Manifold

Took delivery of my 992 GT3 today. The car is winged, PDK, sport buckets, has Cup 2 tires, iron brakes, and the alignment is close to factory specs with cambers of about 1.5 degrees.

Before today, I never drove one on the road, and I briefly drove on the track only a few days ago. So buying this car was somewhat of a leap of faith, which is something I'm comfortably willing to do with a GT3.

I started this thread to log my impressions of the car, which may change as I drive the car more.

So, bottom line for my first impression is that the car is EXCELLENT. A+

Right now, I'd say the biggest strength of the car is the front end. The car turns in almost like a mid-engine car, it builds load progressively, it's stable through the corner but easily adjusted in the line, and it doesn't understeer. Yet it still feels like a 911. The front end beats every other 911 I've driven. The car feels balanced, and the grip is very high, as one would expect from a GT3 track car.

The brakes are also very good. Easily to modulate, not grabby, feel strong, firm pedal without too much travel.

The steering feels a touch heavy if I pay attention to it, but I don't really notice that if I don't specific attention to it. The steering wheel doesn't feel very 'alive', but that's pretty standard for all modern 911s. I like the size and feel of the steering wheel itself.

I'm following the break-in guidelines, so keeping the revs under 5k rpm. I think the power is actually pretty decent for a NA engine up to 5k. Looking forward to driving it with more of a lead foot when the break-in is complete.

Up to 5k, the sound in the car is surprisingly quiet. Definitely quieter than the 991.2 3RS (though that has center muffler delete), and IIRC also quieter than the 991.1 GT3. I did run the 992 GT3 I drove on track out to redline. With all three cars being able to be driven WOT, I suspect that I would rank the 991.1 GT3 as the best sounding, the 3RS as second best, and the 992 GT3 last, but they all sound good and the soundtracks are similar.

I'm still getting used to the ergonomics of this 992 GT3, so don't really want to comment on that, except to say that right now I prefer the more analog cockpit of the 991 cars. Maybe that will change as I get used to the 992.

The seats feel good, pretty much the same as the sport buckets in other GT cars.

The ride quality is interesting. On bad roads, the ride quality can be somewhat harsh and the car is prone to tramlining, but it's not as bad as the 3RS in this regard. On roads that aren't too bad, or better than that, the ride quality is actually quite good. It seems clear to me that the GT3 has fairly stiff springs, combined with sophisticated damping software to provide some compliance. For a road-only car, I think they should have used softer springs (like 4RS vs Spyder RS), so I think this was designed primarily as a track car, secondarily as a road car (so that one can drive to and from the track in reasonable comfort).

If someone wants a GT car that's visceral and feels close to a cup car, I think the 991.2 3RS is a good choice. If someone wants a GT car that feels rawer than the 992 GT3 but significantly less performance (and cost), the 991.1 GT3 is a good choice. I guess the 991.2 GT3 is also a good choice, though to me it doesn't seem as raw as the 991.1 GT3. But if someone wants a GT3 that's as fast as any NA 991, but more refined and better handling, I'd say the 992 GT3 is the one to get.

When I drove the 992 GT3 today, I drove it first, then the 992 TTS, then the GT3 again. The two cars have some similarities, but they're also quite different. The TTS feels bigger, heavier, less sharp, less communicative, more like a road car. So the GT3 feels lighter, sharper, smaller, more like a track car. But the grip of the two cars seems similar at road speeds, and of course the TTS is much more powerful. For the road OR track, I can see some people preferring one car, some preferring the other, and some deciding that they want to have both.

Overall, I'm really happy with the car, and looking forward to driving it more on the road (especially past break in), and especially looking forward to tracking it.

michaeldorian

Looking forward to more as you get more intimate. Oh, and photos?!?

Manifold

GrantG

Nice review. Not sure if you’re just being cautious, but the official break-in procedures only requires you stay below 7k rpm for 1500km (932 miles). I did sneak up on this limit gradually, so maybe you’re doing the same.

Manifold

I saw a post saying 7k for the RS, but dealer told me 5k, and friend who has the 992 GT3 told me 5k. If the real limit is 7k, I'm happy to go there!

Planning to drive the car about a hundred miles tomorrow on backroads. I bought several cars in the past year or so, but this is the first car I bought since 2016 where I got to configure the allocation. The look is similar to my old 991.1 GT3, so I feel like this 992 is a new and improved version of my old car.

