I read this entire thread..because.. this is exactly where I am with my current car hunt.

I am ready to get into something different.

The CS is my favorite "AFFORDABLE" car for me; however my heart is ALWAYS with Porsche. I have never driven the 3, trying to get into one asap. The CS in the other hand is flat out an experience, I drove one for over 100 miles, 2 years ago and still remember it clearly.

I cant pick.. it will be more clear for me after I drive the 3.
Anyone in the NY area looking to grab a cup of coffee?

 

watt, I was thinking about your post today. The 99 360 came w/o precats, and make more power than 00+ and w/o question sound better. Some even say it'll run with the strad. Anyway, is the header issue the main one you see with the US Strads or is there something else?

Also, a very defining wedge b/t the cars is the F1 tranny vs. a stick.

 

Drive the Ferrari. Not so tough after that.

I wonder how many who are commenting so knowledgeably on Ferrari maintenance have actually owned one? Especially the 360/F430 series?

GT3 is awesome, and certainly capable on the track. Anyone would want one. Ferrari is a whole other level; again, if you haven't driven one seriously, it's impossible to comment.

Seriously?

Kamil - do you own the car in your avatar? I'd love more details on that beautiful longhood. Have you seen the $345K S/T at John Starkey? Same color, same look, but with decals, lights, etc.

 

I have and find you post to be unduly dismissive. Sold the Ferrari and impatiently await my new 3. 'Another level?' 'Not so tough?' Definitely don't agree with you here.

Also, you grouped the 430 and 360. The belt vs. chain drive architecture cleans up the murky maintenance picture notably.

 

Yes, agree, big wedge due to trannie differences. I have a 00 euro 360 (currently for sale)with gruppe m intake, hi flo cats and Fuchs sports exhaust.
It weighs in about the same as the cs as it has far less mandated equipment. It is almost as fast as the cs, so the euro strad would be the ticket. From my experience, there can be quite a gap in performance car to car due to variables in a low build number car.

There is no doubt that the 3 can be more easily used and unless you live in LA or Miami maybe, a parked cs will often draw a crowd where the 3 can sit alone noticed by the occassional porshophile or car guy.

Personally, I feel like although there are many common similarities, the two cars are different enough that owning both would be wonderfully appropriate.

 

Couldnt have said it better myself, and what im going through.. Sooo, how about that trade, but for the 360Cs and some

 

CS . . . . . . . . . .

 

Frayed,
Not trying to stir you up.

1/ It sure seems like the original poster hasn't driven a CS. Therefore, he should. Most people will either immediately notice a difference (develop a preference) or not. Obviously, if you walk way saying, "Both of the cars are equally awesome" then you would be nuts to buy a Ferrari when you can get the Porsche. If you notice a difference, it will more likely be that the Ferrari speaks to you more (before you going flame-crazy, see #2)
2/ Just like everyone else here, I have my opinion, which I am entitled to, IMO. I have fairly extensive experience with Porsches going back 20 years, and I currently have 2 P-cars and 1 F-car. I'm not asking you to agree with me, and I doubt you're asking me to agree with you.
3/ I race a Porsche. Why? No matter what I do to it, it doesn't break. When it does, it is expensive, but not as expensive as a Ferrari would be. I revere both marques, and I think it's pretty obvious: . I also don't like trolls who visit a site/forum for one marque, and then try to talk about how great some other car is, at the expense of the hosts and other posters. I am here because Porsches are awesome cars, and the GT moniker cars are the alpha males of the brand. Furthermore, I'd love to have an RS, but I was late to the "wait list" party, and being #2 on the list at a small dealer doesn't get you much. But I wasn't going to sell the F-car in any event
4/ I'm sorry that your Ferrari experience obviously wasn't what you wanted it to be, and I hope your GT3 experience is.

You need to just go out for a drive...


...and I still want to hear from Kamil about his avatar...

