For those with 40th Anniversary model

Hello everybody, I assume the x51 cars are noticeably quicker.? Pretty safe assumption, I' m guessing. How is the power delivered? Where in the tack is max torque? How does the engine sound? More induction? I think the mufflers are the same. Any response is appreciated. This is just a curiosity of mine. This could be on my list as a car to buy (specifically, the 40th anniversary model) in a few years , possibly. But, the '04 & '05 GT-3 are on my potential buy list too. That's probably gonna win. Thanks to all, chuck

I test drove the car great response and quickness more than stock C2....Abit over optioned car and you have the righjt idea if you really want one to wait in a year or two

I didn't realize there was an 05 GT3 already???

But, the '04 & '05 GT-3 are on my potential buy list too. That's probably gonna win. As an owner of a GT3, I don't think it's fair to compare a GT3 and a C2. The GT3 is a street legal race car, and the C2 is a compromise performance car that offers most of the ammenties found in luxury cars. If you want a performance car as your commuter, the choice is clear:C2. I'd never use the GT3 as a commuter. On the other hand if you want a weekend racer, you can't go wrong with the GT3.

I have a 40th Anniv. C2 and I recently test drove an '04 GT3. The exhaust note on the GT3 is great and it's a perfect setup for a track car, but I wouldn't want to drive it back and forth to work every day. The suspension is noticeably firmer than the 40th C2's sport setup and steering and brakes are have a firmer feel and the short shifter requires a bit more effort. I was amazed at how civilized my C2 felt when I got back into from the GT3. The GT3's suspension setup, while terrific for the track, is a little to easy to unsettle on typical roads. The LSD on the 40th C2 really makes a noticeable difference from apex to exit and the power is improved in the upper ranges of the rev band. Personally, I had some reservations about the 997's styling and I wasn't crazy about getting one in its first production year. I'm sure that by the time the 997 GT3 is out (sometime in 2006 if I'm not mistaken) they'll have the new platform pretty well sorted.

The engine is very docile around town. Drive it aggressively and it rev's freely all the way to its redline. It feels like it can easily run with an 8K redline. There is a noticable puch above 5K so you use up the remaining 2k rpms very quickly. The engine has a lumpy idle at start up, which smooths out after warm-up. I'm very happy with it.

Maybe its just because its new to me but I think the 345 hp has real punch and is pretty damn quick off the line as well. If you dont require the latest headlight fascia, compared to the prices on the new 997S with comparable options, this car is the buy of the year.

the X51 powerkit only produces 25 more horsepower and NO additional torque. in addition to that insult, the max torque and horsepower are delivererd later in the rev range...

At least they have the oiling kit installed -- should make for a safer track car. Plus, the higher HP at higher revs will mean it'll be noticeably quicker on the track (as opposed to stoplight-to-stoplight) I wouldn't kick it out of bed.

Yes, it is amazingly quick at the track. The torque peak is only 500RPM higher than stock but is much flatter after that. At the track, it spends at lot of time at peak torque while the stock engine is there for only a short amount of time. It isn't the extra 25HP that makes it faster, it is the flatter torque curve. Love it! Chose it over a turbo have never regretted it.

The engine is a charmer. Nuf said as I don't want to start a 320 vs. 345 hp discussion. Yes, the GT3 is a street legal race car and does ride firmer. But why buy a 996 at all with the US spec sports suspension? You get a floater that can't hold a line worth a crap.

Well, for a daily driver, the sport suspension is quite nice. For the occassional track outings it is quite adequate; it isn't very hard to drive around its weaknesses.