TVR T350 and Sagaris v/s GT3
Discussion
I absolutely love my T350 and touchwod, thus far, it's been pretty much near faultless. However, I must admit that my dream ("attainable") car has always been a 997 GT3 or a 996 GT3 RS.
What my question is, am I really missing out by having "just" a T350? Is there anyone here who can explain how different the two types of cars really feel? What does the GT3 feel like when compared to a speed six?
What my question is, am I really missing out by having "just" a T350? Is there anyone here who can explain how different the two types of cars really feel? What does the GT3 feel like when compared to a speed six?
I don't have a T350 but I do own a Sagaris, a Typhon and a 997GT3, so maybe I can help offer some words of advice.
I love all 3 but would have to say that if my life depended upon choosing one that I felt would win a race for me, it would be the GT3. It’s an amazingly accomplished car - revs beyond 8,000 rpm and with 6 gears the power just keeps coming through without any interruption - you normally run out of road before it reaches its maximum. My car has ceramic brakes and they are immense. If you add to that all the comfort and reliability of a 997 plus the little things (fuel gauges that don't go from 15 ltrs to 4 ltrs in less than a minute, air con that really does the job in hot weather etc.) then on paper it’s no contest.
But TVR's look like nothing else, they sound glorious and nowadays you don't see that many on the road so you are a member of an exclusive club. The Sagaris is probably more nimble than a GT3 but you would have to thrash it to an inch of its life to compete speed wise. The Typhon is somewhere between the two as it’s essentially a car designed for the track.
I hope that helps. Head says GT3, heart says TVR. Either way, you can’t lose.
I love all 3 but would have to say that if my life depended upon choosing one that I felt would win a race for me, it would be the GT3. It’s an amazingly accomplished car - revs beyond 8,000 rpm and with 6 gears the power just keeps coming through without any interruption - you normally run out of road before it reaches its maximum. My car has ceramic brakes and they are immense. If you add to that all the comfort and reliability of a 997 plus the little things (fuel gauges that don't go from 15 ltrs to 4 ltrs in less than a minute, air con that really does the job in hot weather etc.) then on paper it’s no contest.
But TVR's look like nothing else, they sound glorious and nowadays you don't see that many on the road so you are a member of an exclusive club. The Sagaris is probably more nimble than a GT3 but you would have to thrash it to an inch of its life to compete speed wise. The Typhon is somewhere between the two as it’s essentially a car designed for the track.
I hope that helps. Head says GT3, heart says TVR. Either way, you can’t lose.
TQ3 said:
I don't have a T350 but I do own a Sagaris, a Typhon and a 997GT3, so maybe I can help offer some words of advice.
I love all 3 but would have to say that if my life depended upon choosing one that I felt would win a race for me, it would be the GT3. It’s an amazingly accomplished car - revs beyond 8,000 rpm and with 6 gears the power just keeps coming through without any interruption - you normally run out of road before it reaches its maximum. My car has ceramic brakes and they are immense. If you add to that all the comfort and reliability of a 997 plus the little things (fuel gauges that don't go from 15 ltrs to 4 ltrs in less than a minute, air con that really does the job in hot weather etc.) then on paper it’s no contest.
But TVR's look like nothing else, they sound glorious and nowadays you don't see that many on the road so you are a member of an exclusive club. The Sagaris is probably more nimble than a GT3 but you would have to thrash it to an inch of its life to compete speed wise. The Typhon is somewhere between the two as it’s essentially a car designed for the track.
I hope that helps. Head says GT3, heart says TVR. Either way, you can’t lose.
I reckon that's about the most objective summary I've ever read. I love all 3 but would have to say that if my life depended upon choosing one that I felt would win a race for me, it would be the GT3. It’s an amazingly accomplished car - revs beyond 8,000 rpm and with 6 gears the power just keeps coming through without any interruption - you normally run out of road before it reaches its maximum. My car has ceramic brakes and they are immense. If you add to that all the comfort and reliability of a 997 plus the little things (fuel gauges that don't go from 15 ltrs to 4 ltrs in less than a minute, air con that really does the job in hot weather etc.) then on paper it’s no contest.
