Is E46/E9X M3 -> 911 GT3 just the natural progression of things?

[r4dr]

Surprised the 981 GT4 isn’t mentioned more in this thread. There is a large supply and I’d imagine the prices will start coming down soon.

That's part of the issue, 997 GT3 prices are only going up from here. $95k for a 997.1 GT3 is a smarter buy than $80k for a 981 GT4 in the long-term. It also has the weird gearing – I thought it was overblown by reviewers but in my own experience on the track, 2nd gear is weirdly long. If they go down to $60k or $65k then I'd say that's a good buy.

[T.J.]

That's why some factory LS cars are in that list.

But if you didn't know, GT3's don't have bulletproof engines. If you use the car as intended it's not gonna last. Hence why there is such a emphasis on rpm sheets being supplied when selling them. The cost to operate a GT3 is also immense. Damn oil change is over $400 bucks. I know this because I have friends with them. If you only use it as a leisurely vehicle, you're missing the point. If you beat the living shit out of it, you're gonna spend a ton. Name of the game. But a 997 with an LS swap would be rad, saw one down in MD a few years ago.

And while all your points on LS's is correct, you missed, reliable, easy to mod, easy to fix, cheap to run, cheap to replace, can be built NA for stupid power if you know what you're doing etc.

Also a 997 with an LS swap would be a budget build to a degree. Just another option in a sea of automatics.

Rpm sheets?

[Steve]

Rpm sheets?

Rev range reports. Shows if the car has been overrevved and to what extent. Also says when it happened so you know if it’s recent or in the past as it’s measured in engine hours.

[r4dr]

[T.J.]

thanks for the info... so really just a money shift tracker for warranty claims.

[skristedja]

Sorry for the thread resurrection, but I figured this was relevant to the discussion in here. I drove the FIL's M8 competition this weekend and it was extremely fast but not very fun at all. Steering was artificially heavy and distant, the engine sounds pretty good (kinda like an e39 m5 with a speech impediment), and the brakes had almost no feeling whatsoever. It would run circles around my e46 but it's honestly too fast for the street to ever have good fun. You give it throttle and you're over the speed limit almost instantly. It only felt marginally faster than a tesla m3p yet wasn't as playful. I've never been so unimpressed by a car that was so impressive on paper. So yeah, if I'm spending over $100k on a car, GT3 or dust.

[sina]

Funny enough there was a video released today of Chris Harris speaking with Preuninger, the Director of Porsche GT, about the new 992 GT3 and going through all the GT3 history. When they are talking about the 996 GT3 Preuninger talks about how the competition to this car was the M3 CSL and what a great car that was. Today there isn't really a BMW that you could compare or cross-shop with a GT3, which is surprising based on the fact that the GT3 is such a success and the CSL actually could compete with it in some regards. It must have been a conscious decision by BMW to change the direction they were headed, because they did have a winning formula on their hands back then. But then came a fork in the road.

[heinzboehmer]

Funny enough there was a video released today of Chris Harris speaking with Preuninger, the Director of Porsche GT, about the new 992 GT3 and going through all the GT3 history. When they are talking about the 996 GT3 Preuninger talks about how the competition to this car was the M3 CSL and what a great car that was. Today there isn't really a BMW that you could compare or cross-shop with a GT3, which is surprising based on the fact that the GT3 is such a success and the CSL actually could compete with it in some regards. It must have been a conscious decision by BMW to change the direction they were headed, because they did have a winning formula on their hands back then. But then came a fork in the road.

Just saw that video. Was not expecting the 992 GT3 to look like that at all, front reminds me of a GT1.

[maupineda]

To me the GT3 is a very different car to the M3, at any day and age. The GT3 is a league of its own and very few are true competitors.

[Will]

... the engine sounds pretty good (kinda like an e39 m5 with a speech impediment)...
[emphasis mine]

I laughed way too hard at this. Lol. Good stuff.

[Obioban]

To me the GT3 is a very different car to the M3, at any day and age. The GT3 is a league of its own and very few are true competitors.

Interestingly that Preuninger considered the CSL the GT3’s completion. 😜

[Nick_P]

Surprised nobody has mentioned the Lotus Evora, if someone is looking for a more connected, balanced, track-capable car

[maupineda]

Interestingly that Preuninger considered the CSL the GT3’s completion. 😜

He was nice, I don’t thing they are of the same breed

i see though how us as car enthusiasts would want a GT3.

[Icecream]

He was nice, I don’t thing they are of the same breed

i see though how us as car enthusiasts would want a GT3.

I have never driven a CSL but it does seem a stock M3 is nowhere near a GT3. I don't think it is aggressive enough stock, it is nice but a little soft and heavy. Too quiet, suspension too soft and too high, seats look like they belong in a lexus and the steering is too slow. The CSL does take care of most of that as do many quality aftermarket upgrades. Just the suspension, intake and exhaust on mine transformed it into something much more special to drive than a stock M3 so a CSL that is lighter, better seats and steering has to be a great car. They are also comparing it to a 996 GT3 fwiw. I'd love to think its close (and will keep telling myself that until I get one haha).
Also the S54 really counts for a lot in the comparison to a GT3 IMO, its such a serious piece of engineering and runs with (if not tops) the best engines out there.