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I have a sweet car... 2010 GT3, 12k mi, PCCBs, folding carbon/perlon buckets and not much else which I love.
I've added 4.0 LWFW and clutch, RSS links, pinned lines, and all the other "while I'm in there" work one does when you drop the engine.
I've put a liquid wrap in Slate Gray, full PPF, and black accents (wing, mirrors, lips) + .1 RSque stripes. Also new BBS RE-MTSPs on Cup2s.
The car is absolutely perfect, except for the fact that it's not an RS.
I bought and modded the car thinking I'd keep it forever and drive the hell out of it without care for miles.
But the RS bug creeps in from time to time. I've always loved the .1 Kermit and wonder if I should chase the dream or if I'll regret the move.
Pros of the switch:
I upgrade to an RS and my poster car for many years.
It'll be cheaper now than later.
Cons of the switch:
What if I find the RS underwhelming compared to my car?
What if I can't find something spec'd to my liking?
Will I enjoy the RS as carelessly or will I worry more as it continues to appreciate in value?
I may not recover all the money I've put into the .2 and now I'll have another car to mod.
What would you do and why?
PS - I have other cars. I'm building a 911 ST tribute and I have a 992 T that I'm turning into a sub 3k lb project. I want a 7GT car in my stable and not much else as I don't like having more cars than I can drive.
I don't think choices like this are rational. While I understand the aesthetic difference of a 997.1RS, I can't say I think it's a better driving experience than the 997.2 GT3.
What do you hope to gain besides the looks of the RS?
Will it bother you to pile on the miles on a car that's worth 100k more?
What would I do and why? I'd keep the GT3, drive the hell out of it. Why? Because I don't think the wider body and wing are worth it. As much as I love the 997.2 GT3 RS and think it's the best car Porsche ever made, I'm not sure it's worth the difference either. But again, these decisions aren't rational.
Take a look at the Chris Harris video reviewing the than new 997.2 GT3 - particularly how it compares to the 997.1 GT3RS. With all that you have already done to your GT3, you might want to consider the ring and pinion upgrade. People that have done that seem rave about how it transforms the car. The tall second gear is the only thing I don't like about the GT3.
I think you have a really nice car with nice mods and I think that in general us as car people are always searching for the perfect car and wondering if there's something better out there. The answer to the question if there's something better is usually yes, just depends if you're willing to make that jump, both because you like your car and because it's a decent financial step up. I only have experience with .1 GT3's, not RS' of any flavor and not .2 GT3's, so I'm not going to attempt to give you a driving comparison. What I will say is I think with agreed value insurance and OEM parts replacement, I wouldn't be concerned with driving the more expensive car. Eventually that becomes somewhat normal. Keep in mind that if you're set on a green .1RS, there's only 52 that came to North America. I'm sure you could find one, but you'll likely need to pay up quite a bit to get it compared with another color.
I will also say that I think once you have the dream in your head, it's hard to get it out. My dream wasn't an RS, it was initially a Porsche, then maybe more specifically a 911 and then once I tasted the GT3, I knew I wanted a GT3. But since I haven't experienced the RS, the temptation, mostly due to the financial jump and not being ready for that, hasn't been there.
If it was me I'd likely just enjoy your .2 GT3 while also looking over the next year to see what is out there. It also wouldn't be a bad idea to put a note out to someone like Doug at Switchcars (or the other reputable brokers) and see if he can find you one.
If you have the $ I would say you will be more happy with an RS based on the work you have done to your current car. You put all that thought into making it the best version of itself… and youre still wanting.
What you haven't done yet is make the best version of yourself driving it and you most likely won’t start that until you stop - thinkering. So skip right to the end because money can’t buy you love, only seat time.
This RS is not a much better driving experience than my 10 .2, and if you drop to a .1 you’ll def feel the HP drop… but I also don’t find myself thinking - I COULD do this to it but it will never be an RS - I just want to drive… there will be plenty of useless things to keep spending money on as Elliot and I have figured out… but it doesnt for one second make us think there is something better for us out there.
