996TT - 997GT3. A first report & GT3 "speak"!
Discussion
Here with my first impressions of the 997GT3 as a daily driver rather than a track day toy!!
The journey to its door has been via a Pork filled past most recently 996C2 & 996TT. I loved the Turbo & found it a hard car to replace, it struck a fabulous balance between safe daily driver/GT & addictive drivers adrenalin pump! The new 997TT is just more of the same, more speed, but also more refined & more of a GT with less interaction. I also didn’t like the looks, & add in the small matter of an extra £55k over the 996, NO THANKYOU!
After nearly 4 years with a TT I also missed the purer rear wheel drive chassis & the fact that the Turbo didn’t sound as good or rev as high as a great naturally aspirated flat six!
The 996GT3 was simply too uncompromising on my favourite B roads & although I loved the dynamics, sound & reach of the 997S, it lacked the adrenalin pumping grunt of the Turbo………so we arrive at the door of the 997GT3 via an AMV8, back to Pork refreshed!
As mentioned this is my daily driver, so I opted for the full leather interior + standard sports seats & I’m glad I did! After the fabulous leather lined interior of the Aston, the MFI fabric & creaking metal scaffolding of the Clubsport pack just didn’t do it for me, although I can understand why you would want them if you are a circuit addict. The crested seats with alcantara centres look fabulous are much easier to get in & out for daily driving & they grip you in all the right places, much better than the 996’s! Other toys included Porsches now excellent PCM Sat Nav, the sound pack, which makes the stereo acceptable but not outstanding, cruise for SPECs & speed cameras, plus Xenons a must for a car such as this!
The ride quality is a revelation for such a focused drivers car & actually as comfortable as my Turbo was! Although never less than firm, it only runs out of answers on a roads badly set with continuous deep bumps, repairs & imperfections, where it can literally throw you around! But on the average pock marked B road it is simply awesome in the way it allows you to tune into the driving zone involving you with the road surface but not distracting you as the 996GT3 used to! The handling is awesome, with virtually zero body roll or float, direct feel-some steering, razor sharp turn-in & an all as one wieldiness through the twisty stuff. You feel plugged into the experience & part of this car it feels “alive”. The engine is character filled, tractable, docile, flexible & promises epic performance once fully run-in, it lacks the TTs mid-range in gear grunt but makes up for it with razor sharp throttle response & an exhaust note that is nothing short of awesome. Above 4500rpm it flies for the redline like a rabid beast. Once run in could it be even faster than the Turbo? I think so!
So far the negatives have been a rattling vibration at 3000 odd revs, the brakes occasionally start squealing & are a little snatchy on first application & a tendency to start each morning in a cloud of oil smoke!
I apologise for this next bit, but as there have already been several excellent road-tests, I have tried to convey the “feelings, emotions & personal opinions” generated by the beast!
THE LOOKS: From some angles its WOW....AWESOME, from others it’s just another 911 with an OTT Halfords job!
Function before form - Purposeful - Animalistic - Mean & moody - Aggressive, low, Crouching! - Ready for action - Race-car on road - Track-attack - Halfords bolt-on! - OTT - Super-car Caricature - Awesome!
THE EMOTIONS: Snugly wedged into the sports seats, grippy alcantara steering wheel ahead, chunky mechanical gearlever to left, grumbling beast behind:
Excitement - Anticipation - Concentration - Focus - Adrenalin - Controlled Aggression - Respect - Awe – Elation - Bonding - Pleasure - Relief - Grinning - Addictive – Emotive - Addiction!
THE SOUND: This engine is alive, it is a living breathing animal that talks to you uttering the following sounds as it moves through its rev-range from tick over to red-line!:
Rumble - growl - guttural snarl - bellow - roar - howl - scream - resonating howling scream.
THE FEEL: This is the most tactile & “alive” 911 I have owned, you really do feel an integral part of the machine & its bond with the road!!:
Steel fist in velvet glove - Tactile - Involving - Cohesive - Balanced - Agile - Direct - Feel-some - Focussed - Organic, alive, pulsating! - Feedback-stream - Meshing with the machine - Moist palms - Intimidating, a partially tamed beast - Aggressive - Thrusting - Speed - Sound assault - Blur - Acceleration - Retardation - G-forces - Its calling again!
The journey to its door has been via a Pork filled past most recently 996C2 & 996TT. I loved the Turbo & found it a hard car to replace, it struck a fabulous balance between safe daily driver/GT & addictive drivers adrenalin pump! The new 997TT is just more of the same, more speed, but also more refined & more of a GT with less interaction. I also didn’t like the looks, & add in the small matter of an extra £55k over the 996, NO THANKYOU!
