CarVertical: The History Checking Service Use this link or code "JAYEMM" for a discount! www.carvertical.com/gb/landing/v3?b=1e4c9523&a=JayEmm&voucher=jayemm&chan=jayemm
The more time goes on, the more I'm convinced that cars from the 90's and 2000's were the peak we won't ever beat. Every new release these days is more powerful, heavy and numb than the previous one, basically going towards being completely impossible to push on normal roads
100% I think I own the last great coupe, an OG M2, it's still a bit heavy and has a fair amount of power, but I can still enjoy it's full potential on a public road without losing my licence.
Also wider, with worse sight lines. Some of these new cars feel like they are made for the track: They sometimes don't even fit in a lane on a narrow road.
@@DjNikGnashers I really love the og M2 but it's too powerful to keep my license. For the same money, you can find a z4m roadster (both clean manual versions) who gives you higher revs, a drop-down roof, the character of an NA engine with a good bit less power that you have to fight for. The only real loss is the backseat (and weather resistance) that is a big advantage for the M2. Tldr: the M2 is probably indeed one of the last great coupes, it's simply a car of it's time with the sacrifices that implies
Brilliant cars. I owned a 996.1 GT3 Club Sport (in Speed Yellow) for 12 years and has been by far the best car I've owned. I found it a little under powered in stock form so had the Manthey K400 upgrade (re-map, exhaust cup air filter) giving around 400 horsepower and upgraded brakes from the 996.2 GT3. I took it to well known Porsche specialist, Parr Garage who did the suspension set up and was just brilliant fun on track. I prefer the 996 GT3 to the 997 and my dream GT3 is a 996 version (either Gen1, 2 or RS) with the 4 litre engine from the 997.2RS.
Brilliant. I drive a 996.2 GT3 Clubsport. Wonderful car on Swiss mountain roads. I did a test drive and immediately bought the car. Like your friend no plans to sell it. Nowadays I even like the design which I didn‘t when the car was new. But it aged really well
In time I think it will come more and more into its own design wise, as it’s the different 911 especially when everything on the road is a round electric SUV in 10 years
I remembered going to a dealer in 2002. They were almost trying to give their GT3 away. They let me drive it and I was blown away. I had already driven an older Turbo Porsche but this N/A engine was way more fun. 7500 RPM is music to the ears and an 😊adrenaline rush. Jay, thank you for sharing your experience with this wonderful car. 😊😮😊
The fact is, 360bhp is still a LOT. Sure plenty of 'normal' cars churn out that kind of number, but they're all quick cars. And with the 996 being a lightweight compared to modern cars, it will definitely go in the 'bloody quick' category. It's more than enough power to have a lot of fun with and get into a lot of trouble. I have a big soft spot for the 996, it was the current 911 when I really got into cars and I've always like the looks, especially the GT3 and Turbo.
6:38 The US never got the the road going 996.1 at all. There were a handful of track-only GT3 cars campaigned in Grand Am and American Le Mans in the US, but until they hit 25 years and start getting imported, you won’t see any on the street. The closest we got were Carreras with the factory Aerokit and Sport Design wheels. The 996.1 GT3 is definitely one of the best looking water-cooled 911
We are a fifteen year limit in Canada. They’re ‘99 GT3s that can be imported now, you’d find a bunch in Canada, and of course 2000, 2001 years coming up. That’ll put upward pressure on the Canadian market. For those who want one start soon. This is one of the rarest special Porsches out there. For my money (literally) the .1, the OG GT3, is the best looking 996.
15:21, the best description I’ve heard of how a great sports car should feel, similar to how the best bicycle saddle should feel (you just forget it’s there). Fantastic video 👍
This will always be, to me, the prettiest and best looking (and my favourite) GT3 generation of all. The 996 is already a pretty car imo but the mk1 GT3 specifically, with that subtle bodykit, that gorgeous sculpted rear wing and the multipiece wheels, just looks stunning! Please James, do buy one while they're still (somewhat) affordable! But remember that once you do, please never sell it!
This is _SUCH_ a forbidden fruit. Thank you for letting me live vicariously 😉. We didn't just "not get that option", we did not get the 996.1 GT3. Never seen that wing in person. But yes, i think all the 996.2's had the cage. Wait, it's 25 now? Hmmm, how much is shipping across the Atlantic? A clean 996.2 goes for north of $100k 🤔
I've restored over 50 early 911 bodies so have driven a fair number of cars. I can honestly say that my favourite, by far, was a 996 GT3. Abosutely epic in every way, and chalk n cheese compared to my (then) normal 3.4 manual 996 C2. That said, my C2 was 1/4 of the value to be fair!
993 GT 2 was just recently sold on Sotherbys at 2.4 million dollars. This is valued like 10-15 times less. It's insane. This must be the best bang for the buck special Porsche you can buy.
