GT2 myth or reality

[welshnobby]

Ok, i have trawled through the search facility as i'm considering a GT2. There is lots of info out there and numerous GT2 v GT3(rs) v turbo(+/- X50)threads. What i'm after is the opinion of people who have owned one or driven one. There were very few posts suggesting that anyone had thrown one of the "widowmakers" at the scenery. Is this reputation just an urban myth dreamt up by people who have no experience of the car? Has anyone had first hand experience.....please elaborate on any twitchy moments. It is quite obviously a car to be respected but does it bite without any warning in wet/slippery conditions when being driven at what would seem to be well within limits? Also with all that traction and wide rear rubber are the dry limits only likely to be found on a track as to do it on public roads would require licence losing speeds (obviously excluding driving like an idiot trying to provoke the car).

This isn't going to be my daily driver and will be used on the weekends. It may see some track action but this will be very infrequent. Mainly to learn the car if i buy one under the instuction of a professional driving instructor.

Many thanks in advance

Nobby

[DucatiGary]

welshnobby said:

twitchy moments

i believe they twitch at full throttle even at 90+ when changing into 3rd.

ive only been a passenger in one and can vouch that the driver was well in controll of the vehicle at the time and this was all within a controlled "closed road" area, in saying that though, learn your limits and gobuyonenow

like now

did i say now?

I meant NOW.

id sell relatives and body parts to have one.

[porsche4life]

Never without warning but it does bite.

Great presence, .... but a first Porsche ?

probably not

[aceparts_com]

I keep contemplating undoing the screw connecting the front diff on my TT to experience different ways of leaving the track.

[turbo tim]

Hi welshnobby.

Your search must've missed this thread...

(HTH)

[welshnobby]

porsche4life said:

Never without warning but it does bite.

Great presence, .... but a first Porsche ?

probably not

.....thanks for the input. I note that you have a GT2, do you use it in damp/wet/cold conditions.

This will be my 3rd Porsche, i've steadily moved through the ranks from a 986s to a 996C2 and now i'm considering the GT2 as they seem an aweful lot of car for the money. Any pointers that you may be able to offer in terms of what to watch out for would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Nobby

[welshnobby]

turbo tim said:

Hi welshnobby.

Your search must've missed this thread...

(HTH)

.....good thread, thanks for the pointer.

[porsche4life]

If the tyres are cold or its wet then yes you get lots of wheel spin but its all rather predictable, its like any powerful RWD car.. keep the steering angles small when hard on power.

Look out for ? My clutch needed replacing at 29000 miles , the ceramic brakes need very careful examination by an expert to determine the remaining life. They are expensive to replace and are not really very good.
Most have replaced with steels, either standard Porsche, Alcon or Brembo's

[Don]

Welshnobby: I have not driven a GT2. Its reputation as a "widowmaker", though, is founded AFAIC not on "myths" but on the accidents I know of: I saw a lovely silver Gt2 get hammered at both ends at Silverstone a couple of years back - a Maggots/Becketts prang - and the Castle Combe launch at Quarry that wrote off another GT2 is legendary.

Personally I'd buy a Turbo...despite the GT2 being fabulous looking!

Of course - its not the car's fault. If you are confident you have the restraint to own one and have the funding I'd say go for it! You just have to accept that if you want to explore its handling you need to be doing this on an airfield...not a tight circuit with little run-off and certainly not the public road!

[bergmeister]

Go for a 996gt2,probably one of the best value cars out at the moment.
Its all a myth that people make up,or like to make up.
What better car than one ,where the driver has to drive with some reserve and control!
The 2 accidents refered to,have nothing to do with the car.
Biggest problem with the car ,is its sheer bulk/weight.
Even better get a 993gt2.

[drhildr]

It's mostly a myth - these cars do exactly as you tell them and if you misjudge the call they will obey the laws of physics with no safety net. Having said that, driven with respect and a modicum of skill they are wonderful machines. I drive mine daily in all conditions, on track, Vmax etc etc and love it to bits! Cadge a ride with a GT2 enthusiast (one you trust that is!!) and feel the force.......