No practical person turns a 4.0 into drivers car, they usually have 4-5 cars as to not depreciate any one of them significantly, so until you have FU money buy and drive the RS, use your clunky 992 to go to work and die knowing you actually learned how to take probably the greatest car ever made to the limit
What do you hope to gain besides the looks of the RS?
Owning the car I fell in love with when it came out.
Perhaps having a bit more rawness compared to the .2 but that's a distant second.
I've never owned an RS and I'd like to, so there's that too. You are very correct, not a rational decision.
Originally Posted by usctrojanGT3
Why settle for a .1RS....go all the way and get a 997 4L.
That's a consideration but requires buying in Europe, importing to Mexico, and using it in the US. Complicated.
Originally Posted by TrofeoCollection
Can you drive some for seat time thoughts?
I live in Mexico. Porsche started selling here in 2002. You can count 7GT cars here in one hand.
I travel to the US often but then there's finding someone kind enough and willing.
More pics below...
@brake dust I'll check out the video, thank you. I love my car and I'm splitting hairs with the differences. Given I'd be regressing from a 3.8 to a 3.6, one could argue it's a step in the wrong direction. Then there's paying the $100k delta. But as per above, it's not a rational decision.
@Bxstr thanks for the link and as you often are, you're right. Hard to get the dream out of your head. The concern is meeting my hero, being let down, and letting go of a great car in the process.
@Wonderdan your comments hit home and made me realize I built an awesome car but I don't see or drive it often. Maybe the fist step is to bring it me and drive it. My original idea buying it was having something special but not special enough to care about things like putting on miles or patina. I think I'd care a bit more with an RS and that concerns me. I want to drive the thing.
To sum up, I have a great car I'm happy to put miles on without care and take it to the grave yet the green car keeps calling. I'm concerned about spending the money and getting rid of my car, only to end up with a car that is technically inferior to my current car and that perhaps I won't be as laissez faire with modding or driving given it's status and increasing value. I'll get clear over time but I wanted to put this out here to see how nuts I am of if there is some semblance of sense to my inkling.
One thing that I'm clear on is that, much like @Jrtaylor9, I don't want a lot of cars. I'd like a couple of "dead man's cars" and a new car. I'm currently building the ultimate-to-me aircooled 911, I'd like a 7GT car because I think they are extremely special, and I'd like a new 911, which are easy enough to get in and out of. I mention this because I've played around with scenarios in my head where I keep my current 7GT and buy a 964 project, which I'd love to own/do but sticking with three cars max keeps me from entertaining those type of ideas further. This lends a lot of credence to the idea of going trading up ot an RS and owning something truly special and on par with the ST I'm building.
Keep in mind to get top dollar you will probably need to remove the wrap before you list your current car. You might be able to avoid that if you have a video of the complete car the day it was wrapped and with full paint meter photos. Buyers are very skeptical of a car with a wrap and always seem to think it is hiding something. Your current car looks very nice but you want an RS the sooner you make the leap the better.
@Wilder I came close this week to breaking my 2 fun porsche limit. It is so tempting every once in a while. A dozen just was not fun when I look back at it. It was fun in concept and not at all in reality. It was fun to know I could hop in almost any car I lusted for at that moment yet I was spending all of my time in the hobby buying/selling/maintaining/storing/shuffling cars. DRIVING them is fun to me.
an air-cooled and a modern GT, imo, scratch 90% of all Porsche itches. My GT is a little OTT so sometimes I wish I had a 987/981/718 spyder. My 65 911 is still a bit of a work in progress so it’s tempting to have a 964/993 that is easier to get/keep sorted. I would bet a 3rd fun Porsche (not counting a Macan) slips in the lineup at some point but then again, does anyone need 3 f’ing fun cars?!
on the 7 gt’s specifically, I’ve been fortunate to own all of em at one point. Now that I’ve stepped away from them for a while, and can be more rational, unless tracking them (then the 3.8rs and 4.0rs just really shine vs the rest), I’d have reasons to own any of them, money aside. If you keep your 7.2-3, you own an amazing P-GT that isn’t THAT much different than any other 7-3/3rs. But you also won’t know what the others are like until you try them! Catch 22. When I was REALLY into 997-3/3rs I could pick out every last pro/con that each offered and was crazy enough to own multiple copies to experience that “on demand”. After getting away from them for a couple of years, if you offered me the keys to any of them with the objective of just having fun on street, picking one vs the other is truly splitting hairs for me.
