Bring a Transport Ship: Expat Porsche 911 GT3

Sean Rooks | April 12, 2024

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Modern Porsches are exciting and beautiful machines, but to some they suffer from the “digitize everything” philosophy of our world today. For this Good Find Friday, we’re highlighting a modern classic that hails from the peak of analog sports cars: the 996-era Porsche 911 GT3.

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Modern living is surrounded by, if not dependent on, digital devices designed to make our lives safer and easier. While this is certainly driven by our culture and a desire for differentiation among product designers, I also blame lawyers. Litigation drives an untold number of “conveniences” we now get to enjoy, such as blind spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, speed limiters and more. 

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As a person who passionately appreciates craft and the powerful impact physical interaction with a beautifully designed object can create, I find myself craving more analog experiences. I’m not alone in this, with tens of millions of vinyl records sold in 2023 and analog camera film sales doubling in recent years.

It could be my middle-age status, but looking back at the 2000s it seems even more mundane cars possess more driver engagement than today’s cars. Vehicles from the era that were designed to be visceral, like the 911 GT3, seem downright primitive by comparison.

Bred for Racing

The purpose of the 911 GT3, which debuted in 1999 in Europe, was to satisfy homologation requirements for FIA Group GT3 racing. It was a set of rules laid out for a number of different auto racing series including the GT3 European Championship. GT3 was envisioned to simplify the race car development process and allow one-make cars from various manufacturers that didn’t comply with GT1 or GT3 to compete together on a level playing field.

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The rules required the production of 500 production versions of the car, so Porsche took some of what it learned with the GT2 and applied it to create a hopped-up 911 called the GT3.

At its launch, the Porsche 911 GT3 wasn’t offered in the United States and by the time it reached our shores in 2004 there wasn’t a homologation requirement, making it “just” another model in the range for American buyers.

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This week’s good Find Friday car is a 2004 Porsche 911 GT3 currently located in Germany, but is US-spec and eligible for reimportation with no issues, per the selling dealer. 

Essentially a naturally-aspirated 375hp version of the GT2, the GT3 represented a significant savings over the GT2 and slotted between the 911 C4S and Turbo in terms of price and horsepower. Presented in silver over black, it’s plain to see the GT3s differentiating exterior features including the GT3 911 Cup style bumper, side skirts and dramatic rear wing.

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Those who fear the much-discussed IMS bearing failures of the 996 series can fret not—the GT3 uses the same racing-derived block as the Turbo and GT3. The chance of intermediate shaft bearing failure is near zero. One additional plus of the GT3 over its 911 contemporaries, even the more powerful variants, is its screaming redline of 8200 RPM. Bonus bragging points: you can tell everyone about your engine’s titanium connecting rods and shorter pistons designed to further reduce weight.

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The only transmission option on the GT3 was a 6-speed and featured shorter 4th and 5th gears with steel syncros on the top 4 gears for durability. An oil cooler provides heat dissipation for track use.

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The GT3 uses the same suspension layout as the GT2, but the springs and roll bars are adjustable. This is good, as the tooth-rattling ride of the GT2 wouldn’t be ideal in a car driven on the street on a regular basis.

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Stopping is provided by huge 14-inch rotors with 6-pot calipers on the front and 13-inch discs with 4-pot calipers at the rear. The Porsche 911 GT3 we’re featuring has the more maintenance-friendly but heavier steel rotors. PCCB ceramic brakes were an option if that’s your jam.

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The interior looks clean and nicely cared for, with carbon fiber trim in excellent shape and the Nomex sport seats and roll bar you’d want on a race-bred 911. Race harnesses are fitted, suggesting track use but the seller claims the DME report shows no overrevs.

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In true Porsche fashion, you pay more for less in the GT3. While the roll bar is removable, don’t expect to carry the kids in the rear seats as there are none. Fortunately, you do get air conditioning, a radio, and cup holders on this USA market example.

Final Thoughts

The 996-generation Porsche 911 GT3 may never reach the lofty values of succeeding generations, but it represents an achievable entry to the exclusive GT 911 club. 

The car on offer has some lovely attributes, including a service history that includes the dealership just down the road from me: Euroclassics Porsche, plus multiple stamps from Kremer Racing’s shop in Germany.

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Contrary to when it launched, the GT3 is now more expensive to acquire than a 996 Turbo. With low mileage compared to other examples recently on sale, the asking price of $110,000USD is priced pretty fairly in today’s market. The big challenge here is importation—The costs to bring vehicles across the Atlantic have increased commensurately with other goods, meaning you’ll need to lay out some green to get this stateside once again.

It’s hard to believe the Porsche 911 GT3 is 20 years old (in the US) this year. We’d love to see this car return to Virginia. If we could spring for it ourselves, the first 911 to carry the storied GT3 nameplate would be in our garage already.

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisal and auction services for sellers and buyers of collector European cars. We also provide importation services. Give us a call or drop us a line!

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