After nearly 4 years with a TT I also missed the purer rear wheel drive chassis & the fact that the Turbo didn’t sound as good or rev as high as a great naturally aspirated flat six!
The 996GT3 was simply too uncompromising on my favourite B roads & although I loved the dynamics, sound & reach of the 997S, it lacked the adrenalin pumping grunt of the Turbo………so we arrive at the door of the 997GT3 via an AMV8, back to Pork refreshed!
As mentioned this is my daily driver, so I opted for the full leather interior + standard sports seats & I’m glad I did! After the fabulous leather lined interior of the Aston, the MFI fabric & creaking metal scaffolding of the Clubsport pack just didn’t do it for me, although I can understand why you would want them if you are a circuit addict. The crested seats with alcantara centres look fabulous are much easier to get in & out for daily driving & they grip you in all the right places, much better than the 996’s! Other toys included Porsches now excellent PCM Sat Nav, the sound pack, which makes the stereo acceptable but not outstanding, cruise for SPECs & speed cameras, plus Xenons a must for a car such as this!
The ride quality is a revelation for such a focused drivers car & actually as comfortable as my Turbo was! Although never less than firm, it only runs out of answers on a roads badly set with continuous deep bumps, repairs & imperfections, where it can literally throw you around! But on the average pock marked B road it is simply awesome in the way it allows you to tune into the driving zone involving you with the road surface but not distracting you as the 996GT3 used to! The handling is awesome, with virtually zero body roll or float, direct feel-some steering, razor sharp turn-in & an all as one wieldiness through the twisty stuff. You feel plugged into the experience & part of this car it feels “alive”. The engine is character filled, tractable, docile, flexible & promises epic performance once fully run-in, it lacks the TTs mid-range in gear grunt but makes up for it with razor sharp throttle response & an exhaust note that is nothing short of awesome. Above 4500rpm it flies for the redline like a rabid beast. Once run in could it be even faster than the Turbo? I think so!
So far the negatives have been a rattling vibration at 3000 odd revs, the brakes occasionally start squealing & are a little snatchy on first application & a tendency to start each morning in a cloud of oil smoke!
I apologise for this next bit, but as there have already been several excellent road-tests, I have tried to convey the “feelings, emotions & personal opinions” generated by the beast!
THE LOOKS: From some angles its WOW....AWESOME, from others it’s just another 911 with an OTT Halfords job!
Function before form - Purposeful - Animalistic - Mean & moody - Aggressive, low, Crouching! - Ready for action - Race-car on road - Track-attack - Halfords bolt-on! - OTT - Super-car Caricature - Awesome!
THE EMOTIONS: Snugly wedged into the sports seats, grippy alcantara steering wheel ahead, chunky mechanical gearlever to left, grumbling beast behind:
Excitement - Anticipation - Concentration - Focus - Adrenalin - Controlled Aggression - Respect - Awe – Elation - Bonding - Pleasure - Relief - Grinning - Addictive – Emotive - Addiction!
THE SOUND: This engine is alive, it is a living breathing animal that talks to you uttering the following sounds as it moves through its rev-range from tick over to red-line!:
Rumble - growl - guttural snarl - bellow - roar - howl - scream - resonating howling scream.
THE FEEL: This is the most tactile & “alive” 911 I have owned, you really do feel an integral part of the machine & its bond with the road!!:
Steel fist in velvet glove - Tactile - Involving - Cohesive - Balanced - Agile - Direct - Feel-some - Focussed - Organic, alive, pulsating! - Feedback-stream - Meshing with the machine - Moist palms - Intimidating, a partially tamed beast - Aggressive - Thrusting - Speed - Sound assault - Blur - Acceleration - Retardation - G-forces - Its calling again!
Edited by grant3 on Monday 12th March 13:15
So many caps, you`re obviously in denial , never when you drove/owned/waxed lyrical about your true love was Halfords mentioned uberbeetles are all the things you describe but perleeze , gentlemen like you don`t drive cads cars , see the light , relent, come back to the fold , we`re waiting for you in the friendly forum 
mikial said:
So many caps, you`re obviously in denial , never when you drove/owned/waxed lyrical about your true love was Halfords mentioned uberbeetles are all the things you describe but perleeze , gentlemen like you don`t drive cads cars , see the light , relent, come back to the fold , we`re waiting for you in the friendly forum
mikial - he's experiencing the 'pop the champagne cork' rush at the moment - and good luck to him. However we know what happens after the bottle has been open a while - and grant knows where his heart truly lies - I give it six months.
