Great wealth of knowledge and honest talking. I'm at the point of starting the upgrades on my mk1 996 which has the gt3 aero from factory. So listening and watching ur videos has made me determined to make it a more competent and poised driver.
Great video and very honest and humble review. I love both of those cars, the GT3 is the pinnacle, but I love what you have done with the C2 and I agree, the 3.4 engine is very sweet to drive
I agree with you Rob - you can modify a non GT3 to have as good suspension, gearshift and brakes but what you cannot do is make the engine a Mezger! That engine defines the GT3. Great video!
Hi Rob, what a great and vert balanced video. I am a 911 enthusiast and have just bought a 10/97 996 Manual, with throttle cable, factory rear wiper delete and NO traction control. I'm being realistic about not chasing the GT3 mods, however I just changed to 993 RS semi-solid engine mounts (Prekom brand), I have a GT3 shifter, amd re-doing all brakes with new Rotors, Pads and Brake lines, and the suspension is next. That said, i agree totally that the 'ownership experience' is wonderful, as for the money, this is a superb and highly capable sports car, that i feel i can still enjoy, and drive very hard and leave a grin on my face. Thanks again for your insights on the 996, they're fantastic, Cheers, Adam
Hi Rob, I'm on my hols in Cornwall from Scotland in my silver 996.1 aero. I saw a blue gallardo today and my wife gave me a row for not acknowleding said Galardo as she thought the driver had! . Quick spy of the reg and an mot checker tells me it was you! Now as to why a gallardo driver wud wave at 996 it all makes sense lol
Thanks for that Rob! I really enjoyed that, start to finish! Nicely done and great to hear about the similarities (Such as they are!) and the differences.
Great review. And what a beauty... I'm in a very fortunate position to realise a GT3 right now, but it means letting go of something which I love. Not in the same league as a Porsche, but special to me and in a conundrum as I know it's pretty much irreplaceable... Ah great problem to have...
Superb Rob, really enjoyed your comparison between the 2 cars from a passionate car enthusiast, 100% agree with your comments about the 996 community. Sorry to see your selling but at least you’ve managed to own such an awesome piece of machinery.
What a great review. I have a similar setup, 997 C4S and 991.2 GT3 - many many similarities to your experience of the two cars. I’m also in the process of making the 997 a little bit more GT-like, although as you say, it will never be a “GT car”. I actually like the more “daily” nature of the 997, and I don’t want to corrupt that. But it’s also a very analog car, the 991 is more video-game like. I should also sell the GT3, but just can’t bring myself to :-) Loved the honest real-world narration/production - excellent stuff!
@@TheThrottleCable yes, so epic that you have to have a slower one in the garage for all those days when you’re not willing to risk jail-time, for a bit of driving pleasure - the dam thing is way too fast/capable for any roads within an hour of town. You know what it’s all about, you have the red-pill at your disposal - just think of it being dialled up to 11.5. I would gladly sell both for a 997 RS, but finding a good one, with a known history, for anything like reasonable money isn’t so easy...
Great cars. I owned a 996.1 GT3 Club Sport for 12 years and loved it. Had a few minor mods including a Manthey K400 upgrade which pushed power up to around 400bhp from 360 stock and just an epic car though maybe a bit harsh to drive daily.
I really enjoy your videos. I was very close to buying a 996 Carrara 2 with the aero package, but decided I needed a back seat to take my family with me. But I really enjoy your build, and would have tried to make my 996 very similar to what you have done. Maybe one day I’ll get a 911, until then my f80 m3 will have to do.
Thanks. The M3 is a great all rounder - good choice; i was lucky enough to join an M day recently with the M2, M4 and the laugh out loud bonkers M5 with its popping and banging. They were great fun 👍
Thanks for the video Rob, it was great to hear your options on the differences between your two lovely cars, thanks for sharing. I was also very close to contacting you regarding the GT3 when i saw it up for sale on Autotrader a few months ago (it definitely looks better without the decals). I really thought i had convinced myself to stick with my 997 C2S X51 but now you have me reconsidering my options!!!
You won’t regret getting a Mezger in your life! Sadly for me the car will have to go at some point in the near future to fund our house move. The house we were going for fell through - the positive was I didn’t need to sell the GT3 just yet, but likely early next year we’ll be moving and the car will have to go 😢
I hear you re tyres, i actually bought a 996.1 coupe with 17 inchers, turbo twist, and with Michelin pilot sport AS the car is so fun to place in a corner and feel the sublime balance combined w a bit of power oversteer. Must track it, soon. I think really sticky tires might make the experience very different.