 

http://www.motortrend.com/features/p...gt3/index.html

 

Yes, I will quote myself here, because Motortrend paraphrased it better in the above post (nice article):
Test drive both. If P-car is better, or functionally the same, buy P-car. If F-car "pegs the passionmeter," buy the F-car. How complicated is it? I personally use a 1 factor model when buying a car: What puts the biggest smile on my face?

 

naparsei, I'll play the numerated game.

0. Not particularly stirred up. Not sure what I posted gave you that impression.

1. I can interpret the difference in cars. I've owned a few nice cars and tracked them all. I'm picky. The fact that a 360 didn't make a permanent spot in my garage has nothing to do with my ability to perceive good from great. Rather, the ability to separate flash from substance.

2. Yes.

3. You club race a Porsche?

4. My second GT3 and my second 997 chassis car. I'm confident.

As for your last comment, see 0 above. I'm sorry you take is so personally. Really.

 

Lets get together for a drive sometime. I think you would really appreciate the Bob Holcombe built 3.8 in my old school TT.

But you can't have the cs

 

i don't remember the details but my Euro Strad pal, ChalStrad, or Peter Mann on fchat, has driven euro and US back to back, and has detailed the signif. performance diff/s for me. but i can;t find his summary, sorry.

one issue i haven't addressed is the clutching, stabbing unavoidable emotion of the strad. here is my gt3 write up for autoweek. regardless of what i say, i am buying a guy's black strad this weekend. the only answer is to own both.

to Autofile, re the 997 GT3

The best sports car made. I have about 1500 miles and just got back from a day at Willow Springs Raceway. The car rocks- it is truly the best-- better than Challange Stradale and even better than 996 GT2, the two best sportscars ever produced, of which i owned 2 and 3 respectively for about 20,000 miles each. The balance, handling, grip, power and braking evident at Big Willow, a fast track, is a huge step up from 996 GT2 and 3. Mech. grip and mid range torque is much better than Stradale. The cup tyres have been improved enough for street use in S CA, but care is required in standing water. Once equipped with the lightweight flywheel/clutch standard in RS, a Cupcar lower Ring & Pinion, Euro GT3 seats and Champion RS98 wheels, you've saved 130 pounds and enlivened the car, it becomes almost perfect, except for the sunroof. If Porsche had delivered the car at 3000 lbs. with proper gearing like that in a Stradale, Euro GT3 seats and no sunroof, it would have been perfect, but this is close enough. I have been looking at buying another Stradale, but why bother?

Watt Webb, Malibu, CA

Others Considered

• Another Challenge Stradale. I owned 2 strad.s before this and loved them. The GT3 is better all around, its only relative defect the high gearing. Stradale's gearing is perfect, as are the factory seats.
• Gallardo. Too bling and too small inside and too heavy
• Porsche TT. Had one for a month while waiting for the GT3. Too fat, too heavy, too ugly. Absolutely useless as a sports car. Better to get a SL65.

Likes

• Superbly balanced total sports car: superb power/handling/braking [i have the new, improved PCCB], sport button, and sport shock setting for track
• Looks better than 996 GT3
• More mid-range torque [blows Stradale away in this regard]
• Improved mid-corner bump handling vs. 996, Stradale still better.
• The US factory seat is actually decent, for the first time in memory. Still Euro-GT3 seats will be better.

Dislikes

• F.g 45 pound sun roof in a sports car, we should have been allowed to delete it - complete Factory disregard for the customer
• Gearing while lower is still too high [never got out of 4th at Willow Springs, a fast track]. I will install the Cupcar R&P at 4.00 which will make it more useful for American tracks and canyon slamming.
• Porsche refused to install lightweight flywheel and clutch at factory, I had to do it myself, it enlivens the car.
• Harsh bump handling on free way straights

 

welcome back to the stradale fold Watt. congrats and post up some pics when you get it.

 

Gracias, much appreciated.