Wow ! I remember the day like it was yesterday ! I got to drive a gorgeous 996 Clubsport in red to Doncaster from Sleaford AW Accident Repair, to the other repair garage, before they closed at 5.30pm. Under strict instruction from the owner, I had to get there without fail before closing time. The instructions from the owner were, "drive it how it should be driven". I left just after 4pm, and got there at 4.55pm. Awesome fun, and scared silly too. I hope that lovely chap subscribes to your channel and reads this comment. It was a definite bucket list tick for me 😊 If I knew your email address James, I'd send you the pictures. Loving your channel too BTW. I wonder. Could you find a very rare Cortina XR8 or Cortina Piranha here in the UK to have a go in ? Cheers duck 👍
Funny, I think they’re good, but as many “special” porches are, I think they’re totally overrated and overpriced. I say this as an ex owner of a 996.2 gt3, so fairly similar to this one.
It's refreshing just how simple and unadorned the 996.1 GT3 is. Compare that to the 992.1 GT3 with all of its bells and whistles, 996 looked positively dainty and demure. I don't even mind the fried-egg headlights as much as I was back 10 years ago, though the 996.2 is a better-looking car in my book. My favourite is still the 991.2 GT3 (arguably the best-looking 911 generation full stop) but I would not kick the 996 out of bed. Not when there's that Mezger six at the back.
James, very good presentation, on an amazing motor vehicle. I remember sitting in one at a dealership thinking this thing would be amazing to steer. I bought a 997 GT3 many years later. What a car. All GT 911’s are amazing to me. A very special line of car whose ancestor was I believe 2.7RS of the time.
Peter was the previous owner of my 964 and ported the reg plate over to his GT3. I recognised it instantly! Interesting that we both kept our respective new Porsche’s as long term owners 😊
Excellent review of this car. I sold them in period in Sydney and you nailed the spec. Only point worth adding is that the rubber suspension bushes were replaced with brass ones. That alone transformed the feel of the car through the wheel. Gone was the rubbery slight disconnect from the unsprung components featured in the stock 996, it talked to you. The price premium over a std 996 was 10%. I rang half a dozen of my best clients when the rumour was confirmed and showed them a photocopy of the spec. All of them ordered one. A week later they were sold out. Those customers never stopped thanking me.
Great video 👍 I own a mk1 GT3 Clubsport, 106 mk1 GT3s were UK c16 imported cars of which 28 were Clubsport spec, these 28 had a single mass flywheel, two battery cut off switches, deletion of side airbags, factory fitted half rear roll cage in black with provision for the front section, Nomex fire retardant seats. Some had a plastic dash top and no onboard computer as mine came. l love the older Porsches but personally this model is where it stops along with the purity and analog driving pleasure later models lost, just my opinion 😊
I picked up the cheapest (to my knowledge) 996.2 GT3 back in March... best car I've ever driven and I was never previously a Porsche fan, always an old school Ferrari fan. If it wasn't priced so well, I wouldn't have considered it as all the other example are much too expensive for me. I was hoping I'd get there and not like it but I went to have a look, jumped in and within 0.2 secs of moving the steering wheel and it having THAT feel... SOLD. A truely epic car I can't to put thousands more miles on.
Hold on to that puppy not too expensive to maintain, depreciation is not an issue and its smiles per miles galore 😂! I have a ‘99 in Ocean Jade Metallic. Stupendous vehicle! What colour is yours? What year?
I've wanted a Porsche for years. This one would be perfect. You are clearly loving this car and really enjoyed you enjoying her. Thanks for sharing it to the owner. Love your channel Jayemm, God bless you.
One of my favorite cars as a teenager. A guy who owned an exotic car shop near me had one. Supposedly he crashed it at the track and then tried to fake an accident to collect insurance. It sat broken for years in front of his shop. 😢
One of the best reappraisals of the GT3Mk1. I am lucky enough to own the Biarritz White Mk1 Clubsport and it is simply the best analogue car ever. Perfect for fast road and track. As you say.. narrow body, enough power to go fast and the car does actually shrink round you ( invisible). Tyres should be 285s on the rear on 10” rims tho. ( it can also take 295s For a pure driving experience and “ that wing”… it’s hard to beat. Thank you.
I have the same .1 in Biarritz White, but Comfort, I have taken the liberty of swapping the Perlon CS seats into her. If Jay thought the car dissappeared in the regular seats, he might lose his mind with CS seats! Cheers!😅
All important points well-made! Especially on avoiding the garage queen. I describe to freinds the driving experience of 6.1 GT3 as "No Condom". Also when you floor it at 5500-7500 (or it goes a bit more), you get might as well be the best sound you could ever get in a car. I don't think JayEm revved that hard up that high on these roads, or the mic didn't fully capture the sound.
Canadian owner of a JDM Euro Spec 996.1 GT3 here. I love the fact that I love this car because every time I get in to drive it I am reminded of how fortunate I am to drive it. It gets a bit of attention, it has a hell of stance un-modified, people sense that it is something special, the noise of the motor is something even at idle. For the most part it goes unnoticed beyond the usual bit of attention a basic old white 911 gets. This car for me reminds me of the racing bicycles I used to ride in city streets you feel every little bit of the road’s nuances. When I realized that was my experience I suddenly understood how seriously sublime the ‘3 is. I drive it like it’s stolen Honda, it does everything I ask of it! Bumped the motor to 3.8 for an added 50-60 NA power. I have not received a ticket in it either, knock on wood.