I started writing about the subtle details for how each version shines vs the other and then I just stopped . They are all awesome in their own right. Get out and drive whatever version you have; they are all amazingly fun cars.
There is nothing that can replicate the feeling of looking at those wide hips through your driver's or passenger's side mirrors. Just that alone almost makes it worth it.
I think you can close close to $180 for your car if it only has 12k miles on her. Those mods and if you have the stock wheels and a video or something pre liquid wrap, you just may be able to garner top dollar. It's a stunning car.
Also, if you don't drive 10/10 in your car you'll be ok with the .1's power. Just get a tune and some headers and gears and you'll be happy. I have everything sans gears, which is next, but I'm fully satisfied with the way the car drives.
Remember, YOLO!
BTW, what color is the car under the wrap?
Last edited by RAudi Driver; 02-11-2024 at 12:34 PM.
Owning the car I fell in love with when it came out.
Perhaps having a bit more rawness compared to the .2 but that's a distant second.
I've never owned an RS and I'd like to, so there's that too. You are very correct, not a rational decision.
That's a consideration but requires buying in Europe, importing to Mexico, and using it in the US. Complicated.
I live in Mexico. Porsche started selling here in 2002. You can count 7GT cars here in one hand.
I travel to the US often but then there's finding someone kind enough and willing.
More pics below...
@brake dust I'll check out the video, thank you. I love my car and I'm splitting hairs with the differences. Given I'd be regressing from a 3.8 to a 3.6, one could argue it's a step in the wrong direction. Then there's paying the $100k delta. But as per above, it's not a rational decision.
@Bxstr thanks for the link and as you often are, you're right. Hard to get the dream out of your head. The concern is meeting my hero, being let down, and letting go of a great car in the process.
@Wonderdan your comments hit home and made me realize I built an awesome car but I don't see or drive it often. Maybe the fist step is to bring it me and drive it. My original idea buying it was having something special but not special enough to care about things like putting on miles or patina. I think I'd care a bit more with an RS and that concerns me. I want to drive the thing.
To sum up, I have a great car I'm happy to put miles on without care and take it to the grave yet the green car keeps calling. I'm concerned about spending the money and getting rid of my car, only to end up with a car that is technically inferior to my current car and that perhaps I won't be as laissez faire with modding or driving given it's status and increasing value. I'll get clear over time but I wanted to put this out here to see how nuts I am of if there is some semblance of sense to my inkling.
One thing that I'm clear on is that, much like @Jrtaylor9, I don't want a lot of cars. I'd like a couple of "dead man's cars" and a new car. I'm currently building the ultimate-to-me aircooled 911, I'd like a 7GT car because I think they are extremely special, and I'd like a new 911, which are easy enough to get in and out of. I mention this because I've played around with scenarios in my head where I keep my current 7GT and buy a 964 project, which I'd love to own/do but sticking with three cars max keeps me from entertaining those type of ideas further. This lends a lot of credence to the idea of going trading up ot an RS and owning something truly special and on par with the ST I'm building.
I love how you've dialed in that 997.2. an option to consider may be RS R&P, RS wing/decklid, and RS/Cup fenders. I'm not sure what's cheaper trading or modifying. Also, I think your 997.2 would look great with speedster headlights or blackout headlights.
02-11-2024, 01:59 AM
Sell .2 GT3 to chase my .1 RS dream?
. They are all awesome in their own right. Get out and drive whatever version you have; they are all amazingly fun cars.
