Have been toying the idea of selling the F and buying a Porsche GT3 (either 2014-2016 PDK GT3 with the 10 year transferable engine warranty, or a 2018 manual GT3).

Has anyone had any good/bad experiences with Porsches? I have never owned or driven one, but most people it seems really love their Porsche regardless of the nuances that may spring up.

I have my F pretty much setup as good as I can get it without hacking into it for a supercharger. All the work I have done myself (mechanic by trade):

1. Valley plate has been sealed with 1282b
2. PPE headers
3. JoeZ full exhaust, with revised JoeZ pass through tips
4. RRRacing ECU relfash
5. 2015 RCF LSD carrier/differential with upgraded FIGS ear and carrier bushings
6. Upgraded Koyo aluminum radiator
7. Upgraded RRRacing transmission cooler
8. Upgraded EPS module (53042 version)
9. 2012-14 ISF BBS Rims with MP4S
10. F-Sport Rear sway bar
11. 2014 front and rear shocks, springs, mounts
12. Figs Lower Control Arm Rear Bushings
13. Project Mu NS400 pads all around
14. Replaced water pump and thermostat, serpentine belt and tensioner, spark plugs at 90k, navigation touch screen panel, rear bumper pressure flaps
15. Mobil 1 5w-30 with BG MOA every 5k miles, coolant flushed twice, brake lines flushed multiple times... (car has about 106k miles on it, gets about 30mpg on highway when I baby it).

Would it be silly to sell this car/part out to eventually buy a GT3? Or should I just drive the F into the ground and forget about the stress of owning and driving a Porsche GT3.

I know most on here that have owned an ISF have jumped to RCFs, GSFs, Camaros, Corvettes, GTRs, Vipers, new Mustangs, Teslas, etc...has anyone made the jump to a GT3? I know Lobuxracer is planning on moving to McLaren, but that is too exotic/$$$ for me.

I know the 991.1 2014-2016 GT3 suffered from engine problems regarding the "finger follower" metallurgy problems, but Porsche has those engines covered for 10 years/120k miles until 2024/26.
I could wait a bit longer (save money) and buy a 991.2 that has more power and a manual gearbox, but no engine warranty.

Bottom line, I would like to hear of anyone's experience with Porsche...specifically GT3 if possible. Slap me around and bring me to my senses!

 

Apples to oranges comparison here, but at least it's P car-related. I test drove a 997 C4S with the 1st gen PDK. The gearbox was awful, however the car handled and sounded beautifully. I didn't like the interior, but who cares. I can only imagine how much nicer the 991/991.2 GT3 trim would be, plus add in a manual and it's pure heaven.

What ultimately deterred me from looking at a Porsche in general was the value proposition. It was exactly how I expected it to be and didn't impress me enough. That's not enough when I consider having to sell the F and dump in a lot of extra cash. Even Porsches depreciate, despite the cult following. I decided against it. Looking at moving to an LC500 instead, which put a much bigger smile on my face.

Not what you asked for, sorry. Good luck with the search!

 

We have a 2014 911 turbo s. It's a great car. Very fast from the factory and even faster with the mods that we've done to it. We bought it used and would never think to buy one new since we don't think the car's 200k msrp price is worth it. Used it's a different story altogether. If you do all your work like we do, you might not like to work on the Porsche. For most things engine related you'll have to remove the rear wing and back bumper. Most things are also very tight to get to more so than the isf.

As far as driving dynamics go, it's great. The car feels super light and planted with very precise steering. You can also mash the pedal at anytime and the car just hooks unlike the isf. The isf ends up sideways if I do the same. The lightness comes at a price though. It doesn't feel as solid as the isf in some respects but that's to be expected.

The reason we would never buy one new is because, since we do all our work, we find things that could've been engineered better or with better materials. Also the interior although made out of quality materials, doesn't match the 200k price tag. Most cars at this price range suffer from things like this though. If you buy a well maintained used one, I think they're definitely worth it.

