 GT3. Please include financial considerations in your analysis (also, is it right to assume the 996 GT3 will depreciate the least?. Also, I drove the 997 Carrera S, and I liked it a lot, but it did not excite me as much as the 996 GT3, which has I raw-ness I love.

    If I was in your shoes I would definitely get the 997 S with X51 (factory installed). Firstly, the horsepower is the same. Moreover the 997 S X51 is torquier and apart from all that the 997S can be driven in a daily basis. Besides all that the 997S will have a higher resale value because it's the latest model.



    In terms of depreciation relative to MSRP, the X51 actually depreciates more because it retains less of the value of the very expensive X51 option.

    GT3 will depreciate less because it is limited supply. Due to the age and high mileage of most that are available, it will offset this and put it at a similar price to a 997S.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    I think, for those choosing now, X51 is looking really unwise given that the facelifted C2S will have similar (or even more) power without the additional cost. The only X51 worth getting is when it comes out for the facelifted car IMHO.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    the 996 GT3 is history... go for the 997S... unless you plan on modifying the car and taking it on track for some hard driving...

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    I think I'm leaning toward the GT3. I just can't see the benefit of paying the same or even more for a car with lower performance. The S didn't excite me like the GT3 does. While I don't plan on tracking the car, I do plan on driving it hard. Also, it seems the depreciation would be roughly the same.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Quote:
    Ben_FR said:Also, it seems the depreciation would be roughly the same.


    GT3 will have far less depreciation. I think they are almost at the bottom of their depreciation curve and 997's are still falling with quite a bit of room to go (especially after facelift and 998/991 comes out).

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    996 GT3 will keep quite stable, maybe losing something like 15000 Euro in two years or so if taken with a very low mileage (10000kms) but not more. Probably even less. A carrera S i think will lose more then that, especially because it's normally a lot more used. It's difficult to find GT3s with more then 40-50000kms on, even after 6 or 7 years, but it's usual to find Carrera S with that amount after only 2 years.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Quote:
    Ben_FR said:
    I think I'm leaning toward the GT3. I just can't see the benefit of paying the same or even more for a car with lower performance. The S didn't excite me like the GT3 does. While I don't plan on tracking the car, I do plan on driving it hard. Also, it seems the depreciation would be roughly the same.



    Both are great cars and you'll win with either choices.

    However I don't understand what you mean by lower performance as you are not tracking your car. I don't believe that a 996GT3 has any performance advantage over a 997S in any kind of street driving environment.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    The chassis and suspension on the 997 are a real (palpable) improvement over the 996 (I used to drive a 996). The 996 GT3 is still better suited for track work compared to a PASM equipped 997S, but as a daily driver, the 997S is WAY better.

    I really would boil this down to how much track work you plan to do. If it's mainly a daily driver, I would pick the 997S.

    Let us know how it works out.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    I own a 997S with PCCB and every other option in the book save for X-51 - 40K miles of driving it so far. I also put around 110K miles on a '99 996. (not to mention four times that in older air cooled 911s).
    That said - I would trade my 997S for a 996 GT3 in a heartbeat. The Gt3 is the real deal - you can't go wrong. The 997S will depreciate MUCH faster - because it's half the car in terms of importance (and fun). Yes it's low, yes it's firm - screw it - you noticed it when you drove it - it is special! GO FOR IT, you will never regret getting the Gt3, you may regret getting the 997S and not getting the Gt3 instead.
    In two years, if you are not happy with the Gt3 trade for a slightly used 997S facelift - even up.
    Peace - and send me a picture of your smile behind the wheel of that Gt3.


    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Every few weeks someone posts one of these. To be blunt, and not to say that the original poster is any of the following...

    I am quite certain that if someone is even considering the 997S then the GT3 is not right for them.

    It is a very obvious decision to buy a GT3 IF it is the right car for you, that is you know you will take it to the track almost half of the weekends of the year or if it is a second car designnated for fun.

    I find that it is more and more obvious that many people are attracted to the "GT3" branding because it is a good plaque to pose in. This happened when it first came out in the USA (996) and many were traded in almost immediately for turbos. They wanted the "GT3" on the back but could not tolerate the harsh ride/low ground clearance and other rough aspects that came with the territory.

    Apparently when the 997 rolled around Porsche recognized this; which explains why the 997GT3 being dumbed down with a sunroof/softer suspension/other track irrelevant amenenties with the real job being left for the RS.

