997.1 Porsche 911 GT3 Review - Better on Road Than Track?

In today's video, a 997.1 911 GT3. I have previously driven one of these cars, but found myself unable to get on with the engine and gearbox when driving at Blyton Park - for a track-orientated car I found it very frustrating.

Now I'm on more familiar roads, how does the car fare?

#Porsche #911 #GT3

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[mikejuzenas]

Interesting point of view - I own a 997.1 GT3, and have a few real world comments. The first is the shocks are controlled from the factory with a first generation single axis controller, hence one of the best upgrades you can do is a DSC controller coupled with a 3 axis accelerometer - it transforms the shock management on the car and makes the ride much better, especially on bumpy street roads. You can even tune it via your laptop, The second is this car has close to 60K miles, you are going to pickup some suspension wear - mine has 11K miles and feels tighter and more reactive than the 997 Turbo, especially with that AWD weighing down the front wheels. As you said, tires can also make a huge difference. The 3.6L engines on these cars are the centerpiece of the experience, and like you commented, I like that you do not have to wind the engine all the way to 8400 to get the experience, especially in the city. I think the generation is a real sweet spot in the GT3 series, more revvy than the 997.2, way more petite and agile feeling than the 991.1 (with that orphaned engine design which I would not touch), and a bit of a sleeper which is handy in these over policed days. Can't go wrong with any of these cars though ... :-)

[thebritishautochannel]

Definitely a fan of this version 👍🏻 really like the rear wing style

[MrLenny]

Had my 997.1 GT3 2 years, I can’t believe you think a 997 Turbo steers better than a 997 GT3. The steering is a massive highlight but agree the gear changes can’t be rushed.

[marvinsamuels]

Still really like this generation of GT3. Was the first to get me to look beyond the Turbo and Turbo S models. One of my neighbours has a 996 model in red and it still looks the business.

[jameshunterford]

Monsieur, with all this Porsche content you are really spoiling us ...

[detonator]

997 is the last Porsche that still wasn't bulky and huge... and it still had some resemblance of the classic air cooled cars. 991 and 992 are just big and bloated. I'd take any of the air cooled cars any day over a 997 but 997 is still my favorite modern 911.

[richnerd]

I couldn’t help but smile every time the video cut to exhaust clips 😌

[gkclarke]

Superb review of this classic GT3 version. Owned a similar spec 1 for 6 years, agree with everything you say! The long gearing being
my biggest criticism of the car! The looks are fantastic, still to this day! best looking of all the GT3's! I now drive a 991.2 GT3 CS, which
is more intoxicating to drive and so much more capable overall! wish I could have afforded to have kept the 997! keep up the great work,
I enjoy your videos!!

[RobSpoel]

As the owner of a 997.1 GT3 that sees plenty of track action, I couldn't agree more that there are some tracks that just don't suit the gearing. Circuit de Bresse in France comes to mind. But on tracks like Dijon, Spa and Hockenheim, this machine really comes to life! And the lack of any stability control systems combined with the engine so far back behind the axle makes it very rewarding to drive fast (even if it took me a while to learn to drive it properly).

[chrisrowles]

7:40 is by far the best noise my car makes. I've not got bored of hearing this and don't think I ever will! I can confirm I have now grown to love this exhaust. Installing a remote valve controller helped with this.

[steveberridge]

One of the best sounding 911s I’ve heard ! The 997.1 GT3 is also one of the cheaper GT3 variants along with the 996.2. Btw Jay there’s one on autotrader currrently in Preston for “only” £84900 with 46k miles on it….that’s not bad in the current climate.

[cervelo]

One of the best ever.
A real minter.
A real keeper.

[costafilh]

Perfect! Only the engine sound! No music ruining it like it did on the last Ferrari video. Thanks!

[institutmorningkiss]

I had one. Fabulous.
Sold it because I found it too accomplished and fast for road driving.
Got a hot rod Carrera 3.2 instead

[ElTurfStuff]

I always thought the GT3 was the more road capable version of the GT3/RS and you've just proved me right. Another excellent review.

[jodk]

A 911 from back when i lusted after them. Prices are too high, like for most great cars, but if i absolutely had to have a GT3 i'd pay 100K+ for a 997, over any of the newer bus-sized GT3s.

[MrDarkOperator]

The lag/delay you describe sounds like a common issue with the brake pedal sensor going bad. Happens on most 997 eventually. It starts off rare and sporadic and eventually happens almost constantly. The car thinks you are slamming on the brakes so it cuts the throttle out momentarily. Cheap/easy fix.

[mike]

I’m a long-time Porsche guy, and I bought one of these brand new in 2007 in the same color with PCCB’s. I really wanted to love it, but was kind of disappointed by how it drove - especially on track days. The 997.2 GT3, especially the RS, was a huge improvement. This is one car that I really don’t understand the current values on, as for pure Porsche driving enjoyment a 981 or 718 GT4 is a WAY better experience, even with the usual Porsche high gearing

[TheBucketOfTruth]

I don't know that you hammered home the point enough on why it's actually good on the road. The problem with most modern sports cars is they are a bit numb and so capable that they feel like spaceships, so they aren't quite so exciting at sane speeds. They are too buttoned down, too refined, ride so well, have such advanced gearboxes, etc. Here you get a car like you say that is fast car slow, but the character of the engine, the noise, the manual gearbox, the tactility of the steering. It all comes together to give you something that feels like an occasion and is lively even if you aren't absolutely caning it.

[R-Tap]

Bloody heck James, this and your last review are 2 in my dream car garage. Superb.

I think those seats are the optional Carrera GT seats. I wanted them in my 997.1 2s back in period!! You are right about the 2 to 3 shift, unhappy until its well heated up, same in 2s.