[m12_nathan]

Having passengered in a well driven GT2 it seemed fine, bit of a twitch coming off a roundabout at speed and full throttle but all seemed calm and controllable. The widowmaker tag probably comes from people who simply wanted the fastest 911 in the golf club car park not understanding the laws of physics or somehow thinking they were immune to them because they can afford a GT2

[johnnywishbone]

GT2 !
there is no substitute !!!
these are the ultimate 911s !

JWB

[r1_jon]

Myth as far as I'm concerned. I approached it with trepidation after seeing all the 'widowmaker' stories but after test driving one I really thought it was a load of nonsense.

However...

It does depend on you as a driver though. You obviously have to exercise more restraint than with a C2, as the GT2 will bite a lot harder when you do get it wrong. Having come from fast bikes where you have to give the machine a lot of respect I don't find it a problem. That said, I know people who don't have the same restraint and I wouldn't recommend them getting a GT2.

Drive one and make your own mind up...

Don - Not sure how seeing a couple of crashed GT2's on track make it a widowmaker. I've seen lots of pics of crashed GT3's and nobody says the same about them. It's just people driving beyond their limits.

[slippydiff]

m12_nathan said:

The widowmaker tag probably comes from people who simply wanted the fastest 911 in the golf club car park not understanding the laws of physics or somehow thinking they were immune to them because they can afford a GT2

Nail hit firmly on the head.

Widowmaker myth started and perpetuated by our good friends "over the pond"
Lets face it, any car with 460 HP, a shed load of torque, rear drive (with no electronic safety net) CAN be a widowmaker.

When all's said and done however, the car itself is not the widowmaker, it's the person behind the wheel at the time of the accident (and their possible lack of ability to control the car in extremis) that makes it a widowmaker.

Edited by slippydiff on Tuesday 4th July 11:38

[Don]

r1_jon said:

Don - Not sure how seeing a couple of crashed GT2's on track make it a widowmaker. I've seen lots of pics of crashed GT3's and nobody says the same about them. It's just people driving beyond their limits.

I take your point. I've seen more than a few GT3RSs put into the tyrewall too. One shouldn't single out the GT2. I suppose it can be summed up as "powerful rear wheel drive cars with a unique set of weight distribution challenges and advantages and no electronic assistance require more restraint and skill from the driver than other vehicles: unsurprisingly this leads to a few more than otherwise being involved in single car incidents."

There is also, perhaps, the GT2 power delivery which is probably not quite as friendly as a naturally aspirated engine - since I have test driven neither I cannot comment on that.

What I can comment on as a regular driver of fairly powerful TVRs with some of the same issues (powerful, rwd, no computer) is that the whole genre of car presents an both an additional challenge and an additional, how should I put it, responsibility?

I agree - its not the car. And I'd have one!

[GuyR]

Exactly, GT3s get crashed just as much..

A couple of weekends ago three UK GT3RS went into walls at tracks over the same weekend (two in the UK one at Spa).

Guy

[DanH]

GuyR said:

Exactly, GT3s get crashed just as much..

A couple of weekends ago three UK GT3RS went into walls at tracks over the same weekend (two in the UK one at Spa).

Guy

Perhaps, but do you really think the GT3 is as hard to drive on the limit as a GT2?

[fergus]

slippydiff said:

any car with 460 HP, a shed load of torque, rear drive (with no electronic safety net) CAN be a widowmaker.

F40s do not share the same tag. Agree, down to the driver.....

[DanH]

fergus said:

slippydiff said:

any car with 460 HP, a shed load of torque, rear drive (with no electronic safety net) CAN be a widowmaker.

F40s do not share the same tag. Agree, down to the driver.....

I've only ever heard people describe the F40 as a complete handful!