Just traded . 996tt X50 for GT3 Gen2
Discussion
After many years of longing for a GT3 and in particular the second Generation 997 I finally bit the bullet. Bang goes the new kitchen and deck. Wife took it very well. My son is beside himself and I am excited. I have only driven it for a day or two and have not had the chance to open her up yet. Trackday is calling.
Besdies the perfect paint(white) my only concern is that after only 5700 km she has had a new set of tyres and front disks placed by the dealer. Is this normal wear and tear? I think not. Front brakes shake a bit when firm pressure is placed from about 100 kph and she drifts slightly to the left on the freeway. All this can and will be checked by the dealer. Should I be concerned or will the peace of mind I get from the 2 year warrantee be enough to sooth my troubled brow.
Besides these concerns of mine I am very keen to get on the track and get some good advice as to how to handle this car. I am used to my 996tt X50 on the track and its capabilities were well beyond me but I did mange to have some real fun and posted some respectable times. Any pointers from people who have track experience of the differences between these two cars?
Besdies the perfect paint(white) my only concern is that after only 5700 km she has had a new set of tyres and front disks placed by the dealer. Is this normal wear and tear? I think not. Front brakes shake a bit when firm pressure is placed from about 100 kph and she drifts slightly to the left on the freeway. All this can and will be checked by the dealer. Should I be concerned or will the peace of mind I get from the 2 year warrantee be enough to sooth my troubled brow.
Besides these concerns of mine I am very keen to get on the track and get some good advice as to how to handle this car. I am used to my 996tt X50 on the track and its capabilities were well beyond me but I did mange to have some real fun and posted some respectable times. Any pointers from people who have track experience of the differences between these two cars?
Ndewar said:
After many years of longing for a GT3 and in particular the second Generation 997 I finally bit the bullet. Bang goes the new kitchen and deck. Wife took it very well. My son is beside himself and I am excited. I have only driven it for a day or two and have not had the chance to open her up yet. Trackday is calling.
Besdies the perfect paint(white) my only concern is that after only 5700 km she has had a new set of tyres and front disks placed by the dealer. Is this normal wear and tear? I think not. Front brakes shake a bit when firm pressure is placed from about 100 kph and she drifts slightly to the left on the freeway. All this can and will be checked by the dealer. Should I be concerned or will the peace of mind I get from the 2 year warrantee be enough to sooth my troubled brow.
Besides these concerns of mine I am very keen to get on the track and get some good advice as to how to handle this car. I am used to my 996tt X50 on the track and its capabilities were well beyond me but I did mange to have some real fun and posted some respectable times. Any pointers from people who have track experience of the differences between these two cars?
If it has had a new set of tyres and discs in that time, then it must have experienced a good bit of track work, not that that would worry me as this is what the GT3 is designed for. How long ago were the discs replaced as it sounds like they are buckled. To fix it I would put a new set of discs on it again and change the pads. Be prepared though, as discs are considered a consumable, but they aren't that dear. It could also be that the rears are buckled, not the front, were these changed too? Can you change them yourself?Besdies the perfect paint(white) my only concern is that after only 5700 km she has had a new set of tyres and front disks placed by the dealer. Is this normal wear and tear? I think not. Front brakes shake a bit when firm pressure is placed from about 100 kph and she drifts slightly to the left on the freeway. All this can and will be checked by the dealer. Should I be concerned or will the peace of mind I get from the 2 year warrantee be enough to sooth my troubled brow.
Besides these concerns of mine I am very keen to get on the track and get some good advice as to how to handle this car. I am used to my 996tt X50 on the track and its capabilities were well beyond me but I did mange to have some real fun and posted some respectable times. Any pointers from people who have track experience of the differences between these two cars?
I have a 996t and would like to jump to a 997.1 GT3 next year but don't think I will be able to afford it. Please report back how you find it compared to the 996t.
Congrats on the purchase. 
If the problem persists or gets worse, it won't be much use 6 months down the line saying "well I noticed it when I first got it, but I didn't bother saying anything at the time."
Ndewar said:
All this can and will be checked by the dealer. Should I be concerned or will the peace of mind I get from the 2 year warrantee be enough to sooth my troubled brow.
Don't be concerned but do notify the dealer. In writing.If the problem persists or gets worse, it won't be much use 6 months down the line saying "well I noticed it when I first got it, but I didn't bother saying anything at the time."
, I'm looking for 1... Congratulations Neil - that'll be a fantastic car. I had some very memorable drives out around the windy bits near Kumeu in a friend's Ferrari 328 and Caterham. Your new GT3 should be wonderful!
I'd be interested to know what having a quick car in NZ is like. I'm from Dunedin and get speeding tickets in a 2.7CDI G-Wagen (shaped like a barn) when I'm home, so I shudder to think what my mk1 996 GT3 would do to my licence if I ever bring it back...
