Congrats! Even a stock GT2 is gorgeous, not saying GT700 package , must be a beast!

 

RennTech,
do u need those? painted Arctic ready to roll!

 

I bet the local tire dealer is happy !!!

Congrats man, sounds like a killer

 

Joe, (RTV12)
.
congrats on your GT2 purchase,... looks like a great car..
.
as i live in the chicagoland area and know luxury motors' inner workings very well, i offer to you any "local" assistance that i can provide.. additionally, i understand the difficulties in purchasing a car from out of state..
.
i assume that you will run the car on the strip but did you also mention some road racetrack service??
.
on a personal note, and i am not trying to bash Ferrari, why don't you own any Ferrari's??
.
JR

 

Any other tires,that can be recomended on a high powered street driven 996GT2?.

 

I highly recommend PS2's

 

I plan on running it on the strip and roadcourse.


I have considered Ferraris, but they always left me wanting something more. I really enjoy driving my cars and putting them through their paces, I need a vehicle that will perform consistently with a great deal of reliability, one whose cost of operation won't outweigh the benefit of driving. That's why (for me) Porsche is the natural choice.

 

RennTechV12,
.
Regarding GT2 roadcourse usage, a few things come to mind..
.
It is my understanding that you are an accomplished drag racer and possibly, equally capable on the race track (road course) as well.. so please don't take this is any negative way.. i am just sharing what i have learned. (which maybe, you already know) ..
.
1. a street 996 porsche turbo or GT2 on a road course is a bit of a contradiction... the car is very fast but also very heavy.. meaning it's cornering capabilities are compromised as your corner entry speeds are very high.. and you have to slow all that weight down, lap after lap.. taking a toll on the brake rotors especially.
.
2. the stock GT2 on a fast track is a razors edge situation.. while a GT700 will REALLY turn up the risk level....
.
my Porsche mechanic once said, "JR, take your street 996tt (slightly modded) to the track and have some fun but take it easy because the car is too fast for it's weight.. then he said if i got serious about roadcourse racing (track days, etc.) . that i should buy a race car.. .. of course, he, as usual, was right.. i had fun with the car mostly at Road America and Blackhawk but if i wanted to have the most fun, something a little more specific would be necessary..
.
the good thing about the twin turbo was the all wheel drive, which really made it hard for me to get into trouble..
.
in any case, i stopped tracking my turbo and have looked at everything from Porsche race cars to Mazda powered C sports racers (bodied Formula Atlantics) to Radicals.. .. problem here is that the Chicago Porsche Club won't let me bring any non Porsche vehicles to the Memorial Day and Labor Day track events at Road America because they are sold out and kept exclusively Porsche..
.
you probably already know all of this but i wanted to throw it out to you..

additionally, a 997 GT3 would probably be a better track car.. or a slightly modified Cayman..
.
these might be things that you need to learn for yourself..
.
i on the other hand, get a kick out of motorcycle track days.. same tracks, faster top speeds and the corners are poetry when you put your knee down.. there is NO better bang for your buck..
.
if the road racing bugs really hits you, i have included a couple of links to our local Porsche race shop.. Perfect Power..

the Fabcar Mid-engined 911, Alex Job Racing/ Hurley Haywood car is a serious race car..

http://www.perfectpowerinc.com/

http://www.perfectpowerinc.com/sales...ned_autos.html

and by the way, i agree with you one hundred percent regarding Ferrari.. for my taste, Porsche does a great job.. a complete car, with all bases covered..
.
in any case, once again, have fun with your '"new toy and be safe..
.
JR

 

JR, are you aware that the GT2 is only 100 lbs. heavier than a GT3? And probably around the same weight as the 997 GT3?

It is much less of a pig than a 996 Turbo, and I've owned both.

Your comments are very valid, but you can apply a lot of weight reducing measures to a GT2, just like you can a GT3. Just ask GRussell

Or Jurgen Alzen... or Manthey Racing... or PSI Motorsport.

 

Hamann7,
.
yes, i am aware of the weights.. and additionally, my friend has a 997 cup car... maybe, i concentrated too much on the weight issue and not enough on the balance of the car, especially, when pushed to the limits.. by that i mean, horsepower, drivetrain and chassis... it truly is ALL about balance... GT2's when pushed to the limit remind me of the original 930 turbos.. great, much fun, but will bite you...when driven HARD.. if i remember correctly, GT2's, when driven at the limit, have a disproportionate crash ratio to other Porsches...
.
for the track, i would rather have a 250 hp 1200 lb. race car or 375 hp 1900 lb. race car than a 3130 lb. street car with 500 or 650 hp..
.
porsches are a blast at the track.. my point is that are street cars on the track only wet your appetite for something more specific...

 

Post up some pics and vids of the finished product!

 

You are truly comparing apples to oranges. With your line of reasoning, you might as well buy an ex-Schumacher F1 car. But if you were at the Monterey Historics 2 years ago, a guy totaled the F2003 Ferrari on the Laguna Seca corkscrew. What does that prove? I think F1 cars are probably as "balanced" as you can get.

You can crash anything if you aren't careful or skilled. High horsepower only adds to the propensity for crashes. GT2's are only more prone to crashes because it has a lot of power, no training wheels like PSM, and tend to be bought by drivers who like to be aggressive. A Carrera GT will bite you hard as well... I don't really think your statement is accurate about the GT2 being inherently unbalanced. If that was the case, how does it yield such great track times in the hands of good drivers?

All high horsepower cars are hard to drive period. Turbocharged ones are even harder if you don't have AWD and PSM.

That being said, GT2 is clearly superior as a performance car to the Turbo in everything except inclement weather. I know, I've had both.

In addition, the reason why GT3's are more "balanced" is because you can be much more aggressive with the throttle than a GT2. In addition, the low friction dampers are also better than earlier GT2's and the springs are harder. All of these can easily be remedied on a GT2, and in fact, the factory did make many of these changes in 2004 and 2005.

One thing nice about the GT2 is that you can leave it as a street car, or you can modify it into a race car that has the potential to run circles around your friend's 997 Cup car. Have you seen the crazy times the Alzen car runs on the Ring in actual races???

 

Hamann7,
.
my mistake, in talking about balance, i should have added "user friendly".. i never said that the GT2 is inherently unbalanced..
.
the GT2 is a more powerful, more specific, car that when driven at the limits on a race track, has more risk.. meaning more fun ... unless you wreck it.. When driving at GT2 9/10's at the track, your capabilities as a driver will be put to the test.. ..
.
what tracks have you taken your GT2?
.
when i drive my turbo at the track, i don't want to damage the car... when i ride my track bike, i don't want to damage myself..
.
nuff said.. let's see what happens with RennTech V12

 

Willow Springs, Buttonwillow, California Speedway road course, and Spring Mountain

 

Great post, you are right on the money with everything!