My '07 GT3 has a rollbar, 996 GT3 seats and harnesses. I currently run, depending on the weather, either 19" PS2's or 18" RA-1's on CCW wheels. Although the car is street licensed, its trailered to and from the track and has never seen the street in 2008.

 

WOW - I'm impressed. Mine is stock. I have tracked it 3 times but I notice myself driving at 7-8/10ths on the GT3. I feel more comfortable abusing my Spec Miata.

 

I recently attended a PCA DE and was impressed at the number track prepped 997 GT3's I saw. There were probably 8 - 10 GT3's, and almost all had seats (996 GT3, Sparco, etc.), roll bars (aftermarket mostly, not many TE bars), harnesses, etc. Some had slotted rotors, non OE R-comp tires, 18'' wheels and cup front lips. One or two may have had slicks, I don't remember.

These cars were not concours quality by any means - these GT3's were used. IMO, the owners saw them mostly as a means to go fast. On track, they were driving them pretty hard, it was nice to see. Besides the 997 GT3's, there was a good number of 996 GT3's (many track prepped), about five 996 based cup cars and a CGT. Bottom line.. there were many more track prepped 996/997 GT3's than stock.

Also, I noticed the stock exhaust pipes of these seemingly 'well used' 997 GT3's were white on the inside.. which I assumed was from the heat associated with extensive high rpm, track driving. I took this as the mark of a well enjoyed GT3.

 

I have a 997S that I use for both track and street, not all raced out, just lowered, track front rotors, track brake pads and MPSC's... I probably would have done a rollbar and harneses etc... but the car is a tiptronic and will never be a full on track car anyway, but it is fun! I bought it at first as a daily driver for both myself and my wife (hense the tiptronic) but soon realized that I couldn't drive 75+ miles a day on a car like that if I wanted it to be worth anything in a year or two so I got another daily driver and the only time the Porsche goes out is on the weekends and when I take it to the track, which I love, but it sure does start taking a toll on the car after a while, brakes and tires are one thing, expensive but expected if you want to track the car, the other stuff is worse, like all the "tire ball" marks on the clear bra and all over the car and the rock chips here and there and the heavily pitted windshield from going to the faster tracks...

I have thought about selling it and getting a more track friendly car but unless I want to spend alot more money (which I don't have right now) the thought of trading in the Porsche for a Vette or Lotus or something just kills me....

 

BOY I can tell you we track more than M3s. I asked a brake question on a M3 board and I got all kinds of proof from Car and Driver and road and Track that the M3 brakes are better than ANY Porsche brake. One guy said he will BET that the M3 brake is better than the 997 iron brake. I was amazed at the lack of tracking of the M3 owners (E90, E92)

 

my 2 cents, car is one year old, I have done 10 track events so far I have 3 or 4 more left this year. car has 5,000 miles on it and about 1/3 of that is track miles. I have roll bar, seats, 6pt harnesses, Corsas, sharkwerks bypass, (thats the cool part). I drive it to work about 1x per wk. at best. If you are not going to track a 3 then you should buy a turbo as its a better road car.

 

That is a load of BS, I was on the track with 2 Coupes and a Sedan V8 M3, all three of them were complaining about there brakes, my 997 was out braking every one of them (stock brakes on my car). One guy was going out and buying Brembo 380's to try and get a set of reliable brakes. They kept mentioning the press cars had something different on them that they couldn't buy anywhere.

One guy even said he should have bought a Carrera instead, his M had about 3000 miles on it and he was already pissed with BMW support.y

 

add me to the bunch...2005 with 10,500 miles...nearly all to, on or from the track...when I can't track it anymore I'll sell it...the car is frankly amazing...drive it there, beat the hell out of it in extreme heat/cold and then drive it home...I haven't seen any other marquee that can consistently do that...

 

7000 trk miles on 996gt3 (total 40,000 miles)
3500 trk miles on 997gt3 rs (total 18,000 miles)

 

North I agree totally my point was these "experts" didnt even go to the track
They use Car and Driver to get their test results. One guy said he was an engineer
and said Car and Driver was a good test. I am an engineer too and I laughed at him. I said
"You mean such important test categories like Back seat space, Rebates and Gotta have it factor are scientific enough for you as an engineer to make you quote their test results?"
He continued to tell me Car and Driver was valid and that the M3 brakes are better than Porsche Brakes. I couldnt continue with that childness and left.

 

Mine has 8000 miles, 0 of which are track.

Which is why I"m considering selling it-- I have a Lotus for the track.

Old retired guy, too many cars sitting around!

 

I track mine as much as I can.
Came with rollbar, buckets and harness as standard so I've only done track alignment in addition to some simple cosmetic mods.

 

The problem with the Car and Driver comparison is that they throw a bunch of stuff into a test that doesn't matter. Does a soccer mom car about the 0-60 times on her new mini van? Does a guy buying a Enzo care about the rebates (or lack of them)? They are missing the point, or they are using some of these sections to sway the results so that advertisers will continue to place ads in there magazine. I think that they should be more specific to the type of car and driver and make mini van type tests, and sports car tests.

This reminds me of a story were I was at a track day and while on the track walk the chief instructor (who had just driver 24hrs of Daytona a few months prior in a Porsche GT3) was asked by a Lotus driver "do you know what the problem with the Lotus's are?"

Instructor "no, what are the problems with the Lotus's?".

Lotus Driver "there brakes are too good, and that they may end up rear ending a Porsche in the braking zones because they have to brake so early"

Chief instructors says "yes the Lotus's do brake and handle a little better then the Porsches' but the Porsche's have more power and ultimately around the track they will have about the same time"

I thought to myself, wow these Lotus's must be amazing in the Braking zone, but said nothing. Throughout the day, I out braked, out cornered, and of course out accelerated him. Near the end of the day the Lotus Guy comes up to me and says, wow your fast! I replied my car is fast, I am still learning how to drive it!

Porsche builds really good cars, they are fast, the corner well, and they brake well. They are the bench mark that everyone tries to out perform. Porsche is the only car that I would want to put through this kind of work on the track then drive it to work the next day!

 

bought a strippo cayman s just to track. stock except for reliability mods, alignment, CCW/888s, and pads (pfc01s) so far zero problems and pretty decent on track despite soft suspension and not enough neg camber. brakes are the best stocks brakes ive ever experienced but the ABS is too sensitive.

 

GT3 was 70% track time - 30% Street ..........