Great vid Rob and always wondered why when you had a GT3 in your garage why you got the 996. I guess in this vid you explain that well 👍🏼 I know there’s a lot of money in the GT3, but could you not keep that and let your 996 go instead? If you need the extra I suppose that would answer that, but I know if I was you at some point I would regret letting that beauty go 🙁
Hi Rob, enjoying your videos and your passion for the much maligned 996. We have a tweaked 996 Gt3 in our private garage so let us know if you would like to do a video with it as another comparison.
Great video, loving the 996, the GT3 is ofcourse the dream. I'm looking to get into porsches starting with a 3.4 996 carrera, currently own a BMW E30 318IS which is a pleasant enjoyable little weekend car with a little bit of punch in the higher RPM's. Looking forward to the switch someday ;)
@@TheThrottleCable funny thing is I started watching your videos from around September. I pretty shortly thereafter bought an immaculate 98 C2 with ambers and sports package M014. Then in October I also bought a nice 996 Turbo. I like it but its a bit too grand tourer, compared to the C2. Great mid range punch but not very raw, as you may know. So I am now looking for a 997.1 GT3. Is yours available or has it been sold now? You can email me if you prefer. cameronvm5@gmail.com
The GT3 is an amazing machine and glad you had so much fun with it. I might sell my 2001 C4 aerokit for a similar reason - house Reno's and rennlist makes me think the engine is going to explode all the time.
Pretty much every Porsche model (or any manufacturer) ever has some kind of known fault, the 996 is no different but I think currently hyped up by the low price / accessibility of them.
@@TheThrottleCable I agree. On my car the cam deviation is at -7 which is slightly out of spec. So I asked three mechanics for a price to replace the chain tensioner pads. All three came back with ridiculously high quotes. Part of my reason for wanting to sell is not being able to find a knowledgeable mechanic who has experience on 996's in my area. Unfortunately I don't have the time, tools or patience to do it myself.
Nice video. I like the way you describe the cars and sorry you’re having to sell the GT3. Will you be replacing it? I’d be interested to hear your views on the 996 turbo? Different type of car of course but one you could have a lot of fun with too I’d imagine.
In the short term I will hopefully be replacing the GT3 with a bigger house if my family and I can find the right home. However my 'man-maths' is pretty sharp so i'm sure I work something out in the not too distant future!
Just out of interest what was the car advertised for 2 years back and were the seats from factory they look fab- this is my perfect spec with the leather dash to. Any idea what happened to the car. Thanks
It's a very special car, all factory spec; I needed to sell at a time when unfortunately for me all car prices had dipped due to the pandemic, it was 72.5k at the time, but I expect a similar car today would be circa 80-90k. Look for JMRacing66 on instagram.
Great video -- I'm in a similar boat: bought my 2001 996 C2 with 99K miles and a rebuilt engine, started modifying it towards GT3 territory (GT3 take-off suspension, etc) and realized I'd never really get there, but spend a ton of money and time trying... so decided to sell the C2 and my 70RSR (really amazing 2.8ltr, twin-plug recreation of the 73 RSR) and buy a GT3. Thing is, I found the GT3 first, bought it, love it, been tracking it, etc. It's the only car I've ever been in that gives me the same sense of occasion or drama as the air-cooled RSR every single time I fire it up. So I finally did sell on the 70RSR... But truth is, I really like the C2! I'm going down a retro-theme on the C2 and enjoying turning it into a fun, daily driver, while saving the GT3 for special occasions (although I drive it every chance I get). Enjoyed your take, very much like my own. Cheers!
Nice stable fella, well apart from the Megane 😋 Excellent delivery as always, a very slick review 👍 Do you mind if I ask who you use for insurance on the cars? I’d like to do some mods to my 996 C4S, but don’t want to get stung....
Well clearly you’ve never driven a Megane. Yes the 911 is awesome (I have a 996.2 C2 manual), but the Megane RS is a fabulous drivers car too. I had a 265RS, and loved it. Build quality ordinary, and depreciation...well, best not talked about. But to drive, sublime.
@@davebentley3542 absolutely love it. Such a connected analogue drive, currently on a 450km road trip visiting family. Chose it because I didn't want turbo (NA engines rule for response and sound - also have a Z4 M Coupe 😊) or AWD. I'm firmly in the "keep it factory" camp with my cars (also have 20V ur quattro and JDM DC2 Type R), but I have fitted blue H&R lowering springs with B8 Sport Bilsteins and 17mm spacers all around. Transforms handling and look of the car.
