My thoughts/review of the GT350

[gravedgr]

Decided to go with the track pack wing in the end. I've noticed the OEM R wing has fallen in price dramatically in the past few weeks, so maybe soon it will become a little more reasonable.

Almost 2k miles on the car now, and still very happy with it. Think I may pick up something else as well though soon, especially since I just sold my 911R allocation.

I was just looking at the web special on the 911R. That is exactly what I want out of car (and especially a 911), but that kind of exclusivity is out of my price range of willing to spend on a "fun, play car". :(

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[DaveH]

I was just looking at the web special on the 911R. That is exactly what I want out of car (and especially a 911), but that kind of exclusivity is out of my price range of willing to spend on a "fun, play car". :(

In all honesty, the 911R is not worth anywhere near what people are paying. It's going to be an excellent car, and yes part of me wishes I kept my slot, but I can almost buy a regular RS or a GT3 and some change with the money I made from the allocation.

I was happy to pay sticker, but I'd certainly not be one of the people like who offered me such ridiculous sums.

 

[Bossing]

In all honesty, the 911R is not worth anywhere near what people are paying. It's going to be an excellent car, and yes part of me wishes I kept my slot, but I can almost buy a regular RS or a GT3 and some change with the money I made from the allocation.

I was happy to pay sticker, but I'd certainly not be one of the people like who offered me such ridiculous sums.

Totally agree with this... the latest R is hyped up due to the limited production status as well... hence a collector's item. There's alot of heritage Porschephiles out there who are very wealthy that would also like to pair their original classic R to a modern iteration.

But IMO a 991 GT3 or RS at sticker is really one of the best if not the best performance bang for the buck at that 130k to 200k price range. And btw Dave, if I can successfully secure a 991.2 GT3 at sticker then I'll likely take that anyway over the LP580-2 or the 570S. It may not be as exotic-looking as the Lambo or the McLaren but the performance metrics will still be topshelf and may even be arguably better for a track junkie.

 

[gravedgr]

In all honesty, the 911R is not worth anywhere near what people are paying. It's going to be an excellent car, and yes part of me wishes I kept my slot, but I can almost buy a regular RS or a GT3 and some change with the money I made from the allocation.

I was happy to pay sticker, but I'd certainly not be one of the people like who offered me such ridiculous sums.

Yup. For sticker, it is an instant classic. For double, its a suckers bet for someone with more money than patience.

 

[Trackaholic]

I drove the GT3, Huracan, and 488 at Exotics Racing in Vegas. They were all great cars, and had very different personalities. The 911 was the fastest on the track for me, and had the most grip on turn-in and under power. I do think it would be the better track car when compared to the Lambo (although don't know about the McLaren). However, the interior of the GT3 felt like any other Porsche. That is probably both good and bad, but overall it didn't feel that special unless you were really pushing it IMO. It had the feeling of being extremely good at being a track car, but in a serious and efficient way.

The Lambo was more of a crazy party experience right from the start. The interior really felt special, and the driving, while not as grippy as the GT3, was very well balanced and easy to handle. The engine sounds great as well. It gave the feeling of just being created for fun, consequences be damned. Yet it was still extremely capable and easy to drive fast.

The Ferrari splt the difference in a way. It felt more special than the GT3, with an insanely loud exhaust and a pretty neat interior. However it also felt very serious in a way, while the Lambo felt playful.

In the end I preferred the GT3 for track duty, and the Lambo for the street, due to its personality.

Not sure if attributing these emotional aspects makes sense, but they definitely felt like they had different personalities to me, which was a big part in choosing my favorite. If I was buying my own it would be the GT3 all the way, since it is much less expensive. Although a Viper might be my overall pick, since it has a bit of crazy about it.

-T

 

[Bossing]

I drove the GT3, Huracan, and 488 at Exotics Racing in Vegas. They were all great cars, and had very different personalities. The 911 was the fastest on the track for me, and had the most grip on turn-in and under power. I do think it would be the better track car when compared to the Lambo (although don't know about the McLaren). However, the interior of the GT3 felt like any other Porsche. That is probably both good and bad, but overall it didn't feel that special unless you were really pushing it IMO. It had the feeling of being extremely good at being a track car, but in a serious and efficient way.