As a fan of engine sounds, and in an age where cars are losing this essential part of their character - either through legislation or powertrain type - your videos are an absolutely essential part of my car enthusiasm. Your audio is so clear and so well captured, and along with the sheer variety of cars you feature, makes you my favourite CZcamsr by far. Just top, top work all round. Thanks James, I appreciate the work you put in.
Love this one man. I agree with the idea of newer more powerful and complete idiotic cars feel less enjoyable. To some degree anyway. I only have my C2, and I am running 305 rear and 235 fronts, and the grip is great. I need nothing more to enjoy this thing. I do want a 996 GT3 though. Using the modern power and grip is more difficult here stateside. A great vid as always.
One favourite GT3 snippet is that apparently the 996 GT3s will always be the closest to the actual race cars as 997 onwards the adaptive suspension on the road cars vs race cars means it’s not exactly 121
Great review Jay, these are definitely underappreciated cars at the moment. It would be interesting to see a comparison to the same car with the X51 package vs. the GT3. The X51 was a lighter car with the C2 chassis and a factory HP bump over the standard Carrera. Maybe someone out there has one for you to review!
I think it's fair to say the late 90s and early 00s were peak car! A time when manufacturers built stuff for the roads rather than the ridiculous BHP race and obsession with nurburgring times that we have now. With cars so quick that you can only ever drive them at 10% in the real world.
This car did the Nurburgring thing back in ‘99-it was the first passenger production car to break the 8 min mark. It’s on CZcams driven by non other than Walter Rorhl (sp?)!
Great review, they struggled to sell the early GT3 variants in some locations - because they were considered a bit uncomfortable/noisy/track focussed. Great cars but its still the RS variants that have that extra essence that makes them stand out.
Owned and drove most of the GT3 and I mostly tend to think that the 996.1 is meh, the engine is crap and never does 360hp, most are 320/330. Chassis from factory is not very different from base carrera and you mostly pay for a badge. On the contrario, a 996.2 the first Preuninger car is one of the greats, true 380hp and almost 400hp on some. Chassis revised to a whole new level, and almost similar than a 997GT3 meaning you can swap lot of parts and tuning evolution. I would avoid the 996.1 GT3 and go straight to a 996.2 if someone is in the market, driving pleasure will go a longer way than looks for those cars. Personally in the end i kept a 3.8RS but i could happily swap it with a 996.2 GT3 with a few mods as the driving pleasure is on par.
@@hadrienlf23 996.2 uses the same M96/76 engine as the 996.1 only with some minor tweaks. Also the base of the chassis of both cars is the same. Please less big talk.
@@seabass223 Please enlighten me, I am a former racing driver whom has driven few 996.1 and .2 gt3. The difference between the cars are abyssal from factory. Of course they are minor tweaks maybe 5% of the car but it contributes to a much much better car. And yes if you comment is going towards "you can do this and this a .1 to make it like a .2 it is a few tweaks away, sure everything is a few "minor" tweaks away but there is a real 60hp difference and a much better chassis plus the brakes which are a class above.
I partly agree and I have both. My yellow lhd 996.1 (first one in UK) was featured with me in Evo Magazine Targa Floria edition in 2000. I still think it's chassis is slightly more feel some on track. My 03 996.2 I'd agree has better engine gearbox and steering and overall drive on the road is better. Rgds
Hey Jay - next time you take a 996 out for a drive try shifting at higher RPM's. As you pointed out, the redline is at 7500 RPM, so if you want to get into the fun zone don't shift until you get past 6500 at the lowest. If the car is track ready, this won't suffer a but (it is a Porsche after all !).
In the U.S. we didn't get the 996.1 GT3, however Porsche did offer the top-spec non-turbo cars with the XAA aerokit option - AKA: complete factory GT3 body kit. My granddad ordered a 2001 (I think) Guard's Red Aerokit 911 w/ the GT3 Sport Design wheels for SCCA and Porsche Club track days - closest thing he could get to a 996.1 GT3 including the 030 sport suspension package. The moment 996.2 GT3 was announced in the U.S. he ordered a 2004 model in same spec of Guards Red. My uncle has it now - hoping to acquire that in the future because these are really quite different than any later iterations despite its clear interior downgrade and admittedly harsh suspension. In my opinion these are probably the only 911 GT3 that's actually undervalued - for exactly the reasons you describe JayEmm!
Privileged to have owned an Arctic Silver .1 GT3 for 2 years in Australia. Sold it with about 140,000kms on it, it was the 2nd highest mileage one in Australia. When I first owned it I didn't care much for the taco shell wing, when I sold it I was convinced that was just about the best bit of it :-) Loved it!!! Now regretting sale of course......
