GT 3 - X45E colored instrument dials dropped ?

Greetings. I have the new April 03 GT-3 04 ordering guide. I also have the Feb 03 ordering guide. Question has option X45E Colored Instrument gauges been discontinued ???? It is not in the new guide. Any items you can request that are out of the ordinary on a special build ?? Dealer mentioned that everything is in the ordering guide. Any advice on what to purchase with the car from the Factory on a special build for April 04 ???? MSRP is ok ? Thanks Ralph

I believe I read somewhere else that the colored gage faces were not available, although you can still order the aluminum gage faces (which appear white to me). I think the only must have option is the Xenon headlights, everything else is up to personal taste. PCCB is the most controversial option, it saves a lot of weight but costs a lot of money. Some like them and others have had problems, particularly with track use. Most people who have driven the steel rotor cars are very happy with the brake performance and don't want anything more. One word of caution on the cosmetic options, whatever you put into these, you aren't likely to recover on trade or resale. And it's very easy to load this car up with $10-15K in special paint, leather, and carbon options. You can see some pictures and my option list here A few buyers have reported they have gotten $3-4K off MSRP but it seems most have paid MSRP. Maybe you can get the dealer to at least throw in the floor mats for free. Good luck. Karl

I am still trying to understand why Xenons and floor mats are not standard on a car that costs this much. IMHO, I saw no options that I would consider a must have. Pretty much everything can be retrofitted after purchase, except for the Xenons (much to my dismay) and possibly the cruise control. The PCCB brakes are an expensive option, but they are cheaper as a factory option than as an aftermarket upgrade.

Greetings: Newbie here. Thanks for the comments. From proud GT 3 owners !! I was off the list. Now I am back on the list for a April 04 build date. I am happy to wait. It gives me time to unload a car and take care of a few things. I do not understand why you have to have Xenon lights ? I suppose I am leaning towards what Sloth has ~ a nice Bumblebee look a like ? I have never owned a Porsche before. I feel the GT 3 is probably the best flickable factory car with power you can purchase for the money. You are correct about not loading up a car. The car will not be worth 10 cents more wholesale with all the add on items. Better to save $$ and purchase the GT 3 seats, chip, and exhaust. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. MSRP without any add ons (no adverstising or prep) is what they want. I really want a special order car. Thanks Ralph Houston, Texas

I suggested Xenon's for a couple reasons: 1) They are superior lighting for night driving 2) They can only be retrofitted without the factory auto adjusters if you decide you want them after taking the car 3) They are such a common option that I think it could hurt your resale if you don't have them. Sort of like the sunroof on the regular Carrera 4) They are less than $1K, so a relative bargain compared to some of the other option prices If you're sure you don't want them, don't get them. Karl

Karl, A couple of corrections, if I may: 2) Porsche does not have a retrofit kit for the '02-on Xenon's. As such, the parts cost alone to do it later would be prohibitive at best. 4) Still a relative bargain but, option P74 (Xenon) is $1090 Otherwise, I agree with you that Xenon headlights are a must for Porsche simply because their standard Halogen headlights are truly crappy. Now, for someone who hardly drives at night, these may not be worth it. Best,

Karl, can you tell me what kind of "problems" people are having with PCCB "at the track". I have a GT3 on order with PCCB which I intend to use at the track. Thanks.

Some people on other boards, particularly Europeans with GT2's with PCCB, reported warped rotors and very fast pad wear. However, not everyone has had these problems. The bigger concern is that the rotors are only projected to last about 1500 track miles. While this may be twice as long as a steel rotor, a pair of steel rotors will run around $200, while the ceramics run around $8000. Karl