Edited by Pugsey on Monday 12th March 07:51
mikial said:
So many caps, you`re obviously in denial , never when you drove/owned/waxed lyrical about your true love was Halfords mentioned uberbeetles are all the things you describe but perleeze , gentlemen like you don`t drive cads cars , see the light , relent, come back to the fold , we`re waiting for you in the friendly forum
Actually none of the GT3 bonding process is negative to Aston ownership I still bathe in the glow of having owned the AMV8 for a year! There is no doubt which is the better looking car inside & out, also which is better received by the public at large. i will be haunting the Aston forum for years to come!
BUT when it comes to the pure driving experience, my early impressions are that the GT3 is in a totally different league, now what I would like is the looks, interior & image of the Aston with the driving interaction, grunt & man & machine in harmony offered by the GT3!
Pugsey said:
mikial - he's experiencing the 'pop the champagne cork' rush at the moment - and good luck to him. However we know what happens after the bottle has been open a while - and grant knows where his heart truly lies - I give it six months.
look the cork pops on this car every time it screams down your favourite B road, it is a vintage experience, although one must admit not as sophisticated as the Aston which is more barrel aged brandy!
kayc said:
Paul D GT3 said:
egbert said:
I hope you still feel the same when a TT goes past you like you've got the handbrake on.
j/k congrats on the lovely car.
j/k congrats on the lovely car.
Doubtful
Been there seen it done it, loved it got bored moved on, will it leave a 996TT on a back road, probably not, will the GT3 driver be having more fun 100% for sure..
Kayc time to take the record out the groove & see the light!
grant3 said:
mikial said:
So many caps, you`re obviously in denial , never when you drove/owned/waxed lyrical about your true love was Halfords mentioned uberbeetles are all the things you describe but perleeze , gentlemen like you don`t drive cads cars , see the light , relent, come back to the fold , we`re waiting for you in the friendly forum
Actually none of the GT3 bonding process is negative to Aston ownership I still bathe in the glow of having owned the AMV8 for a year! There is no doubt which is the better looking car inside & out, also which is better received by the public at large. i will be haunting the Aston forum for years to come!
BUT when it comes to the pure driving experience, my early impressions are that the GT3 is in a totally different league, now what I would like is the looks, interior & image of the Aston with the driving interaction, grunt & man & machine in harmony offered by the GT3!
Pugsey said:
mikial - he's experiencing the 'pop the champagne cork' rush at the moment - and good luck to him. However we know what happens after the bottle has been open a while - and grant knows where his heart truly lies - I give it six months.
look the cork pops on this car every time it screams down your favourite B road, it is a vintage experience, although one must admit not as sophisticated as the Aston which is more barrel aged brandy!
kayc said:
Paul D GT3 said:
egbert said:
I hope you still feel the same when a TT goes past you like you've got the handbrake on.
j/k congrats on the lovely car.
j/k congrats on the lovely car.
Doubtful
Been there seen it done it, loved it got bored moved on, will it leave a 996TT on a back road, probably not, will the GT3 driver be having more fun 100% for sure..
Kayc time to take the record out the groove & see the light!
Glad you're enjoying it grant - have fun! Most on here are just guessing as to which model is 'faster' than the other (a pointless day to day concern anyway as neither can be driven to 100% of their limits safely on road) - you are one of the lucky few who can actually make the comparison. Enjoy!
Pugsey said:
Glad you're enjoying it grant - have fun! Most on here are just guessing as to which model is 'faster' than the other (a pointless day to day concern anyway as neither can be driven to 100% of their limits safely on road). Enjoy!
Wise words about the fact that neither car can be driven to their limits over any large area of public roads.
Anyway you have already "done" the GT3 thing, so its all old news to you, more importantly what is the latest on your car front when does the Roadster come & is an R8 still on the cards?
grant3 said:
Pugsey said:
Glad you're enjoying it grant - have fun! Most on here are just guessing as to which model is 'faster' than the other (a pointless day to day concern anyway as neither can be driven to 100% of their limits safely on road). Enjoy!
Wise words about the fact that neither car can be driven to their limits over any large area of public roads.
Anyway you have already "done" the GT3 thing, so its all old news to you, more importantly what is the latest on your car front when does the Roadster come & is an R8 still on the cards?
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