But TVR's look like nothing else, they sound glorious and nowadays you don't see that many on the road so you are a member of an exclusive club. The Sagaris is probably more nimble than a GT3 but you would have to thrash it to an inch of its life to compete speed wise. The Typhon is somewhere between the two as it’s essentially a car designed for the track.
I hope that helps. Head says GT3, heart says TVR. Either way, you can’t lose.
TQ3 said:
I don't have a T350 but I do own a Sagaris, a Typhon and a 997GT3, so maybe I can help offer some words of advice.
I love all 3 but would have to say that if my life depended upon choosing one that I felt would win a race for me, it would be the GT3. It’s an amazingly accomplished car - revs beyond 8,000 rpm and with 6 gears the power just keeps coming through without any interruption - you normally run out of road before it reaches its maximum. My car has ceramic brakes and they are immense. If you add to that all the comfort and reliability of a 997 plus the little things (fuel gauges that don't go from 15 ltrs to 4 ltrs in less than a minute, air con that really does the job in hot weather etc.) then on paper it’s no contest.
But TVR's look like nothing else, they sound glorious and nowadays you don't see that many on the road so you are a member of an exclusive club. The Sagaris is probably more nimble than a GT3 but you would have to thrash it to an inch of its life to compete speed wise. The Typhon is somewhere between the two as it’s essentially a car designed for the track.
I hope that helps. Head says GT3, heart says TVR. Either way, you can’t lose.
I saw your Typhon at David Gerald just before Xmas - what a car. I think that would be the only car I would trade my Sagaris in for!! Lovely - such a shame that such cars are no longer made.I love all 3 but would have to say that if my life depended upon choosing one that I felt would win a race for me, it would be the GT3. It’s an amazingly accomplished car - revs beyond 8,000 rpm and with 6 gears the power just keeps coming through without any interruption - you normally run out of road before it reaches its maximum. My car has ceramic brakes and they are immense. If you add to that all the comfort and reliability of a 997 plus the little things (fuel gauges that don't go from 15 ltrs to 4 ltrs in less than a minute, air con that really does the job in hot weather etc.) then on paper it’s no contest.
But TVR's look like nothing else, they sound glorious and nowadays you don't see that many on the road so you are a member of an exclusive club. The Sagaris is probably more nimble than a GT3 but you would have to thrash it to an inch of its life to compete speed wise. The Typhon is somewhere between the two as it’s essentially a car designed for the track.
I hope that helps. Head says GT3, heart says TVR. Either way, you can’t lose.
Last year I had a GT3RS and the Sagaris for a while.
It pains me to hear Porsche drivers slag off TVRs and the other way around.
To me the GT3RS was a fantastic car and to me was a occassion to drive even though I did not have it for long. The Sagaris to me is a car I fell in love with the look of before the car itself. The Sagaris is a pain in the a** sometimes but then again I have had a Porsche give me far worse hassle.
As a car that would give me everything then it would be the GT3 (not the GT3RS)it has it all, the engine, the pace, handing etc etc - really good for long drives and tours and excellent for a blat on the track. The Sagaris is also good on the track as well as long drives but to me it is not as complete a package, I know this will sound obvious to many but it is not as "screwed together"
The 996RS will be a future classic, as a range it is a terrible car for Porsche with the 996GT2 probually now the best value out there. The 996RS is a track car, you will not be able to use it for pretty much anything else. If you do not believe me then make sure you go for at least a 20 mile drive on uk roads.
I love my Sagaris and I hope I am lucky enough to be able to keep it. You need to try both and you need to work out what you want from the car going forward but the GT3 is a cracking car.
It pains me to hear Porsche drivers slag off TVRs and the other way around.
To me the GT3RS was a fantastic car and to me was a occassion to drive even though I did not have it for long. The Sagaris to me is a car I fell in love with the look of before the car itself. The Sagaris is a pain in the a** sometimes but then again I have had a Porsche give me far worse hassle.