P.S. The domain name in your profile is missing the R.
I'd be interested to know what having a quick car in NZ is like. I'm from Dunedin and get speeding tickets in a 2.7CDI G-Wagen (shaped like a barn) when I'm home, so I shudder to think what my mk1 996 GT3 would do to my licence if I ever bring it back...
P.S. The domain name in your profile is missing the R.
Thanks for the replies . I will answer them one at a time. Hi nbtbrv8 , the discs are new having been placed in the last few hundred km. I read the owners manual tonight and it does mention the noises that new pads or discs can make before they are bedded in. I think they suggest some hard braking to help settle them in which I will do tomorrow.I know the dealer will have a look a them next week. I don't think I would be able to change them myself.
The rears will be checked at the same time but were not changed with the front discs. I know that the car has been tracked by the GM of the dealership as well as a well known race driver. In NZ. The track days have always been at the dealer days where the number of laps is limited and so I don't think it has suffered too much but never the less new tyres and discs in 5000 km? Does that sound right?
I loved my midnight blue x50 . It was my first Porsche with very good specs from the factory and options like the aero kit . Techart mags with 325 rears which looked fantastic especially from the rear. The tech art sports exhaust was the most obvious difference . What a sound on full tilt at the track. But noisy when cruising at legal speeds on the freeways or out of town. The gt3 is much quiter when cruising at the same speeds even when the exhaust valve is open. The sound of this engine at high revs and on the track is one of the reasons I was so keen to get this car. I loved my x 50 but know this is going to be a different growth experience and I will keep this car for a long time . ( Had the x 50 for 4 years with not a single problem in 20000 Kms). I will certainly try to express my opinion on the differences as I become aware of them. The Main differences noted so far are the heavier clutch , sharper throttle response , lighter feel to the car generally and to the steering in particular , power is available instantly even though there was not a lot of lag in the x50.
Thanks for the advice monthefish I will put all my concerns in writing.
Unfortunately I am in NZ ratboy otherwise I would most definitely recommend my car to you. Epic in every way but I always felt guilty Caring for it so much and then taking it to the track days where I really enjoyed the laps but felt guilty driving so hard in such a special car. Somehow the more track focused GT3 will hopefully not give me The same misgivings about tracking it as it is designed more for the track than the x 50. I will be using it as a weekend car and driving fast in NZ carries the same risks as anywhere all2ofme, but there are some great back roads in the waikato and surrounds as well as north of Auckland which are a bit rough but challenging. The Porsche club has some great runs as well through the countryside in convoy which allows for some spirited driving. There is also the targa. Which I would love to do with the group of cars that drive through the closed sections before the competitors. I think they call it the Bambino. Great fun on some fantastic sections of road in complete safety and no speed restrictions. But track days at some of the best tracks around will have to quench my need for speed occasionally. Bring your s back if you can. There arent many straight mark 1 gt3s left in NZ. Have changed my domain name . Thanks for pointing that out.
The rears will be checked at the same time but were not changed with the front discs. I know that the car has been tracked by the GM of the dealership as well as a well known race driver. In NZ. The track days have always been at the dealer days where the number of laps is limited and so I don't think it has suffered too much but never the less new tyres and discs in 5000 km? Does that sound right?
I loved my midnight blue x50 . It was my first Porsche with very good specs from the factory and options like the aero kit . Techart mags with 325 rears which looked fantastic especially from the rear. The tech art sports exhaust was the most obvious difference . What a sound on full tilt at the track. But noisy when cruising at legal speeds on the freeways or out of town. The gt3 is much quiter when cruising at the same speeds even when the exhaust valve is open. The sound of this engine at high revs and on the track is one of the reasons I was so keen to get this car. I loved my x 50 but know this is going to be a different growth experience and I will keep this car for a long time . ( Had the x 50 for 4 years with not a single problem in 20000 Kms). I will certainly try to express my opinion on the differences as I become aware of them. The Main differences noted so far are the heavier clutch , sharper throttle response , lighter feel to the car generally and to the steering in particular , power is available instantly even though there was not a lot of lag in the x50.
Thanks for the advice monthefish I will put all my concerns in writing.
Unfortunately I am in NZ ratboy otherwise I would most definitely recommend my car to you. Epic in every way but I always felt guilty Caring for it so much and then taking it to the track days where I really enjoyed the laps but felt guilty driving so hard in such a special car. Somehow the more track focused GT3 will hopefully not give me The same misgivings about tracking it as it is designed more for the track than the x 50. I will be using it as a weekend car and driving fast in NZ carries the same risks as anywhere all2ofme, but there are some great back roads in the waikato and surrounds as well as north of Auckland which are a bit rough but challenging. The Porsche club has some great runs as well through the countryside in convoy which allows for some spirited driving. There is also the targa. Which I would love to do with the group of cars that drive through the closed sections before the competitors. I think they call it the Bambino. Great fun on some fantastic sections of road in complete safety and no speed restrictions. But track days at some of the best tracks around will have to quench my need for speed occasionally. Bring your s back if you can. There arent many straight mark 1 gt3s left in NZ. Have changed my domain name . Thanks for pointing that out.
