It all depends on what you want. I had a 2007 C2S and thought I really wanted a GT3 so I bought one. Guess what, sold it to buy my 2009 C2S that just arrived. Did I make a mistake? Nope. The GT3 really is a great car if all you are going to do is spend time on the track in it. If tracking, then you are going to tweak it properly, which also means Pagid Yellows for pads. And that means, you won't be driving it on the street (think school bus or garbage truck squeal).

I spend a good amount of time on the track and am in the Black run group with PCA. The 2007 GT3 vs. 2007 C2S gave the advantage on the track to the GT3. But the 2009 C2S w/ Sport PASM / LSD is a whole other matter. I'd say the C2S will be very comparable to the GT3 in lap times (just look at the times they got on the Ring).

For street driving, hands down, the C2S of any flavor. Did not enjoy the GT3 around town. Too low and hard, scraped on everything (speed bumps, driveway aprons, etc.). Brakes squealed like crazy too. Rear visibility was also negatively impacted by the rear spoiler (also on the track - your peripheral vision catches a bit of it in the side mirrors).

As others have said, it all depends on what you want as they are like apples and oranges. Based on your admission it's to be a street car, then I'd suggest you not get the track car and go with the 09 C2S.

As to cost, you sure should be able to get one for a lot less than GT3 money. In my case, I sold the GT3 for $10k more than I paid for the deeply discounted ordered 2009 C2S.

 

Fascinating review, tyvm!

 

From one 95 UCLA to another, I'd pick a GT3.

 

from one 95 UCB to another 95 UCLA, pick GT3. Currently I am looking to get one also.
Coming from 2006 C2S, just purely aesthetical point of view alone GT3 is my choice.

 

I'd pick the Gt3 but my Porsche is not a daily driver . Going to the supermaket, movies or mall with a Gt3 would give me a lot of worry leaving a car like that unattended .
But it really is the better car and whether it's on a track or open highway those are the moments that you will remember most with a Porsche .

 

If you want a pure sports car, GT3 for sure. If you want something plush and easy to get in and out of, you might want to consider another car. A couple of years from now a C2S will just be another 997, while the GT3 will always be what it is. I know more 997 owners regretting not getting a GT3 instead, but don't know of any GT3 owners regretting the opposite. It's also wise to stay away from the first two years of a new iteration from Porsche to allow problems to be addressed. There are reports that DFI has been causing accelerated excess carbon buildup on the backside of intake valves.

Also, I think the rough ride of the GT3 is overhyped by old guys who are too used to their luxocruisers. If you've ever owned or driven any of the former 911s, ( 3.2s, 964s, 993s) the 997 GT3 by comparison is quieter and much refined. The engine is world class, bulletproof, refined over decades, and as mentioned, the pinnacle of Porsche's engineering. The main negative is the long overhang front spoiler which can scrape on dips and driveways if you don't approach them at an angle, so you can either deal with it, use a trasher spoiler for daily driving, remove it and/or raise the car to a standard 997 height which will give it the same clearance as the standard car - after all it has adjustable coilovers all around. The spoiler can be pulled on and off in 30 seconds. Most guys just look at it as a consumable and replace them when it gets ratty. Regular 997s that have been modified and lowered with adjustable coilovers, the nose clearance is not all that much different.

 

Steve,
Read my reviews above. I'm not an old guy and have owned / tracked a variety of cars from a tweaked E46 M3, a full race prepared 964, a tweaked 997S to a 997 GT3. The GT3 is not bullet proof - read the GT3 forums about RMS (2 and 3 times on many cars). As to staying away from the first 2 years of a car's iteration, then you have to avoid the 2007 and 2008 GT3 - oops, that's all 997 GT3s A 2009 C2S will have full warranty for 4 years, more if you extend my some means. So if any issues arise, you are covered.

Bottom line remains what do you want the car to do and how will you use it. If tracking only, the GT3 is the way to go. If looking for a great street car that is incredibly potent on the track, the 2009 C2S is a great option.

Also, a 2009 C2S with Sport PASM is no soft luxury liner. The suspension ride height appears to be equal to the GT3, but the Gen 2 PASM is far superior.

 

[quote=Steve W;2372406] ........I think the rough ride of the GT3 is overhyped by old guys who are too used to their luxocruisers.........

Now Steve, what do you mean 'Old Guys' ? 25 years ago I was bouncing my *** around in an '82SC just so Porsche would have enough money to make these self-driving cars the kids have today. As I said above, I've only been lucky enough to drive a GT3 for a few miles, but it's like sitting in a LazyBoy with a 6 point harness.