As a car that would give me everything then it would be the GT3 (not the GT3RS)it has it all, the engine, the pace, handing etc etc - really good for long drives and tours and excellent for a blat on the track. The Sagaris is also good on the track as well as long drives but to me it is not as complete a package, I know this will sound obvious to many but it is not as "screwed together"
The 996RS will be a future classic, as a range it is a terrible car for Porsche with the 996GT2 probually now the best value out there. The 996RS is a track car, you will not be able to use it for pretty much anything else. If you do not believe me then make sure you go for at least a 20 mile drive on uk roads.
I love my Sagaris and I hope I am lucky enough to be able to keep it. You need to try both and you need to work out what you want from the car going forward but the GT3 is a cracking car.
Edited by blackiepaul on Tuesday 12th January 09:29
I had a Tamora, Sagaris and now run a 996 GT3. The Tamora disappointed me with its build quality (even allowing for the 'expected' TVR shortfalls) but was superb fun on track. The Sagaris was a stunning car with a great sense of occasion, better on the road thatn the Tamora and equally as good on the track (though I had expected it to be better).
The GT3 has a fantastic feel to it (more so since I had the geometry professionally set at Center Gravity to my spec) and possibly inspires a bit more confidence than the TVR's when pushing on, particularly on B-roads. The engine is superb and the biggest 'nice' suprise about these cars compared to the rest of the 996 range.
In an ideal world I would have a TVR (Sag or T350) and a GT3 in my garage and to say which is better is really like deciding between a nice bottle of Sancerre or a Fleurie
The GT3 has a fantastic feel to it (more so since I had the geometry professionally set at Center Gravity to my spec) and possibly inspires a bit more confidence than the TVR's when pushing on, particularly on B-roads. The engine is superb and the biggest 'nice' suprise about these cars compared to the rest of the 996 range.
In an ideal world I would have a TVR (Sag or T350) and a GT3 in my garage and to say which is better is really like deciding between a nice bottle of Sancerre or a Fleurie
blackiepaul said:
Last year I had a GT3RS and the Sagaris for a while.
It pains me to hear Porsche drivers slag off TVRs and the other way around.
To me the GT3RS was a fantastic car and to me was a occassion to drive even though I did not have it for long. The Sagaris to me is a car I fell in love with the look of before the car itself. The Sagaris is a pain in the a** sometimes but then again I have had a Porsche give me far worse hassle.
As a car that would give me everything then it would be the GT3 (not the GT3RS)it has it all, the engine, the pace, handing etc etc - really good for long drives and tours and excellent for a blat on the track. The Sagaris is also good on the track as well as long drives but to me it is not as complete a package, I know this will sound obvious to many but it is not as "screwed together"
The 996RS will be a future classic, as a range it is a terrible car for Porsche with the 996GT2 probually now the best value out there. The 996RS is a track car, you will not be able to use it for pretty much anything else. If you do not believe me then make sure you go for at least a 20 mile drive on uk roads.
I love my Sagaris and I hope I am lucky enough to be able to keep it. You need to try both and you need to work out what you want from the car going forward but the GT3 is a cracking car.
All TVR owners NEED to drive or own a GT3, even those Porsche hating beard types. It will resonate with any TVR owner, they'll get why it's such an epic car in all it's GT3 forms. It's the most 'TVR' Porsche out there!It pains me to hear Porsche drivers slag off TVRs and the other way around.
To me the GT3RS was a fantastic car and to me was a occassion to drive even though I did not have it for long. The Sagaris to me is a car I fell in love with the look of before the car itself. The Sagaris is a pain in the a** sometimes but then again I have had a Porsche give me far worse hassle.
As a car that would give me everything then it would be the GT3 (not the GT3RS)it has it all, the engine, the pace, handing etc etc - really good for long drives and tours and excellent for a blat on the track. The Sagaris is also good on the track as well as long drives but to me it is not as complete a package, I know this will sound obvious to many but it is not as "screwed together"
The 996RS will be a future classic, as a range it is a terrible car for Porsche with the 996GT2 probually now the best value out there. The 996RS is a track car, you will not be able to use it for pretty much anything else. If you do not believe me then make sure you go for at least a 20 mile drive on uk roads.