    That is not to say the base 997 GT3 is a crap car, that would be insane, but Porsche could have done better when evolving the 996 GT3. The direction they took was clearly aimed at people who want a Carrera with a wing and a different badge.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    this is just my personal bias of course, but in 10 years time, a GT3 will still be a GT3, and will be talked about with reverence in the motoring press and among porsche afficionados, whereas the 997 will be "just another series 911". NO OFFENSE meant to 997S owners.

    i have driven both a 997S and 996/7 GT3's on road and track, and the 997S is far more comfortable on street, and gives much of the same seat of the pants sensation on track (unless you're really really going for it).

    but at the end of the day, that "GT" badge on the ass marks it out as something special. we can get all cynical about how the 996 GT3 was a product created by the marketers at Porsche, more than the engineers, but it STILL has the GT1-derived engine, and that means it is closer to Porsche's real racing heritage than the other water cooled engines that first saw light of day in the Boxster...

    i wouldn't want to drive a GT3 on daily basis though... nothing wrong with buying a cheap 4-banger econobox for city commuting... you'll have one of the all time great Porsches in your garage for when you want to DRIVE

    again, my personal perspective on things only...

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Lets get a 997 GT3 then

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    I have not seen this one in the equation yet: Are we talking a 996 GT3 mk1 or mk2?
    Is there a difference in price/availability/depreciation/ride quality?
    I find the mk1 way more pretty to look at than the mk2, however, as I undertood it, the mk2 has substantial better performance/comfort?
    -Joost-

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Quote:
    Joost said:
    I have not seen this one in the equation yet: Are we talking a 996 GT3 mk1 or mk2?
    Is there a difference in price/availability/depreciation/ride quality?
    I find the mk1 way more pretty to look at than the mk2, however, as I undertood it, the mk2 has substantial better performance/comfort?
    -Joost-



    The MkI 996 GT3 was not available in North America, so I assume this is about the MkII.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    I am talking about the MK2, the MK1 is even more special because they were ALL handbuilt by motorosport from converted C4 chassis.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Quote:
    Moogle said:
    I am talking about the MK2, the MK1 is even more special because they were ALL handbuilt by motorosport from converted C4 chassis.



    here's my friend's mk1. still with only 1,800 original km's on it!


    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Quote:
    hesperus said: ... still with only 1,800 original km's on it!



    Nice car but all I can think is WHY? A car like that should be used and enjoyed on the track...it's hardly been run in!

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    I am quite sceptical about this whole thread. Here is a person that says he wants a car for LA, and will not track it. It does not take to much brain power to know that whatever the heart tells you, the 997 is THE way to go.

    I had a 996 4S, now on a tuned 997S, having driven really old 911s and the new 997 GT3 on circuits.

    It is not that the 997 is better (it is by miles saves "feel"), just far more suited to your needs. At the end, you will either live with a dream and not realise it (GT3), and believe me (I live in central London) it is hugely frustrating, or you buy the dream and do something about it (track the thing!). There is no road substitute or "in town fantastic feeling" that a GT3 will procure, only frustrations at not being able to push the car as it maker intended and having to live with the downsides (suspension, ground clearance,...).

    The only good thing is that it will depreciate less.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Quote:
    JAG007 said:
    I am quite sceptical about this whole thread. Here is a person that says he wants a car for LA, and will not track it. It does not take to much brain power to know that whatever the heart tells you, the 997 is THE way to go.

    It is not that it is better (it is), just far more suited to your needs. At the end, you will either live with a dream and not realise it (GT3), and believe me (I live in central London) it is hugely frustrating, or you buy the dream and do something about it (track the thing!). There is no road substitute or "in town fantastic feeling" that a GT3 will procure, only frustrations at not being able to push the car as it maker intended.

    The only good thing is that it will depreciate less.



    That is the scent of the poseur that you have stumbled upon

    I've seen so many of these threads. Original poster clearly wants some kind of Porsche, knows that the GT3 is more prestigious to pose in, but is not ready to tolerate the stiff ride around town.

    Once the 997S comes into the equation, the deal is sealed. Not many people would cross shop these cars so carelessly. It is a very polarizing decision. If you intend to take it to the track (often), then the GT3 is a clear choice. If not and one is still considering the GT3, then motive comes into question...

    Seen it too often.

