996 v 997 GT2
Blown Away
The 996 and 997 GT2 are icons of the modern-day era, but they’re not for the faint-hearted. Are these lightweight, turbocharged, reardriven Porsche as fearsome as their reputations suggest?
Written by Tim Pitt
Inside the 997’s cabin, there’s an unmistakeable driver focus that you’d usually find in a Porsche GT car
The 997 GT2’s eyecatching rear wing is a clever solution for both engine air inlet as well as aerodynamics
We’re a Porsche magazine, but permit me to go briefly off-brand. Being a spoiled motoring journalist, I spent the days leading up to this GT2 twin test driving a Ferrari Purosangue. The new £313,000 SUV is powered by a voracious 725hp V12, yet it also has active suspension controlled by 48-volt electric actuators, torque vectoring on the front axle, a rear e-differential, all-wheel steering, grip-predicted traction control, side-slip angle control and four-wheel drive. Swapping straight into a 996 GT2 is an abrupt wake-up call. Suddenly, there are no electronic driver aids – apart from ABS – no frills and no excuses. After quaffing a robust Italian red, it feels like knocking back a couple of Jägerbombs.
Like many great 911s, the original GT2 was spawned from motorsport. Porsche entered the 1995 BPR Global GT Series with a 600hp GT2-class racer based on the air-cooled 993 Turbo, which shared grids with GT1 titans such as the Ferrari F40 GTE and McLaren F1 GTR. The road-going 993 GT2 that followed was a rarefied homologation special, but it established a template for the future, combining light weight, forced induction and only two driven wheels.
After the 996 was launched in 1998, Porsche shifted its focus to more accessible GT3 racing. The 996 GT2 was thus a road car from the outset, albeit one developed by the nascent GT division in Weissach. Andreas Preuninger and his team created a performance flagship, positioned above the 996 Turbo, with enough raw speed to scare many supercars – along with extreme 911s from tuners such as TechArt. It scared a few owners as well, but we’ll come to that.
Dark clouds are massing overhead and I keep sensing faint flecks of rain. Lurking in a corner of the car park at Porsche Centre Bournemouth, the two 911s exude an aura of brooding malice. Both are well-documented cars in immaculate condition, and both are for sale at the time of writing. The 996 GT2 has around 40,000 miles on the clock and is priced at £119,990, while the 997 GT2 has covered less than 17,000 miles and is yours for £179,990. For rare Porsche with prodigious power and a GT pedigree, dare I suggest they look rather good value?