 

Both are fantastic cars and so it's not like you're going to make a "bad" choice. I've got both and I'll say that the 2009 997S is no slouch that's for sure. It's close to being as quick as a 997GT3 (in stock form)- no joke. The motor isn't as exciting nor does it rev as freely (with a LWF) but as far as a daily driver goes honestly I'm hard pressed to think of a Porsche one can drive every day. The GT3 (or RS) requires more input/thought/work to get the best out of and it's probably not the car I want to drive in traffic or in the hills of SF but give me a wide open twisty road or a track and I'm so there with the 3. It's louder, rougher and you "feel" a lot more in terms of feedback. For sure the C2S is more wife-friendly and going out to dinner or on a date that's the car I'd go with.

So for daily driving either works but I think the C2S is easier and less of a compromise.
If you have a lot of track duty and want to "work" the GT3 is very exciting and just for that purpose.

 

No offense to you Ron and I apologize as it wasn't particularly directed to you. I've also driven all kinds of 911s, probably over 200, and it amuses me to hear of guys who think the 7GT3 is rough and noisy when all the previous iteration were a lot more raw. The ride to me is not much different than a E46 M3.

However, I don't consider the 07-08 GT3 motor a new iteration. It's just a further refinement of the 6GT3 motor and the RMS is minor just as each Porsche motor each has it's particular idiosyncrasies, plus these cars will still be under warranty for another 2 years or so. By iteration, I suppose I should have said major engine redesign, just as when Porsche came out with the 99-01 964s 3.6s with their cylinder to head sealing issues that required cylinder and head replacement, or the 99-01 996 with their then new M96 engines with consistent RMS leaks, intermediate shaft failures, and D-chunk cylinder failures that meant complete engine catastrophe. No doubt the new A91 engine appears to be a very potent and a significant improvement over the M96/97, but it's a completely new engine designed for cost efficient production, and it's history is short. Even Porsche does not appear to be confident enough in it to install it into their upcoming GT models.

I suppose one can look back in time to 2002 and ask a 996 buyer if he would rather own a new 2002 996 with the new M96 3.6 or a very low mile 2000 GT3, then fast forward to today and ask the same question.

 

roflmao!!

 

No offense taken Everything is relative and if the OP is looking for that "do everything great road car that's no slouch", I think we can all agree the 09 C2S is not a bad choice. If he is looking for a comfortable, yet capable, car then we can't ignore that the C2S is the easier of the two to live with -- every day, in traffic, around town where the pavement isn't so perfect, etc.

As Alex mentioned, and it's something I've posted about before, the GT3 is a wonderful car that requires much more attention to wring the performance out of. Between the two, it's the higher maintenance choice and I don't mean oil changes, etc. As to RMS, read through the GT3 section here and at other forums. Some poor owners are on their 3rd or 4th RMS change, many have had engines replaced, etc. And I'm not the only one that's had the desire to buy a GT3 only to be somewhat disillusioned and change for something else (C2S, Turbo). Not because the GT3 isn't a great car - it is. But because it's not the easiest to live with on a daily basis.

 

IMO, the stiffness of the suspension is only a single aspect of what makes a car "liveable" as a daily driver. Previously I had a Lotus Elise with the Stage II exhaust and coilovers dialed in stiffer than the stock suspension. I finally sold it because I barely drove it. There were several reasons why this car why I hated it as a DD.

1. Exhaust was really loud- much louder and beefier than PSE

2. The car was very low and I was constantly worried about scraping the front clam, aka chin. Damage to the clam or excessive scraping would result in a costly repair, see below.

3. The car was very fragile. The body is comprised of 2 very large pieces of fiberglass, the front and rear clam. If they had any collision of any kind, this would result in them cracking or breaking with a fairly costly repair since it was one huge piece of fiberglass. The clam itself costs 3-4k. Therefore, I could not drive the car anywhere where there was a possibility that I would have to parallel park for fear of being hit. I also didn't trust the valets which are ubiquitus in LA.

4. Bucket seats were difficult to get in and out of. Actually you needed to be a contortionist just to get in and out of the car.

5. Poor rear visibility.

I could go on and on but you get the point. The GT3 is a great car and personally I'd like to have one one day. But it is a track car, and as such, you will be making some concessions for daily use.

 

no brainer, get the GT3

 

I personally would take the GT3 any day.