    Re: 997 S or 996 GT3?

    Quote:
    easy_rider911 said:
    Quote:
    hesperus said: ... still with only 1,800 original km's on it!



    Nice car but all I can think is WHY? A car like that should be used and enjoyed on the track...it's hardly been run in!



    TRUE (about the "car should be enjoyed on track" bit)... but the owner has more cars than he knows what to do with (CGT, 993GT2, 993RS, 996/997GT3RS, Ford GT, etc etc etc)

    currently he drives his 997GT3RS a LOT...just that on the day we went for this drive, the RS had a busted wheel.

     
    Edit

    Forum

    Board Subject Last post Rating Views Replies
    Porsche Sticky SUN'S LAST RUN TO WILSON, WY - 991 C2S CAB LIFE, END OF AN ERA (Part II) 5/3/24 3:40 PM
    watt
    802520 1803
    Porsche Sticky Welcome to Rennteam: Cars and Coffee... (photos) 4/7/24 11:48 AM
    Boxster Coupe GTS
    448332 565
    Porsche Sticky OFFICIAL: Porsche 911 (992) GT3 RS - 2022 3/12/24 8:28 AM
    DJM48
    265892 323
    Porsche Sticky The new Macan: the first all-electric SUV from Porsche 1/30/24 9:18 AM
    RCA
    89895 45
    Porsche Sticky OFFICIAL: Taycan 2024 Facelift 3/15/24 1:23 PM
    CGX car nut
    6375 50
    Porsche The moment I've been waiting for... 2/1/24 7:01 PM
    Pilot
     
     
     
     
     
    885276 1364
    Porsche 992 GT3 7/23/23 7:01 PM
    Grant
    831866 3868
    Porsche GT4RS 4/21/24 11:50 AM
    mcdelaug
    399017 1454
    Porsche Welcome to the new Taycan Forum! 2/10/24 4:43 PM
    nberry
    395357 1526
    Others Tesla 2 the new thread 12/13/23 2:48 PM
    CGX car nut
    381782 2401
    Porsche Donor vehicle for Singer Vehicle Design 7/3/23 12:30 PM
    Porker
    370628 797
    Porsche Red Nipples 991.2 GT3 Touring on tour 5/12/24 6:23 PM
    blueflame
    293266 669
    Porsche Collected my 997 GTS today 10/19/23 7:06 PM
    CGX car nut
     
     
     
     
     
    265028 812
    Lambo Huracán EVO STO 7/30/23 6:59 PM
    mcdelaug
    243752 346
    Lotus Lotus Emira 6/25/23 2:53 PM
    Enmanuel
    238432 101
    Others Corvette C8 10/16/23 3:24 PM
    Enmanuel
    222078 488
    Others Gordon Murray - T.50 11/22/23 10:27 AM
    mcdelaug
    172915 387
    Porsche Back to basics - 996 GT3 RS 6/11/23 5:13 PM
    CGX car nut
    144793 144
    BMW M 2024 BMW M3 CS Official Now 12/29/23 9:04 AM
    RCA
    120897 303
    Motor Sp. 2023 Formula One 12/19/23 5:38 AM
    WhoopsyM
    111255 685
    Porsche 2022 992 Safari Model 3/7/24 4:22 PM
    WhoopsyM
    85435 239
    AMG Mercedes-Benz W124 500E aka Porsche typ 2758 2/23/24 10:03 PM
    blueflame
    75645 297
    Porsche 992 GT3 RS 3/3/24 7:22 PM
    WhoopsyM
    54692 314
    Motor Sp. Porsche 963 5/13/24 3:18 PM
    Grant
    26130 246
    Ferrari Ferrari 296 GTB (830PS, Hybrid V6) 1/21/24 4:29 PM
    GT-Boy
    21609 103
    BMW M 2022 BMW M5 CS 4/8/24 1:43 PM
    Ferdie
    20027 140
    AMG G63 sold out 9/15/23 7:38 PM
    Nico997
    16970 120
    AMG [2022] Mercedes-AMG SL 4/23/24 1:24 PM
    RCA
    14194 225
    Motor Sp. 24-Hour race Nürburgring 2018 5/25/23 10:42 PM
    Grant
    11418 55
    Porsche Porsche Mission X Hypercar 12/3/23 8:52 AM
    996FourEss
    11183 63
    123 items found, displaying 1 to 30.