@@cctoronto Getting old ;-) Wife didn't like riding in it - says seats not designed for women with good child bearing hips, and I did find the ride was becoming too harsh for me on our country roads which I preferred to drive on rather than highways - couldn't exercise the car properly on the highways. Plus the post Covid 60% rise in value was attractive, so i ended up swapping to a 996.1 Carrera 2 which effectively owes me nothing. Still miss the raw power of the Mezger though :-)
@@peterhaworth5432 I have both, I can understand that logic… they certainly did go up over COVID I bought mine at the right time, first week of March 2020…
@@peterhaworth5432 Just curious, did you essentially drive it during your ownership for net nothing? I’ve long since gone into the red on mine, but I drive it like it’s a Honda Civic. I don’t think about its value at all. There isn’t a better car for dealing with flowing, medium traffic than a 911. Especially NB 996s and I would assume air cooled as well, they’re so damned small on the outside in traffic. Is your Carrera an Aerokit?
I remember when the GT3 first launched to such fanfare and I thought it was plain hideous. Now I would kill to have one, and although I already have one, I still want one from every other generation.
I bet the owners put a lot of time in to making their cars look good for you, but you can never resist driving through that muddy puddle in the layby every time!😂
Hi , I currently have a 991.2 GT3 CS Manual , Ive been thinking of changing it for an older model ( narrower ) 911 - what would you have in my position , thought I'd ask as you've pretty much driven everything :)
GT3 is the truest expression of what they should always be. each generation gets progressively bigger, Heavier and more Grand Tourish. becoming more like a modern 928
Honestly, as a native German speaker I absolutely hate the disrespect by on purpose misspelling a name. It was always regarded Americans but now in the recent years even British started saying Porsh…. It is PorschE, there’s a bloody E at the end.
CarVertical: The History Checking Service
Use this link or code "JAYEMM" for a discount!
www.carvertical.com/gb/landing/v3?b=1e4c9523&a=JayEmm&voucher=jayemm&chan=jayemm
Hey Jay, would it be a bad idea if we did a collab and I would film one of your episodes in VR ? BTW. great work as always.
The more time goes on, the more I'm convinced that cars from the 90's and 2000's were the peak we won't ever beat. Every new release these days is more powerful, heavy and numb than the previous one, basically going towards being completely impossible to push on normal roads
100%
I think I own the last great coupe, an OG M2, it's still a bit heavy and has a fair amount of power, but I can still enjoy it's full potential on a public road without losing my licence.
Also wider, with worse sight lines. Some of these new cars feel like they are made for the track: They sometimes don't even fit in a lane on a narrow road.
@@DjNikGnashers I really love the og M2 but it's too powerful to keep my license. For the same money, you can find a z4m roadster (both clean manual versions) who gives you higher revs, a drop-down roof, the character of an NA engine with a good bit less power that you have to fight for. The only real loss is the backseat (and weather resistance) that is a big advantage for the M2.
Tldr: the M2 is probably indeed one of the last great coupes, it's simply a car of it's time with the sacrifices that implies
All my cars are in that era. Don’t see the need to change!
new 992 actually is lighter than 996) and much much faster on any kind of road)
Brilliant cars. I owned a 996.1 GT3 Club Sport (in Speed Yellow) for 12 years and has been by far the best car I've owned. I found it a little under powered in stock form so had the Manthey K400 upgrade (re-map, exhaust cup air filter) giving around 400 horsepower and upgraded brakes from the 996.2 GT3. I took it to well known Porsche specialist, Parr Garage who did the suspension set up and was just brilliant fun on track. I prefer the 996 GT3 to the 997 and my dream GT3 is a 996 version (either Gen1, 2 or RS) with the 4 litre engine from the 997.2RS.
Hi Geoff ...I have your old car now and she's still going strong 👌👌
@@andyirwin70, Hi Andy, that's great to hear. I hope your continuing to have a lot of fun with that wonderful car.
@@geoffclarke3796
Why don’t you still have the one you had?
Damn... What a small world we live in
@@geoffclarke3796 🤤
Brilliant. I drive a 996.2 GT3 Clubsport. Wonderful car on Swiss mountain roads. I did a test drive and immediately bought the car. Like your friend no plans to sell it. Nowadays I even like the design which I didn‘t when the car was new. But it aged really well
In time I think it will come more and more into its own design wise, as it’s the different 911 especially when everything on the road is a round electric SUV in 10 years
996.2 owner here, just back from a 4K km euro trip. GT3’s are epic cars, no question!
I remembered going to a dealer in 2002.
They were almost trying to give their GT3 away. They let me drive it and I was blown away. I had already driven an older Turbo Porsche but this N/A engine was way more fun. 7500 RPM is music to the ears and an 😊adrenaline rush.
Jay, thank you for sharing your experience with this wonderful car. 😊😮😊
Speed Yellow 996.1 GT3 Manthey owner here....you describe the feeling of driving these cars perfectly 👏
Small club. I’m glad to be in it!