I have; they are a lovely bit of kit! I’m happy with the shift as it is right now so, brakes, sway bars and a diff are most likely ahead of shifting upgrades 👍
Easy she's only just 14! But seriously, and generally speaking, most GT owners have multiple cars - very rarely does someone have a sports car like a GT3 as their sole daily driver. Owners tend to use those various cars for different purposes. Therefore usage is spread across a fleet and generally a lot, lot lower than a sole daily driver.
Everyone has a favourite! You should watch the Andreas Preuninger video with Chris Harris; it might even open your mind to the 996.2 👌 ua-cam.com/video/wJLmc_M-0ng/v-deo.html
Great wealth of knowledge and honest talking. I'm at the point of starting the upgrades on my mk1 996 which has the gt3 aero from factory. So listening and watching ur videos has made me determined to make it a more competent and poised driver.
Thank you for the kind words and glad that you like them. Some subtle changes and updates can make these 996’s quite special for not a huge outlay 👍
Great video and very honest and humble review. I love both of those cars, the GT3 is the pinnacle, but I love what you have done with the C2 and I agree, the 3.4 engine is very sweet to drive
thank you!
I agree with you Rob - you can modify a non GT3 to have as good suspension, gearshift and brakes but what you cannot do is make the engine a Mezger! That engine defines the GT3. Great video!
Thanks Ben!
Hi Rob, what a great and vert balanced video. I am a 911 enthusiast and have just bought a 10/97 996 Manual, with throttle cable, factory rear wiper delete and NO traction control. I'm being realistic about not chasing the GT3 mods, however I just changed to 993 RS semi-solid engine mounts (Prekom brand), I have a GT3 shifter, amd re-doing all brakes with new Rotors, Pads and Brake lines, and the suspension is next. That said, i agree totally that the 'ownership experience' is wonderful, as for the money, this is a superb and highly capable sports car, that i feel i can still enjoy, and drive very hard and leave a grin on my face. Thanks again for your insights on the 996, they're fantastic, Cheers, Adam
Thanks Adam - I hope you continue to enjoy it!
Hi Rob, I'm on my hols in Cornwall from Scotland in my silver 996.1 aero. I saw a blue gallardo today and my wife gave me a row for not acknowleding said Galardo as she thought the driver had! . Quick spy of the reg and an mot checker tells me it was you! Now as to why a gallardo driver wud wave at 996 it all makes sense lol
Thanks for that Rob! I really enjoyed that, start to finish! Nicely done and great to hear about the similarities (Such as they are!) and the differences.
Cheers Daron!
Great review. And what a beauty... I'm in a very fortunate position to realise a GT3 right now, but it means letting go of something which I love. Not in the same league as a Porsche, but special to me and in a conundrum as I know it's pretty much irreplaceable... Ah great problem to have...
Thanks PJ. The 997.1 gt3 really is all the fun car you could ever need. Letting go of this one was very painful….
Great video, perfect content! Look forward to the next one.
Much appreciated!
Superb Rob, really enjoyed your comparison between the 2 cars from a passionate car enthusiast, 100% agree with your comments about the 996 community.
Sorry to see your selling but at least you’ve managed to own such an awesome piece of machinery.
Thank you; two great cars indeed!
What a great review.
I have a similar setup, 997 C4S and 991.2 GT3 - many many similarities to your experience of the two cars. I’m also in the process of making the 997 a little bit more GT-like, although as you say, it will never be a “GT car”. I actually like the more “daily” nature of the 997, and I don’t want to corrupt that. But it’s also a very analog car, the 991 is more video-game like.
I should also sell the GT3, but just can’t bring myself to :-)
Loved the honest real-world narration/production - excellent stuff!
Thanks for the kind words; lots of similarities. No doubt the 991.2 GT3 is an epic car 👍
@@TheThrottleCable yes, so epic that you have to have a slower one in the garage for all those days when you’re not willing to risk jail-time, for a bit of driving pleasure - the dam thing is way too fast/capable for any roads within an hour of town. You know what it’s all about, you have the red-pill at your disposal - just think of it being dialled up to 11.5.
I would gladly sell both for a 997 RS, but finding a good one, with a known history, for anything like reasonable money isn’t so easy...
Great cars. I owned a 996.1 GT3 Club Sport for 12 years and loved it. Had a few minor mods including a Manthey K400 upgrade which pushed power up to around 400bhp from 360 stock and just an epic car though maybe a bit harsh to drive daily.
Lovely; what a great car to own for so long. I bet that provided so many great memories!
