Just bought a 2003 GT2....
#1
Just bought a 2003 GT2....
I became a member on this site a few months ago, looking for information on the Porsche GT2. It has always been the Car I have lusted after the most over the last few years, even back when it was the 993 variant.
I just bought a flawless 2003 silver Car with the natural leather interior and aluminium package... I flew up to Portland from San Francisco and picked the Car up from Grand Prix Imports.. They were fantastic and a real pleasure to deal with.
By 1:30 p.m. I was on the road, headed back to San Francisco... about a 10 hour drive from Portland.
My first impressions of the Car are of how well built it is.. everything in terms of fit and finish are fabulous, especially compared to my last Car, a Corvette Z06, which was a World class normally aspirated engine, in search of a better chassis and in dire need of a decent interior and needed considerably fewer squeaks and rattles in my opinion.
First gear in the GT2 seems incredibly short compared to most Cars I have recently driven, whilst the rest of the gears seem to be longer. I find myself one gear higher than I should be, compared to most cars.. Off boost, the engine is quite decent, but once the turbos come on song, it's a never ending rush of seamlessly delivered power and torque.. The way the Car keeps on seemingly getting faster and faster as you go higher up the gearbox is truly impressive.
I have a long history of racing Cars, Motorcycles and Shifter Karts and so have a ton of experience in various high horsepower cars, as well as those that handle impeccably and I have been a driving instructor for a couple of local driving clubs in the Bay Area.. I also built a 550 HP Porsche 944 Turbo (460 rwhp, 440 rwtq) that had every trick in the book in terms of the engine and suspension and was featured in a 7 page Excellence Magazine issue... the GT2 seems very close to my 944 in terms of the way it delivers the power.. not quite as explosive under full boost, but I have plans on fixing that particular issue with an EVOMS 650 HP setup for the GT2.
The trip from Oregon back to San Francisco gave me a chance to really get a feeling for the GT2 under all sorts of driving conditions (including torrential rain and some snow over Grants pass !!!!) and in the dry, the more I drove it and the harder I pushed it, the better it felt. At high speeds, it is composed (I cruised at 120+ mph for about 20 minutes on a deserted stretch of I5 for a while)... It has very tactile steering feedback, again, Worlds more information than the ZO6 gives the driver... The mid to high speed balance through the corners is really good, giving me confidence that the Car will give me adequate warning when I get close to the limits. The general chassis and steering feedback, along with the sense of connection that the front wheels have with the road surface is quite a revelation and night and day different to other Cars I have experienced, like the Dodge Viper, which has a very numb feeling and doesn't give much feedback or warning when at the limits of traction.
Today, I took a run up HWY 1 from Point Reyes to Bodega Bay and then over to Calistoga fro Dinner.. The Car was quite at home on the tighter, twistier surface, although it does not like broken road surfaces and gets a bit harsh on occasion.
All in all, I can say that I am massively impressed with this Car. Bone stock, it is very quick and yet as far as I am concerned, also very comfortable for a day trip. The seats are great, the controls simple and easy to operate, the stereo is acceptable, if not good. I got a ton of people asking about the Car and lots of thumbs up on the road from other drivers and passengers.. It seems that the GT2 has quite a reputaion among the Car enthusiast fraternity, earning big smiles from kids and adults alike.
I don't have my own picture to post yet, so here are a few that the dealership had posted.
I would be VERY interested in hearing from other GT2 owners about what modifications they have done to their Cars, especially those that have an EVOMS 650 HP package or similar. Any and all tips or tweaks would be welcome.
I just bought a flawless 2003 silver Car with the natural leather interior and aluminium package... I flew up to Portland from San Francisco and picked the Car up from Grand Prix Imports.. They were fantastic and a real pleasure to deal with.
By 1:30 p.m. I was on the road, headed back to San Francisco... about a 10 hour drive from Portland.
My first impressions of the Car are of how well built it is.. everything in terms of fit and finish are fabulous, especially compared to my last Car, a Corvette Z06, which was a World class normally aspirated engine, in search of a better chassis and in dire need of a decent interior and needed considerably fewer squeaks and rattles in my opinion.