The fact is, 360bhp is still a LOT. Sure plenty of 'normal' cars churn out that kind of number, but they're all quick cars. And with the 996 being a lightweight compared to modern cars, it will definitely go in the 'bloody quick' category. It's more than enough power to have a lot of fun with and get into a lot of trouble.
I have a big soft spot for the 996, it was the current 911 when I really got into cars and I've always like the looks, especially the GT3 and Turbo.
Oh my James, the growl of that GT3 on full chat is absolutely awesome! Nice one!👍👏👏👏♥️
Yep, the boys really love an old-school growler.🤭
6:38 The US never got the the road going 996.1 at all. There were a handful of track-only GT3 cars campaigned in Grand Am and American Le Mans in the US, but until they hit 25 years and start getting imported, you won’t see any on the street.
The closest we got were Carreras with the factory Aerokit and Sport Design wheels. The 996.1 GT3 is definitely one of the best looking water-cooled 911
We are a fifteen year limit in Canada. They’re ‘99 GT3s that can be imported now, you’d find a bunch in Canada, and of course 2000, 2001 years coming up. That’ll put upward pressure on the Canadian market. For those who want one start soon. This is one of the rarest special Porsches out there.
For my money (literally) the .1, the OG GT3, is the best looking 996.
Big fan of these, the 996 has been the only obtainable 911 for me. Glad to see it getting some love. For now I have a 986 Boxster which is a riot too.
15:21, the best description I’ve heard of how a great sports car should feel, similar to how the best bicycle saddle should feel (you just forget it’s there). Fantastic video 👍
This will always be, to me, the prettiest and best looking (and my favourite) GT3 generation of all. The 996 is already a pretty car imo but the mk1 GT3 specifically, with that subtle bodykit, that gorgeous sculpted rear wing and the multipiece wheels, just looks stunning! Please James, do buy one while they're still (somewhat) affordable! But remember that once you do, please never sell it!
Pretty? 🤔
@@resnonverba137
Absolutely!
Great review. It has successfully persuaded me to go out and purchase a Porsche GT3
Matchbox car 😂
This is _SUCH_ a forbidden fruit.
Thank you for letting me live vicariously 😉.
We didn't just "not get that option", we did not get the 996.1 GT3. Never seen that wing in person. But yes, i think all the 996.2's had the cage.
Wait, it's 25 now? Hmmm, how much is shipping across the Atlantic? A clean 996.2 goes for north of $100k 🤔
I've restored over 50 early 911 bodies so have driven a fair number of cars. I can honestly say that my favourite, by far, was a 996 GT3. Abosutely epic in every way, and chalk n cheese compared to my (then) normal 3.4 manual 996 C2. That said, my C2 was 1/4 of the value to be fair!
131k !
Do my eyes deceive me ?
That’s a well used car 👍🏻
Naah, it's the clock: half-past one. 🤭
Probably on the original Mezger too.
I drive the stink out of mine, it never falters.
993 GT 2 was just recently sold on Sotherbys at 2.4 million dollars. This is valued like 10-15 times less. It's insane. This must be the best bang for the buck special Porsche you can buy.
The 996 GT3 mechanicals are every bit as interesting as a 993 GT2. They share the same gearbox for starters (996 one is slightly modified)
Wow ! I remember the day like it was yesterday ! I got to drive a gorgeous 996 Clubsport in red to Doncaster from Sleaford AW Accident Repair, to the other repair garage, before they closed at 5.30pm. Under strict instruction from the owner, I had to get there without fail before closing time. The instructions from the owner were, "drive it how it should be driven". I left just after 4pm, and got there at 4.55pm. Awesome fun, and scared silly too.
I hope that lovely chap subscribes to your channel and reads this comment. It was a definite bucket list tick for me 😊
If I knew your email address James, I'd send you the pictures.
Loving your channel too BTW. I wonder. Could you find a very rare Cortina XR8 or Cortina Piranha here in the UK to have a go in ? Cheers duck 👍
Great post. Glad to hear you had such a great moment! Good share!
These are still massively undervalued.
Good.
Funny, I think they’re good, but as many “special” porches are, I think they’re totally overrated and overpriced. I say this as an ex owner of a 996.2 gt3, so fairly similar to this one.
That’s true. These are much more limited numbers and rare the. The newer ones. Another over looked car is the 996 Turbo S. Very few made. Cheers
YES
Amazing car, and beautiful, although I do love a fried egg so might be a bit biased.
That sound of the engine is like a raughty sorbet, the fried egg head lights and those smooth body lines. Classic Porsche.
Great to see the mileage on this car. As a 996 owner, this warms my heart
It's refreshing just how simple and unadorned the 996.1 GT3 is. Compare that to the 992.1 GT3 with all of its bells and whistles, 996 looked positively dainty and demure. I don't even mind the fried-egg headlights as much as I was back 10 years ago, though the 996.2 is a better-looking car in my book. My favourite is still the 991.2 GT3 (arguably the best-looking 911 generation full stop) but I would not kick the 996 out of bed. Not when there's that Mezger six at the back.
Best 911 generation honestly, glad I’m able to experience one!