5000km is more than likely to require new tyres if exercised on track a few times. New discs and pads indicate proper usage in my opinion (ie the driver is braking hard and I assume driving hard). Car is up for it though. I really can't imagine someone buying a GT3 and not tracking it HARD.
Just got the gt 3 back after having the problems, hopefully, sorted. Still haven't had a chance to take it for a long ride . Maybe tomorrow if weather permits. The back brakes were the problem apparently and they needed to be skimmed. Will test the feel of them later. The geo was completely off and the car needed some adjustment to the rear suspension components. This could either have been wrong from the factory Or from being tracked. How often should you check the geo and can it change from being tracked? Appreciate your replies.
In general, vibration through the steering wheel=front brake issue, from the brake pedal=rear brake issue.
The geo is supposed to be checked and adjusted as part of any Porsche main dealer's prep so it sounds like they haven't done the prep properly (or at all?). It shouldn't go out of adjustment in normal use but riding kerbs etc can affect it.
The geo is supposed to be checked and adjusted as part of any Porsche main dealer's prep so it sounds like they haven't done the prep properly (or at all?). It shouldn't go out of adjustment in normal use but riding kerbs etc can affect it.
thegoose said:
The geo is supposed to be checked and adjusted as part of any Porsche main dealer's prep so it sounds like they haven't done the prep properly (or at all?).
Really? OPC Reading (i.e. Porsche GB) certainly didn't on the one I bought from them (8mm low with the cambers, toes and corner weights all out). It didn't drive bad compared to an out of the box 996 even like that but being correctly geoed made a huge difference (not to mention taking away some serious ground clearance issues).Just had a good fast back roads blast with a mate and she feels very settled and vibration free. Fast and stable with the lightness that I know I will get used to after the bulk of the turbo. She feels competent and capable
but with a bit more weight in the rear. Honestly can't judge the real difference because I am not really up to it yet and will have to wait until after the track day next Sunday to see how different she is on the track. To be honest I am expecting big things on track and hope/know I will not be disappointed. Thanks for the replies and advice.
but with a bit more weight in the rear. Honestly can't judge the real difference because I am not really up to it yet and will have to wait until after the track day next Sunday to see how different she is on the track. To be honest I am expecting big things on track and hope/know I will not be disappointed. Thanks for the replies and advice.
Ndewar said:
Just had a good fast back roads blast with a mate and she feels very settled and vibration free. Fast and stable with the lightness that I know I will get used to after the bulk of the turbo. She feels competent and capable
but with a bit more weight in the rear. Honestly can't judge the real difference because I am not really up to it yet and will have to wait until after the track day next Sunday to see how different she is on the track. To be honest I am expecting big things on track and hope/know I will not be disappointed. Thanks for the replies and advice.
Excellent! How are you finding the RS as a road car? Is it fun at legal speeds?but with a bit more weight in the rear. Honestly can't judge the real difference because I am not really up to it yet and will have to wait until after the track day next Sunday to see how different she is on the track. To be honest I am expecting big things on track and hope/know I will not be disappointed. Thanks for the replies and advice.
Had a wonderful day at the track on Sunday. Had to leave eventually as almost ran out of petrol. As I expected the GT3 was superb. Main difference from the x50 is in the lightness of the controls and the nimbleness of the ride. Great traction and a great sound. Even managed to heel and toe for the first time . You can feel that his car is made for the track and the brakes are monumental. The best thing is the engine. Full of torque and such a sound through the rev range that I can still hear it in my mind. Won't forget it. Driving it made me feel so good, like I was a real driver and it was thanks to the engineers and the legacy of design that I felt so accomplished. Still a lot to learn but enjoying the experience and looking forward to the journey ahead.
She is in the shop this week as I wanted to add some black accents .i think they look wonderful with the white paint work. So the wheels are going to be gloss black . Tints on the windows and front air dam in white. Later will do something with the mirrors and rear air dam and spoiler. Anyone have any ideas and pictures of what they have done?
I will post some before and after shots of my car when it is back.
She is in the shop this week as I wanted to add some black accents .i think they look wonderful with the white paint work. So the wheels are going to be gloss black . Tints on the windows and front air dam in white. Later will do something with the mirrors and rear air dam and spoiler. Anyone have any ideas and pictures of what they have done?
I will post some before and after shots of my car when it is back.
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