But maybe I should stop calling it 'my' car, because the wife and I need two track cars, and she may be driving this GT3 more than me! She rode with me during the maiden drive today, and I told she's going to LOVE this car on track.

redmonkey928

Can you explain the analogy of why the 991.2 resembles a Cup car? Just curious what your pulling from that and trying to tie together, and how that differs on the 992 GT3.

Wasn't sure I followed that correctly, but I can also be a bit dense.

And I'd agree that the 991.1 generation does have less refinement that say the 991.2 > 992 generation cars.

Manifold

The 991.2 RS feels lighter than the GT3, louder, the whole car vibrates more, feels like stiffer springs (the car bounces more), and the car feels like it wants you to lean hard on it in order for the car to handle well (otherwise it doesn't really feel settled in the corners). The RS is more intense and asks for more intense driving, whereas the GT3 feels more approachable. Also, mechanically, the 991.2 3RS is quite close to the cup car.

But as far as lap time, the two cars are very close - and the current market prices are similar. I think one can't go wrong with either, but a shopper should consider both.

GrantG

Yep, 7k

mthreat

Nice review, congrats! Here's the break-in schedule I've seen mentioned (according to the post on 718 forum the source is Andreas Preuninger), and that I followed, as much as my foot would allow:



I printed it out and taped it to my dashboard for the 1000-mile drive home.
https://imgur.com/a/fPN8SYr

GrantG

I’ve used that protocol with previous GT cars, but I’m not sure it applies equally to the newest GT3 motor. They have raised the allowable rev limit during break-in since that recommendation (and shortened the duration of the break-in period).

usctrojanGT3

Congrats on the new car, in Cup Car white which I heard is the fastest color and getting it at MSRP. I'm sure you'll enjoy the car at the track as the turn-in is wonderful and car is very compliant at speed (you have the wing so your car will be less lively than my Touring in the fast corners).

AbsolutelyNobody

Thanks for sharing your impressions, I also bought mine with no test drive so it's good to hear how happy you are with the car. While waiting for the PPF to be done I've started to read through the included manual, I can confirm the break-in procedure does indeed say to keep it below 7K RPM for the first 1,500km. The funny thing is my local Porsche centre actually told me the car is already broken in from the factory and the break-in is more for all the other moving parts on the car. I figure I'll do some kind of middle ground break-in and slowly raise the RPMs as I get closer to 1,500km.

Looking forward to reading more of your thoughts in the future. Enjoy the car!

disden

Congrats. I really struggled with my 992 GT3, after 2 years sold it. On the street it’s nothing special, especially with Cup 2s. It tramlines, the steering is overly darty and way too active to the point it was annoying. Now, I will say that in the Midwest we have awful roads, so that didn’t help. So on the street it was meh. But take it to the track and my lord the car comes alive, and the front end changes, suspension changes, everything just makes sense and it’s glorious. Turn in, but more importantly the stability in the turns is stunning vs 991.2 RS. The confidence to push it harder and harder is miles above the 991.2 RS. But honestly until it’s driven at speeds that are illegal and can turn it aggressively, which is dangerous on public roads, the car made little sense vs a base 992. but on track, wow. So please take it to a track day to truly understand why it’s a glorious car. I often laugh at reviewers talking about how glorious the car is while they drive 30mph, they just don’t get it. Enjoy.

PorscheSince2013

Please change your brake pads and fluid before going to the track. The stock brakes are not up to the task.

An exhaust and valve controller is a must. The OPF and cats are extremely restrictive and the valves are stupid. You will feel different about the car once this is complete. I don't feel as connected to the car with the stock set-up.

Tire pressure has a big impact. Porsche recommends pressures that are too high. Try in the 30-33 range.

I personally like the 992 interior >>> 991 interior. Track mode is especially appreciated. If you are not listening to the stereo, hold the volume button down and the entertainment screen will turn off.

Having the TTS and the GT3 makes me appreciate both even more. The TTS does almost everything right - comfort, speed, beauty, luxury, confidence, audio, relative all-weather driving, ergonomics, etc. The GT3 does 5 things - sound, steering, manual shifting, acceleration, and road feel. The TTS eats-up the road effortlessly. The GT3 makes you feel as part of the road.

Taffy66

Great write up which is what Rennlist should be about. Less talk about values, ADMs, allocations etc would be very welcome.