Won more EVO COTYs than any other generation.
I can’t stand modern Porsche’s but I LOVE this era.
I’ve always wanted a 996 GT3. I’d take mine in comfort spec in dark blue.
James, very good presentation, on an amazing motor vehicle.
I remember sitting in one at a dealership thinking this thing would be amazing to steer. I bought a 997 GT3 many years later. What a car. All GT 911’s are amazing to me. A very special line of car whose ancestor was I believe 2.7RS of the time.
Peter was the previous owner of my 964 and ported the reg plate over to his GT3. I recognised it instantly! Interesting that we both kept our respective new Porsche’s as long term owners 😊
Porsches...
That Peter is me! So glad you enjoyed the 964 and have kept it for so long. Best air cooled Porsche I’ve owned
Excellent review of this car. I sold them in period in Sydney and you nailed the spec. Only point worth adding is that the rubber suspension bushes were replaced with brass ones. That alone transformed the feel of the car through the wheel. Gone was the rubbery slight disconnect from the unsprung components featured in the stock 996, it talked to you. The price premium over a std 996 was 10%. I rang half a dozen of my best clients when the rumour was confirmed and showed them a photocopy of the spec. All of them ordered one. A week later they were sold out. Those customers never stopped thanking me.
Great video 👍 I own a mk1 GT3 Clubsport, 106 mk1 GT3s were UK c16 imported cars of which 28 were Clubsport spec, these 28 had a single mass flywheel, two battery cut off switches, deletion of side airbags, factory fitted half rear roll cage in black with provision for the front section, Nomex fire retardant seats. Some had a plastic dash top and no onboard computer as mine came. l love the older Porsches but personally this model is where it stops along with the purity and analog driving pleasure later models lost, just my opinion 😊
Very definitely the loveliest spoiler I have ever seen.
Was never a fan of the 996 cars but the gt3 variant i have always liked from every angle ,it looks s organic and is not overly wide
Finally my favourite car of all time! Love this exact model and spec so much ❤
I picked up the cheapest (to my knowledge) 996.2 GT3 back in March... best car I've ever driven and I was never previously a Porsche fan, always an old school Ferrari fan. If it wasn't priced so well, I wouldn't have considered it as all the other example are much too expensive for me. I was hoping I'd get there and not like it but I went to have a look, jumped in and within 0.2 secs of moving the steering wheel and it having THAT feel... SOLD. A truely epic car I can't to put thousands more miles on.
I had a similar experience. I just turned right around after 30 seconds and wrote a cheque without blinking an eye. Porsches have changed me.
Amazing… I have a C2 manual 996:1 with Gt3 aero and M030 for three years. Still love the taco wing sculpture. Second best to this dream car….
Hold on to that puppy not too expensive to maintain, depreciation is not an issue and its smiles per miles galore 😂!
I have a ‘99 in Ocean Jade Metallic. Stupendous vehicle!
What colour is yours? What year?
I've wanted a Porsche for years. This one would be perfect.
You are clearly loving this car and really enjoyed you enjoying her.
Thanks for sharing it to the owner.
Love your channel Jayemm, God bless you.
it looks beautiful i dont care what anyone says
One of my favorite cars as a teenager. A guy who owned an exotic car shop near me had one. Supposedly he crashed it at the track and then tried to fake an accident to collect insurance. It sat broken for years in front of his shop. 😢
One of the best reappraisals of the GT3Mk1.
I am lucky enough to own the Biarritz White Mk1 Clubsport and it is simply the best analogue car ever. Perfect for fast road and track. As you say.. narrow body, enough power to go fast and the car does actually shrink round you ( invisible).
Tyres should be 285s on the rear on 10” rims tho. ( it can also take 295s
For a pure driving experience and “ that wing”… it’s hard to beat. Thank you.
I have the same .1 in Biarritz White, but Comfort, I have taken the liberty of swapping the Perlon CS seats into her.
If Jay thought the car dissappeared in the regular seats, he might lose his mind with CS seats!
Cheers!😅
if you’re ever in Orlando, i would love you to review my manual F10 m5! it’s monte carlo blue and a north america exclusive
The acceleration sound is religiously brutal and sublime
All important points well-made! Especially on avoiding the garage queen. I describe to freinds the driving experience of 6.1 GT3 as "No Condom". Also when you floor it at 5500-7500 (or it goes a bit more), you get might as well be the best sound you could ever get in a car. I don't think JayEm revved that hard up that high on these roads, or the mic didn't fully capture the sound.
If you like sound ..Check out videos of the 6.1 Manthey K400 variant with the induction and exhaust mods.
Canadian owner of a JDM Euro Spec 996.1 GT3 here.
I love the fact that I love this car because every time I get in to drive it I am reminded of how fortunate I am to drive it. It gets a bit of attention, it has a hell of stance
un-modified, people sense that it is something special, the noise of the motor is something even at idle. For the most part it goes unnoticed beyond the usual bit of attention a basic old white 911 gets.