First gear in the GT2 seems incredibly short compared to most Cars I have recently driven, whilst the rest of the gears seem to be longer. I find myself one gear higher than I should be, compared to most cars.. Off boost, the engine is quite decent, but once the turbos come on song, it's a never ending rush of seamlessly delivered power and torque.. The way the Car keeps on seemingly getting faster and faster as you go higher up the gearbox is truly impressive.
I have a long history of racing Cars, Motorcycles and Shifter Karts and so have a ton of experience in various high horsepower cars, as well as those that handle impeccably and I have been a driving instructor for a couple of local driving clubs in the Bay Area.. I also built a 550 HP Porsche 944 Turbo (460 rwhp, 440 rwtq) that had every trick in the book in terms of the engine and suspension and was featured in a 7 page Excellence Magazine issue... the GT2 seems very close to my 944 in terms of the way it delivers the power.. not quite as explosive under full boost, but I have plans on fixing that particular issue with an EVOMS 650 HP setup for the GT2.
The trip from Oregon back to San Francisco gave me a chance to really get a feeling for the GT2 under all sorts of driving conditions (including torrential rain and some snow over Grants pass !!!!) and in the dry, the more I drove it and the harder I pushed it, the better it felt. At high speeds, it is composed (I cruised at 120+ mph for about 20 minutes on a deserted stretch of I5 for a while)... It has very tactile steering feedback, again, Worlds more information than the ZO6 gives the driver... The mid to high speed balance through the corners is really good, giving me confidence that the Car will give me adequate warning when I get close to the limits. The general chassis and steering feedback, along with the sense of connection that the front wheels have with the road surface is quite a revelation and night and day different to other Cars I have experienced, like the Dodge Viper, which has a very numb feeling and doesn't give much feedback or warning when at the limits of traction.
Today, I took a run up HWY 1 from Point Reyes to Bodega Bay and then over to Calistoga fro Dinner.. The Car was quite at home on the tighter, twistier surface, although it does not like broken road surfaces and gets a bit harsh on occasion.
All in all, I can say that I am massively impressed with this Car. Bone stock, it is very quick and yet as far as I am concerned, also very comfortable for a day trip. The seats are great, the controls simple and easy to operate, the stereo is acceptable, if not good. I got a ton of people asking about the Car and lots of thumbs up on the road from other drivers and passengers.. It seems that the GT2 has quite a reputaion among the Car enthusiast fraternity, earning big smiles from kids and adults alike.
I don't have my own picture to post yet, so here are a few that the dealership had posted.
I would be VERY interested in hearing from other GT2 owners about what modifications they have done to their Cars, especially those that have an EVOMS 650 HP package or similar. Any and all tips or tweaks would be welcome.
#3
Very nice, congrats. The beauty of the Gt2 is that as you pour money into it (from the mod bug) you just keep getting something more and more special.
I never look at other cars and say "gosh I wish I had one of those instead." IMO it is the ultimate all around high performance car and adapts to power upgrades like no other.
I plan on being buried in mine.
I never look at other cars and say "gosh I wish I had one of those instead." IMO it is the ultimate all around high performance car and adapts to power upgrades like no other.
I plan on being buried in mine.
#7
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#12
That is a beautiful car and I enjoyed your write up. Now you're making me wish I would have gotten one! I'm a rookie driver though and the 600+ hp I have on mine might even be a little too much for me at this point...but the AWD helps keep me honest. I'd need more experience before getting a RWD
Good luck.
Good luck.
#14
Shilling, Big Congrats on the GT2, that combination is stunning because I have yet to see it anywhere except on your machine. That baby is clean!!
That was an excellent write-up and I enjoyed the read this morning with my Cigar and coffee..
Enjoy that 2 in the best of health and happiness!!~Kenny
That was an excellent write-up and I enjoyed the read this morning with my Cigar and coffee..
Enjoy that 2 in the best of health and happiness!!~Kenny