Ray G

I've had my new 997S-X51 for about a month now (original thread) , and I recently tracked it. I've gone back and forth driving it and my GT3. I thought I would add some observations for the benefit of anybody thinking of switching cars.

Executive Summary
For spirited street driving, the 997S-X51 is fantastic. It has a remarkably comfortable and composed quality to it, while still being a fast, torquey, agile car. For track work, the GT3 is still the car to have (and it's great fun on the street too).

• The 997S-X51 (hereafter, the '7') has noticeably more torque than the GT3 in the low rpm range, below about 5000rpm.
• The 7 has a smoother, more compliant ride than the GT3, yet still handles very well on the street.
• The 7 disappointed a bit on the track. Traction was great, but the PASM in 'Sport' mode is just too heavily damped, and made the steering nervous and unsettled the car over bumps. Body roll was not too bad, and side to side transitions were good, but not as good as the GT3. The GT3 has higher rate springs, and rides better on the track, with less bouncing around, quicker steering, and less body roll. (more on this below)
• The acceleration on the 7 starts to fall flat after 6000 rpm or so. By 6k, it is accelerating slowly, whereas the sun is just starting to rise on the GT3. The GT3 feels a lot stronger above 6k rpm, and keeps strong until 8k+.
• I felt the front end on the 7 getting a little light at high speed (about 130mph), where the GT3 was better. Maybe the 997 aerokit would help?
• The motor on the GT3 is just better, and sounds better. I can't wait for it to be available in the 997 chassis.
• The GT3 has a nice vibration that runs through it, which you can feel through the steering and seat. It feels good to drive. And, I like the sounds the LSD makes.
• I ran the 7 on the track in "Sport" modes. The quick throttle makes it easy to blip the throttle when heel-n-toeing. The sound of the PSE was nice too.
• I tracked the 7 with and without PSM. When engaged, I never felt PSM intervening, which I assume means the threshold for intervention is pretty high (and that's a good thing, as Martha would say).
• Both my 7 and GT3 have PCCBs and they feel and work great, and similar.
• My new 7 has not had the odd lateral rear-end wriggle that some have reported.
• The GT3 steering is quicker, and lighter feeling, which requires a light touch to control. You have to drive in a committed way with the GT3. The 997 lets you do just about anything.

997S PASM Suspension etc.
I'm not a big fan of PASM. For street driving the "normal" (non-sport) mode is more than adequate. However, the "sport" mode is really a compromise. PASM makes the dampers firm up, perhaps too much, to control body roll. What you really want is higher-rate springs and/or larger anti-roll bars. This lets the suspension do its job better, without making the ride so harsh that the car feels unsettled at speed over bumps.

The other aspect of PASM I don't like is that the computer is constantly changing the damper valving, and hence the behavior of the car. I would rather have a static setup that I could learn, rather than something that is hard to predict.

If I were to improve the 997S for track days, I would replace the PASM with the kit from H&R (p/n 29239-5) (or something like it), and add some bigger anti-roll bars.

Track Comparisons With Some of My Other Cars

• vs. CGT: Um, I'm trying to think of something the 997 does better... Well, the 997 has better visibility out of the cockpit to the sides and rear. And I guess you can use the seat heaters on cold track days... Most other cars make good mobile chicanes for the CGT
• vs. F430: The F430 has seriously more power and pull. It is more stable at high speeds, and over bumps. The F430 has a relatively soft suspension, and body roll is a little more pronounced. The 997's classic rear-engine layout makes it easier to feel the limits when powering past apexes, than the mid-engined F430. That advantage is fleeting as the F430 will quickly out-accelerate the 997S. The steering feel on the F430 is now much more Porsche-like, meaning it is smooth and less twitchy feeling than the 360 was.
• vs F360 Challenge Stradale: The CS has less low-end torque, but it revs to 8500 rpm. The CS felt faster than the 997, and cornered flatter than the 997S and the F430. The power output and pull is very similar to the GT3, with the GT3 pulling just a bit harder in my opinion.
• vs 996 Turbo: The turbo pulls pretty hard (similar to the F430), so it pulls stronger than the 997S. But you can feel the extra weight and heft of the 996TT. It's not as fun to drive on a track, unless you modify the suspension. I like being able to power-oversteer the rear-wheeled 997S in hair pin turns.

I hope this tome will help somebody out, particularly if they are on the line trying to decide between a GT3 and 997S (esp with X51). If you are a true GT3 lover, I say wait for the 997 based GT3. If you only plan to track a few days a year, and want a great sports car for the street, the 997 should satisify you.

Fongster

wow..thanks for the review...

GlennMc

Fantastic review

Great work.

Do you actually own ALL of those other cars

If so, i think i'm your long lost brother

frayed

Nice review.

NJ-GT

Thanks. Great review.

Interesting note about power: F430>GT3>360CS>997S-X51

If the GT3 is kept above 6400rpm, it's just plain fast. That happens from 3rd to 6th gear. A short R&P allows the car to be driven on track days on those 4 gears.

roberga

glenn.....yes he does. and you are too late. He already has dozens of relatives here in Seattle.

Seth Thomas

Hey Ray, did you know you had a long lost son that is in Georgia and is in need of a couple of your cars to try out at Road Atlanta?

PogueMoHone

Ray G,

Articulate, definitive and insightful..absolutely brilliant!

John D should make this a sticky

kilrgt

Nice review, good write up. I was curious which car is your all around favorite?

cosmos

That was an awesome comparison.

Thanks

IslandBoy

Thanks for that insightful comparison! I am in the midst of making that 997S or GT3 decision, and you just made it a whole lot easier for me. Thanks Again!!!

Ray G

Thanks for the kind remarks. I thought the GT3 vs X51 topic was interesting, and I sensed a lot of people were wondering.

Actually, I sold the 360 CS and 996TT. I currently have some other toys around besides what is in my sig. For those with sports-car OCD, I have news for you: when you start to have more money, the problem just gets worse....

JS

It is an interesting review but different animals and will appeal to different drivers, the GT cars arent for everyone.

Ray G

Agreed, but the readers of this forum are probably GT candidates, if not owners already. Hence my posting in the GT3/2 forum. The fact that the 997 chassis w/X51 is now closer than ever to GT3 performance for a "regular" 911 makes it fair to compare, I think.

PogueMoHone

I sold a 996 X51 to buy the GT3, and was very interested to read the comments about the 997S X51. It would appear there is still a gap.

It seems to me, that the more you want to be involved, and in control of the "driving" experiences, the more you'll want the GT and tolerate the compromises involved. Which "control" then leads to Cup cars and other diversions (conversions?).