Well my 09 C2S Cab is history, traded it in while still w/ warranty left. I have the second GT3 slot the dealer has. Probably won't see car till 11/13, maybe 12/13. The configurator on line is not complete, there will be GT2 sport seats available as well as the front lift, and likely other options not even on the German configurator yet. US dealer order guides likely not available until after the factory reopens in August. The internet complaints about options not being available based on a 2 day old internet configurator is perplexing to say the least. Per PCNA (who confirmed my slot): There will be a manual tranny offered, but not now. The guzzler tax not yet determined and emissions issues were easier to solve initially w/ PDK on this brand new engine. Also there aren't so many "purists" with $130K as the internet Porsche forums might have you believe. Porsche wants to sell more GT3s and still preserve the "character" of the car. Porsche still remembers failed 88-89 Clubsport, the 911 the "purists" dreamed of. Also sold fewer CGTs than expected. Internet "experts" critical of car they haven't driven. Even w/ stick most of these people will not be buyers of new car. Ferrari has the same technology (vast majority new Ferraris F1 tranny) but "purists" rarely complain, different expectations from Porsche (guy tried to say Porsche customers on average just aren't as wealthy as Ferrari/Lambo customers who could generally care less about "purity" since its a Ferrari, WTF else matters?).
Dave,
Glad to hear you got a slot and hope you get your car earlier than expected. As for purists, wouldn't a Porsche Purist argue that anything more than 4 cylinders isn't pure? :hilarious:
Ken I think those folks are now "ultrapurists" having had so much time to develop their purity!
I should add that I mentioned to the dealer and PCNA rep that while I'm pleased that PDK has been developed and offered for the GT3, no GT3 (or any Porsche sports car for that matter) should be offered w/o the choice of a manual transmission. Buyers at this level should be given a preference regardless of Porsche's marketing goals. Ferrari will give you a manual transmission if you ask. So I am by no means a partisan on this issue.
Ferrari no longer offers a manual on any car they currently build. Can you get them to put one in? Maybe for a huge sum of money but then again they will also build you a one off car for the right price.
As for the manual in the GT3, I think Porsche is right. I doubt the majority of the buyers for the 991 version are going to care. It's now heavier than the C2S (rear wheel steering, widebody which was only on the RS in the 997, etc) which along with the perception of character of the new electronic aides have probably changed the buyer profile from the hard core track guys to a more street oriented buyer which will make it appeal to a broader spectrum of buyers. It's no doubt faster on the track than the previous gen but it'll be interesting to see if it is as popular as a DE car.
Dave C... First, congrats on your incoming new car. I'm sure you'll be thrilled with it.
As for the internet complainers go... much of their griping isn't solely based on what the configurator is showing (I'm referring to the enthusiasts on one site in particular here). In many cases, the gripers on that site are repeat GT3 customers that are loyal to the brand and the model. They haven't had the same luck getting any response from PCNA.
After reading your post about GT2 seats being available, I went back to see if there was any buzz over there on the matter, and I found a recent post (9:04am EST today) from somebody who lobbed a call into PCNA last week asking this exact thing. They told him that they'd be back to him sometime this week with an answer.
As for the 6MT, there is a porsche executive who mentioned that offering a car with both a PDK and MT would require different suspensions, aero, etc. He went on to say that they're a small team and only have the bandwidth to develop one car, not two.
I hope you're right, but the response that you're getting from PCNA is vastly different from what others are hearing (or not hearing) from the same source.
People I spoke to seemed pretty confident about the seats and a few other options that were not listed in the configurator. When the PCNA and dealer mentioned the MT maybe they were really talking about the GT3RS? Porsche clearly has their own ideas of what they offer and to whom they believe is the customer base. Perhaps they are further subdividing their model line w/ the GT3 RS being the manual only homologation "stripper" designed for the "hardcore purist". Add another $15K for the price of purity!
Dave, congratulations for the new beast... I'm sure every one at P-9 will be looking forward for your thread once you get your hands on the car especially that you'll the very first among us.
I can't deny that it is very tempting and obviously a masterpiece of engineering but my questions to you:
1) Since it will be released with new technologies never tried before on a Porsche (RWS, new PDK... etc.) aren't you worried to buy a first year model?
2) Since its price category falls within the range of a brand new LP 550-2 or a used Scuderia and 599, have you no second thoughts about having one of these exotics instead?
Despite the fact that spending 130k USD is not in my comfort zone, but the above I can very much relate to if I decided to cut down my expenses to spend it. Therefore these questions come to mind every single time I feel the itch when I watch the 991 GT3 new videos on YT.
Good questions Hassaan. My wife thought I should consider a California or late model 430 Spyder. Lambo is a little too angular for my tastes. Although the new GT3 has untested technology that could present reliability problems, I believe it will still pose less of a reliability and maintenance cost concern than even a lightly used late model Ferrari. However, my fallback position will be to lease the GT3. I leased my 99 986 precisely because I had heard bad things about the 97s, but I still had to scratch the itch. I was happy to walk away from the 986 3 years later. Once more details emerge and finally once I see and drive the car I'll make the decision. I'll know pretty quickly whether this is a car I, and especially my wife, can live with for more than a couple of years. At the end of the day it's just a car and I've never been that sentimental about keeping a car.