I love my Sagaris and I hope I am lucky enough to be able to keep it. You need to try both and you need to work out what you want from the car going forward but the GT3 is a cracking car.
Edited by blackiepaul on Tuesday 12th January 09:29
Edited by Housey on Saturday 16th January 14:40
I've got a particular question here actually. The ONLY thing I am not crazy about re. the T350 is the "crashy" ride when driving in London over the potholes and undulations, etc... Is the 997 GT3 a softer ride in comparison when driving along the more mundane, inner city stuff?
Don't get me wrong, I do understand why the ride is as stiff as it is and it makes complete sense when pressing on on a nice piece of tarmac!
Don't get me wrong, I do understand why the ride is as stiff as it is and it makes complete sense when pressing on on a nice piece of tarmac!
AdvocatusD said:
I've got a particular question here actually. The ONLY thing I am not crazy about re. the T350 is the "crashy" ride when driving in London over the potholes and undulations, etc... Is the 997 GT3 a softer ride in comparison when driving along the more mundane, inner city stuff?
Don't get me wrong, I do understand why the ride is as stiff as it is and it makes complete sense when pressing on on a nice piece of tarmac!
You should try a Fiat Panda 100HP - now that is crashy. Boing.Don't get me wrong, I do understand why the ride is as stiff as it is and it makes complete sense when pressing on on a nice piece of tarmac!
I find the T350 pretty soft in general, but the suspension can get upset by big potholes. Just because a 997 GT3 doesn't feel as hard as the TVR, it does not mean you're not doing the same amount of potential damage to your car!
AdvocatusD said:
I've got a particular question here actually. The ONLY thing I am not crazy about re. the T350 is the "crashy" ride when driving in London over the potholes and undulations, etc... Is the 997 GT3 a softer ride in comparison when driving along the more mundane, inner city stuff?
Don't get me wrong, I do understand why the ride is as stiff as it is and it makes complete sense when pressing on on a nice piece of tarmac!
Get your shocks checked - if they are still the originals, and the car has done around 20,000 miles, they'll most likely be shot. Mine started off fairly 'crashy' when I bought it at around 18,000 miles and got progressively worse until I changed them.Don't get me wrong, I do understand why the ride is as stiff as it is and it makes complete sense when pressing on on a nice piece of tarmac!
Targarama said:
You should try a Fiat Panda 100HP - now that is crashy. Boing.
Too right. Thank God I've never had to sit in the back of mine!Hoady said:
AdvocatusD said:
I've got a particular question here actually. The ONLY thing I am not crazy about re. the T350 is the "crashy" ride when driving in London over the potholes and undulations, etc... Is the 997 GT3 a softer ride in comparison when driving along the more mundane, inner city stuff?
Don't get me wrong, I do understand why the ride is as stiff as it is and it makes complete sense when pressing on on a nice piece of tarmac!
Get your shocks checked - if they are still the originals, and the car has done around 20,000 miles, they'll most likely be shot. Mine started off fairly 'crashy' when I bought it at around 18,000 miles and got progressively worse until I changed them.Don't get me wrong, I do understand why the ride is as stiff as it is and it makes complete sense when pressing on on a nice piece of tarmac!
Targarama said:
You should try a Fiat Panda 100HP - now that is crashy. Boing.
Too right. Thank God I've never had to sit in the back of mine!
Out for a blast today, first time since the PH Mercedes Benz World gathering (due to weather/holidays/more weather). Went like a dream.
I've got fairly new Nitrons on mine. Jason has made them softer than they were, but I guess I'm just a bit of a baby about having a limo style ride!
I do grit my teeth every time I go over a bump and worry about potential damage! Touchwood, the car has been utterly flawless so it's just fear of what may be rather than fear of what is!
I do grit my teeth every time I go over a bump and worry about potential damage! Touchwood, the car has been utterly flawless so it's just fear of what may be rather than fear of what is!
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