Hey guys. I'm a current E92 6MT M3 owner and very curious about this other side of the world. I'm seriously considering selling my M3 to put away some money and eventually get into a 997.2 GT3 next year.

Anyone here with more then just 1 test drive experience with both cars? Is the GT3 really 2X better considering the price difference? Both cars have been universally acclaimed. They make similar power and are similar in the way they deliver the power.

How's the steering compared?
Power delivery characteristics?
Does it feel fast?
How's the driving ergonomics?
Visibility?

Is it really night a day? I'm really looking for something that feels sporty, can hit the track often yet take a 100-300 mile drive with composure. The M3 does that really well, but I also hear the same about the GT3. Chris Harris says it's the best sports car considering price and value. Just curious what you guys think.

The M3 just at times doesn't feel very fast at all on the road as a DD. The power is just so linear. GT3 owners who drive daily, does the car still satisfy your thirst for power on DD roads? Does it still relatively fast for passing cars in 4-5 gear on the highway?

Anything else I should know about? I have an opportunity to sell my car for a great price and besides the M3, nothing really gets my heart pumping from a visual and emotional perspective then the GT3. It's really the only car I would want more then the M3 other then going exotic. Just making sure it's worth it.

I'm also trying to cure my mod addiction and really looking for something setup right from the factory. The addiction is bleeding me dry and this might cure the mod bug.

 

I dont own an E92 M3..... But I can tell you that everyone here will tell you its night and day. I had an E46 M3 so I kinda know what an M3 feels like.

Oh, and the mod bug NEVER goes away....

 

sell your E92, buy a 997.1 GT3. Problem solved.

Take the 40-50K you just saved to fund the mod bug, because that never goes away, even with a GT3. Just ask around here.

In case you need a reminder, the E92 is nowhere near as capable as the MK1, much less the MK2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjwJl4t-DF8

 

yes night and day.

both are great cars for sure, but the M3 is still a sedan based automobile, albeit finely fettled by the geniuses at BMW //M.

the GT3 though is the best, most hardcore focused version of a 911, which arguably is the best all-round pure sports car out there.

the ONLY reasons why i would choose an M3 over a GT3 are:

1) i need the extra practicality of the rear seats
2) i want a flappy paddle gearbox
3) i plan to go drifting regularly
4) i need the stealth of a sports sedan

there's simply SO MUCH the magazines can't convey to you about the perfect shifter-steering-clutch-throttle interaction on a GT3. you have to spend some time in it at speed and it just gels together and then there's no turning back.

 

If you really track your cars, then, not much to think about. I love my M3 RD Sport stroker (for the street), but wanted something near 3000 lbs that I can track more. Yes, I sold my 2008 M3 stroker for an 2010 GT3

 

I just purchased a new 997.2 GT3. I actually had an '11 M3 coupe on order for European delivery. Had to cancel, but I decided I can go to Europe any time I want, but a new '10 GT3 was a now or never thing.

So, yes, I've driven the latest M3 many times. Not in anger, since none of them were mine. But, I currently own the e46 M3 coupe and before that I owned the e36 M3 coupe, so I can give you the M to GT3 insider knowledge you crave.

I absolutely love the GT3! She is very, very special. I've loved my M3s, but they were not in the same league. There are many caveats, however. The M3 makes a much, much, much better DD. The GT3 is loud, tiny, only 2 seats, extremely low (get the lift!) and obviously twice the price. It's not a car you want to take to a stadium parking lot, or to a dusty lot at the county fair. I took mine recently to a house party way up in the hills. The house was down a quarter mile gravel road. We ended up walking that distance, as there was no way the car was going to survive it (or maybe I mean me)!

In nearly every condition so far, the GT3 just out shines the M3. It feels way, way faster. It stops faster. The initial bite on the brakes is awesome! The pedal feel is perfect (and I've got a full Brembo BBK on my M3!). But, there is one curve that I've found feels scary in the GT3 vs the M3. It's a fast sweeping left of a freeway connector ramp. Its very bumpy and the car feels a little like its porpoising. I can only guess its the bumps and the fact that the GT3 has a shorter wheelbase and the engine hanging out the back. Other than that, I wanna hammer this car every second I'm in it!

Get the GT3, you only live once!

 

I've actually owned a Space Grey E92 M3 6 speed manual. Comparing it to my MK2 GT3 it really is day and night. And I did well my M3 to get the GT3, just like how you are proposing to do. I had this problem with the M3 of modding it cuz I was never satisied. The GT3 (besides the exhaust) is a car that you will never have to mod.

Since you having test drove the GT3 let me tell you comparing it to the M3 is like this:

1. More responsive throtle
2. Steering is more responsive (You think where you want to go and just go)
3. Site way lower than the M3 so taking turns at high speed is cake
4. It doesnt have the bells and wistles like the M3 does
5. Its as close to having a track car as you can get
6. Its a lot more fun to drive on the road and track
7. It gets more attenttion by far than the E92 M3

Even if its a lote more price wise than the M3, it was was the best purchase and decision I have made.

 

If you like cars that have a "raw" feel, then the GT3 is the ticket. It will not have the refined feel of the M3. It is a track car that is usable on the street, but it is definitely not set up optimally for street use. The front end of the car is very low, the ride is stiff, the clutch is stiff, the gearshift is stiff, and it is loud. However, if you like to be totally involved in your driving and feel totally connected to the car and the road, then there is nothing better than the GT3.

The engine is brilliant but not strong on torque. It makes its power through high revs. There is a sharp ramp-up in torque above 4000 rpm, so it's not exactly linear, but if you are cruising on the highway in 5th or 6th gear, you'll want to downshift for brisk passing. However, the shriek of the engine in the upper rpm's is sooooo addictive.

You really need to test drive the GT3 to know if it's for you.

 

a e92 m3 is a piece of ****.... compared to a 997.2 gt3

i owned an e92 m3. i hated it

 

:d:d

 

Love how the M3 brakes failed so quickly, very typical of what I have seen at the track.

 

Apples and oranges.
The video was against the 997.1 so against the 997.2 GT3, forget about it. The E92 M3 is a very good sportscar but head to head with the GT3 it's game over.
The 997.2 GT3 in the same comparo (road course) will beat the GTR.
I am hugh BMW follower (owning 2 E60 M5's) but am a hardcore Porsche believer.
PORSCHE BRAKES FOR THE WIN!

Ranger

 

there is no comparison and there is NO substitute.
having had e30m3, e36m3, thrashed my bud's e46m3 and e92m, if you dont need the rear seats and money is not factored into this decision, NO ONE will ever choose any M3 over a GT3.

 

I like BMWs, but in the performance department the M division does not even come close!

On the straight line, the new e92 M3 might be fast. But for an all around sports car, it can't even compare to a Carrera S let alone a GT3...

 

Nice! I may be going this route based on your advice. Let's see what the wife allows.