The Lambo was more of a crazy party experience right from the start. The interior really felt special, and the driving, while not as grippy as the GT3, was very well balanced and easy to handle. The engine sounds great as well. It gave the feeling of just being created for fun, consequences be damned. Yet it was still extremely capable and easy to drive fast.

The Ferrari splt the difference in a way. It felt more special than the GT3, with an insanely loud exhaust and a pretty neat interior. However it also felt very serious in a way, while the Lambo felt playful.

In the end I preferred the GT3 for track duty, and the Lambo for the street, due to its personality.

Not sure if attributing these emotional aspects makes sense, but they definitely felt like they had different personalities to me, which was a big part in choosing my favorite. If I was buying my own it would be the GT3 all the way, since it is much less expensive. Although a Viper might be my overall pick, since it has a bit of crazy about it.

-T

That's a great experience, pretty cool I must say!

I agree, T.... to me if I would shoot for an entry level exotic it would be between the Huracan 580-2 vs. the McLaren 570S. And if my senses say "no way dude don't spend 200K+"... then my next pair would be between a GT3 vs. an ACR. Out of those 4 I narrowed down to, I already have a build configured/spec'd for each... fingers getting twitchy.

 

[FastCarFanBoy]

Ha a Coke can is every week. The worst I have seen is a 15 cm cucumber stuck in a guys large intestine after some ass play gone wrong. You woudnt believe what people do behind shut doors. There are some sick puppies out there.

15cm? that guy was an amateur. :lol:

 

[VoodooV8]

In all honesty, the 911R is not worth anywhere near what people are paying. It's going to be an excellent car, and yes part of me wishes I kept my slot, but I can almost buy a regular RS or a GT3 and some change with the money I made from the allocation.

I was happy to pay sticker, but I'd certainly not be one of the people like who offered me such ridiculous sums.

How did you sell the allocation?

Last I heard, you can't sell the allocation unless you're a dealership?
Unless you're a broker of course!

 

[DaveH]

I was first on the list, as my dealer owed me a big favor following a screw up on my RS order. Second in line made an offer to my dealer and I which we were able to move forward on.

 

[baege]

wonder if I might plug into your vast experience and obvious knowledge about performance vehicles in my perennial pursuit of my next automotive high

My recent past has included a 2007 Z4 Coupe 3.0Si, a 2014 Cayman S and a 2015 Corvette ZF1. My current ride is a 2016 Cayman S.

What I've discovered recently is that I am moving away from enjoying the sports car experience (revving a car into the upper ranges, taking turns and ramps at high speed, basically driving a car hard) into more of a focus on a cruising experience. So I think I am leaning towards making more of a switch to a grand tourer type of car.

I do want a particular type of grand tourer, i.e. one with a manual transmission, good low end torque from 1500 rpm onwards, NON-turbo, compactish in size with good outward visibility and one that still offers me a little passion for the car

I have narrowed it down to a choice between, a GT350, a non-z51 C7 with mag ride, an ftype coupe manual or a 2009 and up vantage. I recently drove a 2016 S5, but it just didn't feel all that special to me and didn't actually seem to offer much grunt in the lower rev ranges...

I note you have had 3 of the cars above

What are your thoughts on which of them might best suit my search for a great GT car with my crazy parameters? Or is there another car that comes to mind for you that you might suggest?

 

[Trackaholic]

Between the GT350 and C7, the low-end torque advantage is strongly in favor of the C7. The GT350 is decently strong, but has a very obvious increase in torque @ 3500 RPM. For best results, you'd want to be above that value. I can comfortably shift my GT350 @ 2000 RPM, and drive comfortably in every gear @ 1500 RPM, except for 6th. 6th struggles a bit IMO, until you are going 70 MPH. I can maintain speed on a flat road at 45 MPH, but even a slight hill or desire for acceleration benefits from a downshift.

Of course the C7 is more luxurious as well, and features the targa top, which could be very nice for a GT on those sunny days.

The GT350 is still an excellent GT though, and I was surprised at how comfortable the Recaro seats were and how easily I could drive 400+ miles a day without becoming fatigued. The engine sounds better than the C7 IMO, and if you find a good price on the GT350 then it is likely less expensive as well.

If you like torque from 1500 RPM up, I think the LT1 will suit you better than the Voodoo. The question is whether the rest of the C7 suits you as well as the engine. IMO what makes the GT350 so special is the engine, so if the high revving aspect isn't what you are after, then the Vette may be a better choice, since you are no longer using what makes the GT350 so interesting.