This car for me reminds me of the racing bicycles I used to ride in city streets you feel every little bit of the road’s nuances. When I realized that was my experience I suddenly understood how seriously sublime the ‘3 is.
I drive it like it’s stolen Honda, it does everything I ask of it!
Bumped the motor to 3.8 for an added 50-60 NA power.
I have not received a ticket in it either, knock on wood.
I'm really enjoying your leaning towards Porsche.
Love Jay Emm for the mix of cars keeping us all interested
My most trusted reviewer
As a fan of engine sounds, and in an age where cars are losing this essential part of their character - either through legislation or powertrain type - your videos are an absolutely essential part of my car enthusiasm. Your audio is so clear and so well captured, and along with the sheer variety of cars you feature, makes you my favourite CZcamsr by far.
Just top, top work all round. Thanks James, I appreciate the work you put in.
What you said about the car becoming invisible is spot on. How 'I' feel about my 675LT and MX5 which is why they will never leave me.
One note on the steering racks of modern cars. A lot of modern cars have such quick steering that it’s harder to feel the tire through the steering
That noise... 🎼🎶🎼🎵
The noise of a clattering old beetle. 🤢
Absolutely amazing cars
Dream car for me. Remember an article in Evo a yellow one touring Italy when they first came out.
Love this one man. I agree with the idea of newer more powerful and complete idiotic cars feel less enjoyable. To some degree anyway. I only have my C2, and I am running 305 rear and 235 fronts, and the grip is great. I need nothing more to enjoy this thing. I do want a 996 GT3 though. Using the modern power and grip is more difficult here stateside. A great vid as always.
One favourite GT3 snippet is that apparently the 996 GT3s will always be the closest to the actual race cars as 997 onwards the adaptive suspension on the road cars vs race cars means it’s not exactly 121
Specifically, the .2 RSes were the last direct connection to race cars
Shhhh!!! I’ve been hoping these .1s would stay somewhat affordable!
wonderful review
Another great video, reminds me why I love old porsches!
That exhaust note!!!
Great review Jay, these are definitely underappreciated cars at the moment. It would be interesting to see a comparison to the same car with the X51 package vs. the GT3. The X51 was a lighter car with the C2 chassis and a factory HP bump over the standard Carrera. Maybe someone out there has one for you to review!
Oh, I cannot wait to watch this - what a lovely motor vehicle!
I have a Speed Yellow Carrera 2 Aerokit for sale if of interest… its on eBay today 👍🏻
Fabulous review, I will let you drive the turbo next week! just go easy on my tyres!lol, fresh set again
I think it's fair to say the late 90s and early 00s were peak car! A time when manufacturers built stuff for the roads rather than the ridiculous BHP race and obsession with nurburgring times that we have now. With cars so quick that you can only ever drive them at 10% in the real world.
This car did the Nurburgring thing back in ‘99-it was the first passenger production car to break the 8 min mark. It’s on CZcams driven by non other than Walter Rorhl (sp?)!
I drove the white one they had @ Silverstone PEC...it was epic! 😄
Biarritz White!
When you’re not thinking anymore, it shows it’s a great car. Great video😊
Am I the only one wishing that James would miss that muddy puddle at the start of the intro?
I love your, very appropriate, shirt 😁👍👍👍
Excellent review, I own a 996GT3 RSC which to me is a better drive even than my 550 Maranello
Great review, they struggled to sell the early GT3 variants in some locations - because they were considered a bit uncomfortable/noisy/track focussed. Great cars but its still the RS variants that have that extra essence that makes them stand out.
Glorious sound
Owned and drove most of the GT3 and I mostly tend to think that the 996.1 is meh, the engine is crap and never does 360hp, most are 320/330. Chassis from factory is not very different from base carrera and you mostly pay for a badge. On the contrario, a 996.2 the first Preuninger car is one of the greats, true 380hp and almost 400hp on some. Chassis revised to a whole new level, and almost similar than a 997GT3 meaning you can swap lot of parts and tuning evolution. I would avoid the 996.1 GT3 and go straight to a 996.2 if someone is in the market, driving pleasure will go a longer way than looks for those cars.
Personally in the end i kept a 3.8RS but i could happily swap it with a 996.2 GT3 with a few mods as the driving pleasure is on par.
spot on 😂
@@hadrienlf23 996.2 uses the same M96/76 engine as the 996.1 only with some minor tweaks. Also the base of the chassis of both cars is the same. Please less big talk.
@@seabass223 Please enlighten me, I am a former racing driver whom has driven few 996.1 and .2 gt3. The difference between the cars are abyssal from factory.
Of course they are minor tweaks maybe 5% of the car but it contributes to a much much better car. And yes if you comment is going towards "you can do this and this a .1 to make it like a .2 it is a few tweaks away, sure everything is a few "minor" tweaks away but there is a real 60hp difference and a much better chassis plus the brakes which are a class above.
@@seabass223incorrect on the engine.
I partly agree and I have both.