I really enjoy your videos. I was very close to buying a 996 Carrara 2 with the aero package, but decided I needed a back seat to take my family with me. But I really enjoy your build, and would have tried to make my 996 very similar to what you have done. Maybe one day I’ll get a 911, until then my f80 m3 will have to do.
Thanks. The M3 is a great all rounder - good choice; i was lucky enough to join an M day recently with the M2, M4 and the laugh out loud bonkers M5 with its popping and banging. They were great fun 👍
Thanks for the video Rob, it was great to hear your options on the differences between your two lovely cars, thanks for sharing. I was also very close to contacting you regarding the GT3 when i saw it up for sale on Autotrader a few months ago (it definitely looks better without the decals). I really thought i had convinced myself to stick with my 997 C2S X51 but now you have me reconsidering my options!!!
You won’t regret getting a Mezger in your life! Sadly for me the car will have to go at some point in the near future to fund our house move. The house we were going for fell through - the positive was I didn’t need to sell the GT3 just yet, but likely early next year we’ll be moving and the car will have to go 😢
I really enjoyed this video!
Thanks Yasir!
I hear you re tyres, i actually bought a 996.1 coupe with 17 inchers, turbo twist, and with Michelin pilot sport AS the car is so fun to place in a corner and feel the sublime balance combined w a bit of power oversteer. Must track it, soon. I think really sticky tires might make the experience very different.
The car comes alive with less rubber; Less is more 😁
Great vid Rob and always wondered why when you had a GT3 in your garage why you got the 996. I guess in this vid you explain that well 👍🏼 I know there’s a lot of money in the GT3, but could you not keep that and let your 996 go instead? If you need the extra I suppose that would answer that, but I know if I was you at some point I would regret letting that beauty go 🙁
Thank you Phil. Exactly the dilemma i'm facing, we'll see! Regardless I've been very fortunate to own this car over the last three years.
Hi Rob, enjoying your videos and your passion for the much maligned 996. We have a tweaked 996 Gt3 in our private garage so let us know if you would like to do a video with it as another comparison.
Thank you, that’s a lovely offer. Let’s see how we land in the new year and perhaps we can set something up 👍
Great video, loving the 996, the GT3 is ofcourse the dream. I'm looking to get into porsches starting with a 3.4 996 carrera, currently own a BMW E30 318IS which is a pleasant enjoyable little weekend car with a little bit of punch in the higher RPM's.
Looking forward to the switch someday ;)
Lots you can do with a 996 to make it your own - would be nice to keep the E30 to run alongside one! 😉
Great video as usual!
Thanks Cameron 👍
@@TheThrottleCable funny thing is I started watching your videos from around September. I pretty shortly thereafter bought an immaculate 98 C2 with ambers and sports package M014. Then in October I also bought a nice 996 Turbo. I like it but its a bit too grand tourer, compared to the C2. Great mid range punch but not very raw, as you may know. So I am now looking for a 997.1 GT3. Is yours available or has it been sold now? You can email me if you prefer. cameronvm5@gmail.com
I’ll drop you an email 👍
The GT3 is an amazing machine and glad you had so much fun with it. I might sell my 2001 C4 aerokit for a similar reason - house Reno's and rennlist makes me think the engine is going to explode all the time.
Pretty much every Porsche model (or any manufacturer) ever has some kind of known fault, the 996 is no different but I think currently hyped up by the low price / accessibility of them.
@@TheThrottleCable I agree. On my car the cam deviation is at -7 which is slightly out of spec. So I asked three mechanics for a price to replace the chain tensioner pads. All three came back with ridiculously high quotes. Part of my reason for wanting to sell is not being able to find a knowledgeable mechanic who has experience on 996's in my area. Unfortunately I don't have the time, tools or patience to do it myself.
Both great cars💯
Thank you 👍
Nice video. I like the way you describe the cars and sorry you’re having to sell the GT3. Will you be replacing it? I’d be interested to hear your views on the 996 turbo? Different type of car of course but one you could have a lot of fun with too I’d imagine.
In the short term I will hopefully be replacing the GT3 with a bigger house if my family and I can find the right home. However my 'man-maths' is pretty sharp so i'm sure I work something out in the not too distant future!
Such an informative video. Really enjoyed it. May I know if the wheel size you are running on the 996 is 18 and what are the wheel offsets please?
18’s; here’s all the info about then
ua-cam.com/video/iyZIx9Z2r-I/v-deo.html
👍
@@TheThrottleCable many thanks!