I can't speak to the other cars, but would love to hear from someone who has.

-T

 

[Spectre]

Add another MD to this thread, but I'm nowhere near as baller as some of you lot, sadly,

wonder if I might plug into your vast experience and obvious knowledge about performance vehicles in my perennial pursuit of my next automotive high

My recent past has included a 2007 Z4 Coupe 3.0Si, a 2014 Cayman S and a 2015 Corvette ZF1. My current ride is a 2016 Cayman S.

What I've discovered recently is that I am moving away from enjoying the sports car experience (revving a car into the upper ranges, taking turns and ramps at high speed, basically driving a car hard) into more of a focus on a cruising experience. So I think I am leaning towards making more of a switch to a grand tourer type of car.

I do want a particular type of grand tourer, i.e. one with a manual transmission, good low end torque from 1500 rpm onwards, NON-turbo, compactish in size with good outward visibility and one that still offers me a little passion for the car

I have narrowed it down to a choice between, a GT350, a non-z51 C7 with mag ride, an ftype coupe manual or a 2009 and up vantage. I recently drove a 2016 S5, but it just didn't feel all that special to me and didn't actually seem to offer much grunt in the lower rev ranges...

I note you have had 3 of the cars above

What are your thoughts on which of them might best suit my search for a great GT car with my crazy parameters? Or is there another car that comes to mind for you that you might suggest?

I recognize you from Planet 9. Are you looking to switch cars again, or is this to be a new addition next to your awesome 981?

 

[baege]

Between the GT350 and C7, the low-end torque advantage is strongly in favor of the C7. The GT350 is decently strong, but has a very obvious increase in torque @ 3500 RPM. For best results, you'd want to be above that value. I can comfortably shift my GT350 @ 2000 RPM, and drive comfortably in every gear @ 1500 RPM, except for 6th. 6th struggles a bit IMO, until you are going 70 MPH. I can maintain speed on a flat road at 45 MPH, but even a slight hill or desire for acceleration benefits from a downshift.

Of course the C7 is more luxurious as well, and features the targa top, which could be very nice for a GT on those sunny days.

The GT350 is still an excellent GT though, and I was surprised at how comfortable the Recaro seats were and how easily I could drive 400+ miles a day without becoming fatigued. The engine sounds better than the C7 IMO, and if you find a good price on the GT350 then it is likely less expensive as well.

If you like torque from 1500 RPM up, I think the LT1 will suit you better than the Voodoo. The question is whether the rest of the C7 suits you as well as the engine. IMO what makes the GT350 so special is the engine, so if the high revving aspect isn't what you are after, then the Vette may be a better choice, since you are no longer using what makes the GT350 so interesting.

I can't speak to the other cars, but would love to hear from someone who has.

-T

Thanks for the insights, looks like the 350GT isn't probably the best choice for my new sedate driving style. More of a bruiser than a cruiser like a non-z51 c7.

 

[baege]

Add another MD to this thread, but I'm nowhere near as baller as some of you lot, sadly,


I recognize you from Planet 9. Are you looking to switch cars again, or is this to be a new addition next to your awesome 981?

and what are you doing hanging out here ?

I am looking to switch cars again...maybe even back to a C7...I am sick I tell ya sick :doh:

 

[xt6wagon]

Thanks for the insights, looks like the 350GT isn't probably the best choice for my new sedate driving style. More of a bruiser than a cruiser like a non-z51 c7.

Don't listen to the people whining about the torque on the GT350. It has more torque than the 6.2L V8 in the F250 at a lower rpm.

However it does have the torque gimped below 3,000 rpm for emissions, mpg, and ease of driving daily. But its still as good as any other mustang. In normal traffic most things will be hard pressed to do better thanks to traction, so if you want something with a good torque feeling AWD (and auto trans) is the way to go.

When you are really on it, 4K rpm is your new "low rpm", natural shifts at near redline will drop you down to the 6K range, so there is never a reason to be any where near the really low rpm band.


Maybe look at a used Panamera Turbo if you want something sporty yet "GT". Its a bit big and fat compared to a C7, but it wipes the floor with the big Audis in handling while still having the AWD and big power acceleration.

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