# It's easier to drive an M3 fast then a Porsche GT3?



## Moderato (Nov 24, 2003)

http://www.roadfly.org/magazine/12/porsche_gt3_review.1.html

Read this review and please explain to me why? I would've thought the GT3 would be easier to drive around a track. :dunno:


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## Stuka (Jul 17, 2002)

Moderato said:


> http://www.roadfly.org/magazine/12/porsche_gt3_review.1.html
> 
> Read this review and please explain to me why? I would've thought the GT3 would be easier to drive around a track. :dunno:


Hell f'ing no. Even the Turbo with PSM off is harder to drive on the track fast than the M3. 

The M Drei is much more confidence inspiring. :thumbup:

It takes more skills to drive the Turbo as fast as the M3 on the track, and much more so the GT3. :yikes:


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## Moderato (Nov 24, 2003)

Stuka said:


> It takes more skills to drive the Turbo as fast as the M3 on the track, and much more so the GT3. :yikes:


Yeah, but why? I don't understand, isn't that what the GT3 is designed for?


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## Stuka (Jul 17, 2002)

Moderato said:


> Yeah, but why? I don't understand, isn't that what the GT3 is designed for?


For one, most of the weight is at the back. :yikes:

But basically, M3 is a very forgiving car. You can go into a corner too hot, and still be able to pull through, with average talent. YOu can lift, you can throw the car sideways, etc. The M3 is just over all a very forgiving car. :thumbup:

You do NOT want to go into a corner too hot in a Turbo or GT3, or it's big doo doo time. If you go in too hot and lift in a Porkchop, and especially a GT3, off you go in a spin. :yikes:

What makes the GT3 so good is that in the hands of a really skilled driver, it will eat the M3 alive on the track. But more than likely, it's the M3 that will hand the GT3 its a$$ on the track, given equal talent. The M3 is just that much more forgiving and confidence inspiring than a car that thinks its engine should be in the front, and will try everything to put it there. 

All that said, the Turbo really enforces some good driving habits on the track, like settle the car before entering a turn. :thumbup:


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## safetywork (Dec 10, 2003)

Coming from a 996 C2, I have to agree. The M3 is just a very forgiving car. Driving a C2 on the track or autocross was quite a learning experience and those things do reinforce good driving habits. On older aircool Porsches, you never lift off the throttle if you do... you're going off the track rear end first. The newer 996 are more balance but still, lifting off the throttle could be exciting.


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## 550iGuy (Jul 25, 2003)

*GT3 Bare Bones Race Car*

I was a bit baffled after readng the review--it seemed that the owner didn't even test drive the car before purchasing his GT3, and nearly all I've read and seen about the GT3 says that it definitely has louder cabin noise than most other cars as it's primarily a race car, not a "driving around town" car.

That said, I'm glad the owner took the time to make the adjustments and get some specialized Porsche training because they do handle differently than most other cars on the road or on the track, and the designs they've built for the road are the same that helped them to win at Le Mans so many times. After driving through the "meek" period of ownership, I'm sure he'll kick butt over his old M3 times. He did sound very happy by the end of the article.

There was one thing that I really liked that the author mentioned, and that was the idea of maintaining power through a turn. After I bought my Porsche that was one of the first things I was told would be very different than other cars, and it definitely is.

A couple of very good pieces of advice were given above which should count for any car: 1) settle the car before entering the turn, and 2) don't go into a corner too hot, but if you do (and you're in a Porsche), keep some power through it & hopefully you'll have enough "slide room".


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## Mr. The Edge (Dec 19, 2001)

PorscheGuy said:


> I was a bit baffled after readng the review--it seemed that the owner didn't even test drive the car before purchasing his GT3, and nearly all I've read and seen about the GT3 says that it definitely has louder cabin noise than most other cars as it's primarily a race car, not a "driving around town" car.


Are there a plethora of GT3's around that are available for a rigorous enough test drive to really understand their dynamics?


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## Moderato (Nov 24, 2003)

I've obviously never driven a Porsche before, but I thought that they handled just like other RWD cars, just better. I've been thinking about getting one in a few years, but I'm just basing that decision on reputation alone. If I do get one I will make sure to take some driving school classes before hitting the track. So owning a Porsche is like this: "If you don't know how to drive it you'll suck, however if you know how to drive it you will be feared on the racetrack."


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## Stuka (Jul 17, 2002)

Moderato said:


> I've obviously never driven a Porsche before, but I thought that they handled just like other RWD cars, just better. I've been thinking about getting one in a few years, but I'm just basing that decision on reputation alone. If I do get one I will make sure to take some driving school classes before hitting the track. So owning a Porsche is like this: "If you don't know how to drive it you'll suck, however if you know how to drive it you will be feared on the racetrack."


If you are planning on getting a Porkchop in a few years, and your budget is limited, get a used 996 GT3, Turbo, or GT2. The rest of the 996's use an entirely different engine block than the three mentioned above.

The long and short of it is that the regular M96 block is a piece of doggie doo doo. :tsk: The S54 is a much more sophisticated and better designed engine than the M96 can ever hope to be. And for 20K more than the M3, you now no longer get a dry sump engine, which you used to with all 993's. That block is now only reserved for GT2, GT3, and the Turbo. It's basically the block derived from the GT1 race car, and has NOTHING, NOTHING in common with what's found in Boxsters and regular 996's.

In order of performance and engine bang for the buck:

996 GT2
996 GT3
996 Turbo
993 Turbo
993 C4s
993 C2s
Regular 993
Regular 996

Yep, they are that far down the list to me. What's a 911 without dry sump?  :behead:

Lastly, Porkchop that came to the US are also fitted with geezer friendly suspensions. For the 993, the ROW M040 is the ticket. It's lower and stiffer than the geezer friendly US suspension. 

For the 996 Turbo, it's the X73 kit. It's also lower and stiffer than the geezer friendly US suspension. 

996 GT2 and GT3 came to the shore unharmed by the poseur guardians at PNA, and has the ROW suspension. :thumbup:


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## safetywork (Dec 10, 2003)

OR go with the RoW 030 for the "regular" 996 C2.


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## Moderato (Nov 24, 2003)

Wow thanks for the info. What's the (Porsche 911 specific) pros & cons on the AWD turbo vs. the RWD GT3?


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## outpost22 (Dec 29, 2003)

Unfortunately I have experienced a 911 swap ends 3 times. Granted I'm just a squid driver, but it was quite alarming at the speed in which it will happen. The ass always wants to lead in those cars. I much prefer the controlability (is that a word?) of front or mid engine drive. My brothers F355 F5 spider is VERY confidence inspring compared to his Porkchop. I'm sure at the upper limits of driving performance the P will be awesome, just that the learning curve is much steeper.


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## rost12 (Dec 22, 2001)

Moderato said:


> Wow thanks for the info. What's the (Porsche 911 specific) pros & cons on the AWD turbo vs. the RWD GT3?


As knowledgeable as Stuka is, take his "regular 996s suck 'cause they don't have dry sump" with a grain of salt. None of the current M cars have a try dry sump, for example. And the chances of you experiencing oil starvation during city or even track driving are nonexistent, unless you're Montoya having fun on racing slicks.

The only thing you should/could be worried about with regards to "regular" 996s (and the new 997s as well) are RMS leaks, but they are a) hit and miss b) covered by warranty.


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