Yargk

I agree on the 20 hp thing, but it seems the car might be noticeably faster around a circuit. People read that the first GT3 got a 7:56 at the 'ring while the mk2 got a 7:54. This seems like a very small difference and just weird since rumor has it that mk1s had trouble making their 360 hp while mk2s make a surplus on their 380. Well the mk1 time was set by walter himself while the 7:54 time was set by someone else (forget the name). This second fellow is an absolutely wonderful driver, but I believe he got something like an 8:02 with the first GT3 so the difference is bigger than 2 seconds. Enter the GT3 RS with a 7:47 time (not quite sure, it might be a 7:46). The rumor I've heard is that the 997 GT3 beats this time.... which means it's at least 7 seconds faster at the ring than the mk2.

ADOGNY

Wow that is some rumor considering the car does not officially even exist. I heard the 999 1/2 GT3 runs in the 7:20's myself..

Yargk

I can't vouch for it myself, but the lap time claims come from a reliable source. I mean hey, have you read the old autoweek article, they claim the 997 GT3 is pretty far in development. I don't think that they are wrong on that point and a European car will come out in the next 1-2 years. The only questions now are: just how good is it (will PCCB last now and will replacement discs go down in price?, just how faster is it?, what kind of motor?, is the car heavier? dry sump?) and will it come to the states?

JS

From what I have read it looks like we will see a GT3 for MY2006.

PogueMoHone

Not a chance in in hell in the US market.

Holger B

Unlikely. For MY06 the focus will surely be on the 997TT. That car has higher margins. Why confuse buyers and cannibalize sales with a new GT3? Wouldn't make any sense to me.

frayed

Colm, two questions:

1. What makes you say that? I'm in the market for a gt3 right now, and if I had some reason to believe that the 997 GT3 will not see US soil (well, at least in the reasonable future), it makes the decision that much easier.

2. Do you have a ceramics background (forgive my ignorance, don't know what hwfmr is). Lived in Saratoga as well.

Edit: just got the hwfmr reference

Cupcar

I am told the issue in the past has been the production capacity for the GT series engines- Porsche can only build so many per year based on supplier limitations .

The upshot of this capacity limitation is that the Mk1 GT3 was Europe only for homologation purposes. The GT engines that could have come to the USA as a GT3 were slotted for the higher margin Turbo as pointed out above. When the Turbo market petered out, then the GT3 was introduced for the USA.

I suspect the same pattern will apply for next GT3 ie Turbos first GT3's second, unless Porsche finds more production capacity for the GT type engines.

I doubt the GT engine will have any more of an issue with smog regulations than the normal 911 engine, although output may be limited compared to Europe.

PogueMoHone

Frayed,

With regard to the 997 GT3, I have no special factory insights or knowledge, but a few good connections, and I have been monitoring Porsche models for over 20 years.

Porsche has never had a consistent availablility of special cars like the RS America, GT2 and GT3 in the North American Market.

The 997 is considered by many to ba an interim car, until the 998 comes along. If this is true there will be no 997 GT3 in NA.

That said, Porsche has already demonstrated that it can surprise, eg significant overproduction of the TT, extension of the GT2 over 3 years and an increase over the original 750 GT3s to around 850 (estimated).

The current GT3 is such a great car, that I would subscribe (and did) that a bird in hand is...

frayed

Well said. Thanks.

yongster

"... until the 998 comes along..."

Some people are sure that the 998 is not in the works.

Cupcar#12

Last i read (This was in one of the car mag's - i do not remember which one (excellence interview maybe))Porsche's stance on the 997 is that it wil last for the full cycle (or at least that was the go in assumption) so 6-7 years. It should take the 99x platform to new hights of profitibility. I think if it was a true interium model they would not have messed with some many refinements (change the looks and keep most of it the same underneath, 996 interior, etc)

But of course all of this is speculation and we will have to see what comes our way - the demand is there for new GT cars - the question is....Is it enough?
oh- and i reserve the right to be wrong and learn more as always

Bill - Chicago

Not sure if this will factor into whether the 997 GT3 will come to the states or not, but the Fred Schwab the ex-president of PCNA stated that PCNA will bring in all special addition p-cars from now on. This was based on the backlash PCNA received from not bring the first GT3 over.

PogueMoHone

So if all this is true, the 997 GT3 will be special edition, probably around 1000 cars, introduced late in the cycle after all other versions. To pass on a current GT3 might not seem like a good idea!

So where is my 997 GT2?....the king of them all!

Cupcar

But then just when the GT3 came to our shores fulfilling the promise of Schwab, the GT3 RS did not come here...and Schwab no longer is CEO of PCNA. So much for promises.