Hi All,
Not an owner but gathering info on the ins and outs of SR3 ownership. Currently own/track a 992 911 GT3 which is amazing and arguably one of the best street cars our there for track duty considering the switch to an SR3. Wondering if anyone here has made the switch from a Porsche GT car to an SR3 ?
JJ
Hi Jason (@doublej), Welcome to the Registry. I don't have first had experience with the 911 GT3, but my good friend that I have done many track days with (and is a better driver than I am) had a GT3. The operating cost of his GT3 was considerably higher than what I experienced with my Radical. Some of this could be from him pushing his car closer to the limit than I did. Despite this, my lap times were faster. He went through very expensive rotors and tires very quickly compared to the Radical, and it seemed like he had to do an engine out service roughly once per year for various reasons. The Radicals are much easier on the brakes and tires and the largest maintenance cost is the engine overhauls every 40 hours.
Thanks Charles. I would say my daily track operating costs are $650-850 for consumables (excluding gas) and maintenance so it is a factor to consider for sure.
I think there would be a lot more off-track maintenance required for an SR3 but that isn’t necessarily a deterrent.
While I truly love the GT3 track experience, just feel there are high stakes should something happen.
appreciate the feedback
JJ
I am a Porsche fan. I have owned two 911 -- a 2011 Carrera S which I tracked and now a 2004 40 Jahre anniversary edition which is too nice to track, but such a sweet handling car.
Growing up in Southern California, I had always wanted a 911, which I finally bought in 2011. It begged to go fast, so instead of getting into trouble on the public roads I took it to the track about 20 weekends. It was too nice for the track, too fast for public roads, so I did not keep it long. From that point, I decided that a track car is necessary for track use because a street car is just too nice, and it does not have the safety features of a deddicated track car. I punished the Carrera S on the track in very hot temperatures and it handled that well, but at the end I had added a bunch of rock chips to the front which I regretted.
You cannot go wrong with an SR3 in my opinion. It is typically faster than McClarens, Lamborginis, Corvettes, GT3 RS, GT4s, etc. You can carry much greater speeds into and out of corners, and brake incredibly deep. I have driven in Porsche cup cars and GT4 clubsports. They are OK and well made machines, but not that exciting after driving the SR3.
The SR3 is well supported and parts are readily available. Compared to tearing up a beautiful street car, I think it is a smarter option, and after passing many Porsche GT3 and GT3 RS on the track, better performance, more fun for less cost of ownership.
I am a Porsche fan. I have owned two 911 -- a 2011 Carrera S which I tracked and now a 2004 40 Jahre anniversary edition which is too nice to track, but such a sweet handling car.
Growing up in Southern California, I had always wanted a 911, which I finally bought in 2011. It begged to go fast, so instead of getting into trouble on the public roads I took it to the track about 20 weekends. It was too nice for the track, too fast for public roads, so I did not keep it long. From that point, I decided that a track car is necessary for track use because a street car is just too nice, and it does not have the safety features of a deddicated track car. I punished the Carrera S on the track in very hot temperatures and it handled that well, but at the end I had added a bunch of rock chips to the front which I regretted.
You cannot go wrong with an SR3 in my opinion. It is typically faster than McClarens, Lamborginis, Corvettes, GT3 RS, GT4s, etc. You can carry much greater speeds into and out of corners, and brake incredibly deep. I have driven in Porsche cup cars and GT4 clubsports. They are OK and well made machines, but not that exciting after driving the SR3.
The SR3 is well supported and parts are readily available. Compared to tearing up a beautiful street car, I think it is a smarter option, and after passing many Porsche GT3 and GT3 RS on the track, better performance, more fun for less cost of ownership.
Thanks David, all good points.
Do you run an SR3 soley on your own? Can you do everything you need to do on your own for a weekend at the track?
Also curious if you spend any significant time on setup (alignments, damper settings, bars, aero etc)? What did it take to get the car to where it felt right for you and do you look at setup for each track you visit?
JJ
Do you run an SR3 soley on your own? Can you do everything you need to do on your own for a weekend at the track?
I do provide my own support and absolutely you can do this on your own for HPDE track weekends. For Radical Cup racing, I think it is necessary to have a technician to provide support because drivers stay pretty busy, and it is nice to take time to socialize and enjoy the event.
Also curious if you spend any significant time on setup (alignments, damper settings, bars, aero etc)? What did it take to get the car to where it felt right for you and do you look at setup for each track you visit?
I purchased setup equipment from Mk Technologies which is nice to have because there are no race shops near me who can do it. Otherwise, I would drive 4 hours to Atlanta area and have the Radical Dealer do a chassis setup a couple times a year to make sure it remains at factory spec.
I have used the factory recommended setup spec everywhere I go; At the track I adjust tire pressure, wing, and sometimes the damper settings. The car can be setup quickly for wet conditions by mounting wet tires, installing the front dive planes, adding wing, and disconnecting the rear nik link. I have never changed default nik links (ARB), but that would be a track side option if you needed more grip on the front or rear to correct for understeer/oversteer, however I have never felt the need for it.
Jason,
You know some of my history with Porsches..... I recently purchased a SR3 for a lot of the reasons you listed....
Jason,
You know some of my history with Porsches..... I recently purchased a SR3 for a lot of the reasons you listed....
Hey Jeff! Congrats! Do you plan to do any racing?
@doublej Want to get to know the car this spring at DE (currently going through entire car) and then likely start racing it.