My yellow lhd 996.1 (first one in UK) was featured with me in Evo Magazine Targa Floria edition in 2000. I still think it's chassis is slightly more feel some on track.
My 03 996.2 I'd agree has better engine gearbox and steering and overall drive on the road is better.
Rgds
Fun, quick, attractive, Mezger engine reliability & cheap (relative to exotica)…
If ljk setright had done you tube videos----😊 brilliant meausured and insightful 👏 .
Wow! There’s a name from long time back. I was a teen reading him, and I usually didn’t get it!
@@cctoronto no neither did I but the bits I could understand made certain cars ----the ac cobra in particular----sound rubbish 😅.
Hey Jay - next time you take a 996 out for a drive try shifting at higher RPM's. As you pointed out, the redline is at 7500 RPM, so if you want to get into the fun zone don't shift until you get past 6500 at the lowest. If the car is track ready, this won't suffer a but (it is a Porsche after all !).
thank you for this video!
997.1 Turbo will still the best fuel burning car from Germany when it´s an oldie ;)
Superb video and car
Yet another fantastic review. Thank you for that. ❤
We had a black 8k miler in stock it was great to drive. Problem is price was near a 991 GT3 - which id have over the 996.
The 992 gt3rs being overhyped to hell on tik tok - it all started here ❤️
Sounds glorious
In the U.S. we didn't get the 996.1 GT3, however Porsche did offer the top-spec non-turbo cars with the XAA aerokit option - AKA: complete factory GT3 body kit. My granddad ordered a 2001 (I think) Guard's Red Aerokit 911 w/ the GT3 Sport Design wheels for SCCA and Porsche Club track days - closest thing he could get to a 996.1 GT3 including the 030 sport suspension package. The moment 996.2 GT3 was announced in the U.S. he ordered a 2004 model in same spec of Guards Red.
My uncle has it now - hoping to acquire that in the future because these are really quite different than any later iterations despite its clear interior downgrade and admittedly harsh suspension. In my opinion these are probably the only 911 GT3 that's actually undervalued - for exactly the reasons you describe JayEmm!
Privileged to have owned an Arctic Silver .1 GT3 for 2 years in Australia. Sold it with about 140,000kms on it, it was the 2nd highest mileage one in Australia. When I first owned it I didn't care much for the taco shell wing, when I sold it I was convinced that was just about the best bit of it :-) Loved it!!! Now regretting sale of course......
Why’d you sell?
@@cctoronto Getting old ;-) Wife didn't like riding in it - says seats not designed for women with good child bearing hips, and I did find the ride was becoming too harsh for me on our country roads which I preferred to drive on rather than highways - couldn't exercise the car properly on the highways. Plus the post Covid 60% rise in value was attractive, so i ended up swapping to a 996.1 Carrera 2 which effectively owes me nothing. Still miss the raw power of the Mezger though :-)
@@peterhaworth5432
I have both, I can understand that logic… they certainly did go up over COVID I bought mine at the right time, first week of March 2020…
@@cctoronto Bought mine end of Jan 20, so similar timing 🙂
@@peterhaworth5432
Just curious, did you essentially drive it during your ownership for net nothing? I’ve long since gone into the red on mine, but I drive it like it’s a Honda Civic. I don’t think about its value at all.
There isn’t a better car for dealing with flowing, medium traffic than a 911. Especially NB 996s and I would assume air cooled as well, they’re so damned small on the outside in traffic.
Is your Carrera an Aerokit?
Love to see the 997.2 version. GT3 rs 4.0 would be my dream car.
It looks great but the sound is… *chefs kiss*
I remember when the GT3 first launched to such fanfare and I thought it was plain hideous.
Now I would kill to have one, and although I already have one, I still want one from every other generation.
I bet the owners put a lot of time in to making their cars look good for you, but you can never resist driving through that muddy puddle in the layby every time!😂
Excellent and Outstanding!!!
These go for well over $100k in the US…
Same in AUS 🇦🇺
Nah…
When are you going to review a 996.2 gt3?!
131k miles? In the words of Ali G 'restecp'!
Hi , I currently have a 991.2 GT3 CS Manual , Ive been thinking of changing it for an older model ( narrower ) 911 - what would you have in my position , thought I'd ask as you've pretty much driven everything :)
Go drive a few!
I do like these, and would choose the 996.2 over it.
Great job
Was this filmed in January? July? Idk, it's England.
GT3 is the truest expression of what they should always be. each generation gets progressively bigger, Heavier and more Grand Tourish. becoming more like a modern 928
The sound of this one reminds me of TVRs(?)
Saw a 996.2 GT3 cup in good condition for £50.000. A true bargain. Narrow, body 3 pedal manual perfect.
Honestly, as a native German speaker I absolutely hate the disrespect by on purpose misspelling a name.
It was always regarded Americans but now in the recent years even British started saying Porsh….
It is PorschE, there’s a bloody E at the end.
The wing on the first GT3 is a good example of Y2K design. It could only be more in period if it was made of sparkly see through plastic
How does it compare to the 997 gt3 as an experience to drive or how fun it is