Just out of interest what was the car advertised for 2 years back and were the seats from factory they look fab- this is my perfect spec with the leather dash to. Any idea what happened to the car. Thanks
It's a very special car, all factory spec; I needed to sell at a time when unfortunately for me all car prices had dipped due to the pandemic, it was 72.5k at the time, but I expect a similar car today would be circa 80-90k. Look for JMRacing66 on instagram.
Had my 996 engine built out to 3.8 liters so it has the greater HP/Torque found in the GT3 models. Best of both worlds?🤷♂️
it certainly sounds appealing!
Great video -- I'm in a similar boat: bought my 2001 996 C2 with 99K miles and a rebuilt engine, started modifying it towards GT3 territory (GT3 take-off suspension, etc) and realized I'd never really get there, but spend a ton of money and time trying... so decided to sell the C2 and my 70RSR (really amazing 2.8ltr, twin-plug recreation of the 73 RSR) and buy a GT3. Thing is, I found the GT3 first, bought it, love it, been tracking it, etc. It's the only car I've ever been in that gives me the same sense of occasion or drama as the air-cooled RSR every single time I fire it up. So I finally did sell on the 70RSR... But truth is, I really like the C2! I'm going down a retro-theme on the C2 and enjoying turning it into a fun, daily driver, while saving the GT3 for special occasions (although I drive it every chance I get). Enjoyed your take, very much like my own. Cheers!
Sounds like you've been on a brilliant journey and had the enjoyment of some lovely, lovely cars!
Nice stable fella, well apart from the Megane 😋
Excellent delivery as always, a very slick review 👍
Do you mind if I ask who you use for insurance on the cars? I’d like to do some mods to my 996 C4S, but don’t want to get stung....
These are just on an admiral multi-car policy. Modifications declared and cost noting more than an admin fee 👍
@@TheThrottleCable thanks Rob, appreciate that. 👍
Well clearly you’ve never driven a Megane. Yes the 911 is awesome (I have a 996.2 C2 manual), but the Megane RS is a fabulous drivers car too. I had a 265RS, and loved it. Build quality ordinary, and depreciation...well, best not talked about. But to drive, sublime.
@@Audidude I’ll take your word for that fella, no offence meant to Meganes 🤭
How do you find the C2? Have you entered into any mods of your own?
@@davebentley3542 absolutely love it. Such a connected analogue drive, currently on a 450km road trip visiting family. Chose it because I didn't want turbo (NA engines rule for response and sound - also have a Z4 M Coupe 😊) or AWD. I'm firmly in the "keep it factory" camp with my cars (also have 20V ur quattro and JDM DC2 Type R), but I have fitted blue H&R lowering springs with B8 Sport Bilsteins and 17mm spacers all around. Transforms handling and look of the car.
I loved them both enjoy them man
Thank you! I'll do me best :)
Keep them both man.
What's the color code for that bronze color on the GT3 wheels?
Porsche Satin Aurum - www.lepsons.com/ took care of this for me
@@TheThrottleCable thank you! It looks great. I may steal your idea haha :)
Have you looked at CAE shifters for the 996?
I have; they are a lovely bit of kit! I’m happy with the shift as it is right now so, brakes, sway bars and a diff are most likely ahead of shifting upgrades 👍
Great video! And you now need to sell me your GT3!
Just write that cheque 😉
@@TheThrottleCable I've sent you an email :)
@@andrewwebster9619 dropped you some details
24k miles in 16yrs........Why do most of these great drivers cars never get driven and just become expensive ornaments in a garage?
Easy she's only just 14! But seriously, and generally speaking, most GT owners have multiple cars - very rarely does someone have a sports car like a GT3 as their sole daily driver. Owners tend to use those various cars for different purposes. Therefore usage is spread across a fleet and generally a lot, lot lower than a sole daily driver.
私は996のデザインが好きですね。
997はデザインする上で苦労してないと思う。996のデザインは凄く考えられていてエレガントでもあり私は好きですね。
同意します。 時代を感じさせない素晴らしいデザインです
Its so obvious by the camera bouncing what that gt3 rides like compared to 996.
The GT3 is pretty stiff; you could happily argue the 996 Carrera setup is better for British roads!
AND what is the mobile phone holder you are using please?
That's a question I wasn't expecting - just checked it's a Pama BRKGRIPV2
996 GT3 mark 1 is the GT3 to buy
Not a fan of 997
Everyone has a favourite! You should watch the Andreas Preuninger video with Chris Harris; it might even open your mind to the 996.2 👌
ua-cam.com/video/wJLmc_M-0ng/v-deo.html
Nope. 997 is the pinnacle - sorry