 

I went the other way. Owned the last of the air cooled 996 twin turbo, and put a ton of miles on it. One of the few owners that was able to drive it in the upper limits due to where I live. Hit top speed on the open roads more than once.... maintenance wise it gave me no trouble for 50,000 miles. As for the driving experience I prefer the ISF. I am not a professional or even trained driver and I could never get a a good handle on the 911 as for the ISF its a completely different beast. The only analogy I can think of is the ISF feels like a baseball glove I wore in and the and the 911 felt like a new glove. I have far more confidence driving the ISF than the 911. The part I HATED about the 911 was the attention. It drew crowds everywhere and plenty of unsolicited attention, the ISF doesn't do that. As for me, if money were no object, its the ISF. There is something magical about the size, power, handling, that is rarely put together so well in a Car.

 

This is not the question your asked, but personally I’d rather keep a paid off car that is fun and reliable versus going into debt on anything. ISFs aren’t as fast as some of the newer cars. But they are reliable and many are now paid off. But I also don’t like payments and prefer a stacked bank account versus a new car. Especially when you will probably have just as much fun in either car. Just my thoughts.

 

GT3

 

My 1st Porsche was from the 70's (914), and now, 40 years later, they are still exciting...however, while I can drive my IS350 F Sport cross country w/o and issue, the Porsche, not so much. Great city car, fantastic for winding roads, but a distance trip can be jarring, cramped and exhausting. A 3 hour trip on the Porsche can feel like a 6-8 hour trip on one of our cars.

 

There was a member on here, or on another board that I frequent, but he has a 997 GT3 and an IS-F.

Says he would never sell the IS-F because it is such a fun/special all around car for what it is, but that his Porsche GT3 blows it out of the water.

To me, they compliment each other and I couldn't see one replacing the other.

 

Dood. Looking at your mods. You def prefer the driving experience and all I can say is, if a 991 Carrera S I drove with PDK was better than an F, I can only imagine the GT3 with 500 horses. Do it, don't regret it man, if you (or I) have the cash. You already have peace of mind with that 6+ yrs warranty. That seating position, + magical pdk + 7800 rpm = heaven.

 

Is the seating position lower, and therefore better?

 

You should consider an S2000 if you're looking for an awesome driving experience!!

 

Porsche is probably the only german car i'd buy but i'm in the same boat as you. My next move would be a 991.2 GT3 manual (better motorsport engine, the new 4.0 is a beast (455-465whp stock) and way better than the old one 991.1 RS 4.0). It would be a weekend car for me though. ISF is a good practical daily and its not worth selling for ~30k ish to dump into the GT3 (GT3 is way more expensive 130k+). But like everyone said its apples to oranges. GT3 is razor sharp, light and a purist for driving pleasure and ISF is a reliable luxury sport sedan. I'm just waiting for the right time financially to buy without having to get rid of anything i have.

 

Yes it is, the lowest setting on the ISF doesn't compare to the lowest setting a 991 911 (haven't driven a GT3)

Naah, ridden in a few, the torque less-ness really puts me off, I think the closest car for me in comparison has been the 370z Nismo.

 

Yesterday, I ran into a nice guy with (amazingly) gorgeous white GT3 - we chatted while at the stoplight. He is a former ISF owner - and went out of his way to say what a special car the F is..and that he actually missed it.

There is really no comparison between the GT3 and the F - both are great cars at what they are trying to achieve. But they are in very different leagues..

I think the moral of my story is get the GT3 - and keep the F!

 

Appreciate everyones responses so far!

I do love the F for what it is. It does everything pretty well. I am really happy with it.

Its not that i want to get rid of it, my wife said 4 cars is just too many for just us two. So the F would have to be the one that gets replaced.

I recently got the passenger airbag replaced under warranty, and I went to the Porsche dealership here in North County afterward, but they did not have any 991's in stock. So maybe I begin my search across the nation...time for an epic cross country ride in a GT3?