Here at TheTruthAboutCars, we’ve occasionally been, shall we say, forthright concerning a certain manufacturer of SUVs, full-sized sedans, and sporting vehicles from Zuffenhausen. The thousand injuries of Porsche ownership we have borne as best we could, and so on. But if we are willing to castigate the firm every time they cut corners somewhere or screw over thousands of their customers without a second thought, we should also be willing to give credit where credit is due when they step up for their owners.
Which, to their credit, they are certainly doing in the case of the 991 GT3.
Our sister publication AutoGuide managed to confirm that connecting rod issues are at the root of recent 991 GT3 fires, and that Porsche will address those problems by replacing the engine in every GT3 sold so far, for a total of 785 new engines. This is exactly the sort of thing that should have happened with the M96 debacle and it’s great to see the company come through for the owners like this. Of course, the whole problem would have been nonexistent had they kept using the engine from the old GT3… but that’s a line of thinking that ends up with demanding the return to production of the 356 Pre-A.
Wait, that’s a great idea!
We don’t know what issues they would have had in pushing the Metzger to this level of performance at a “mass production” level. For all we know they would have used the same conrods.
In any case it is good that they are owning up and making things right.
Another example of why you should wait at least 12 months, preferably 18-24, before you purchase a new model, especially one on the higher end.
Bingo!
Even in “normal” cars, I tell people to steer well clear of the first production year.
I think it’s interesting how this was originally pitched by Porsche as a fire safety issue. It appears that Porsche’s fire safety issue is similar to that on the Pontiac Fiero. Connecting rod breaks and makes hole in side of engine, resulting in oil hitting hot exhaust parts.
http://images.fieroforum.com/pffimages/IM002071.jpg
http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Archives/Archive-000002/HTML/20041015-1-040930.html
Can you imagine how many Chinese cars this will happen in??!!
The 90s reminds me to Be Cool About Fire Safety.
> of recent 991 GT3 **fires**, and that Porsche will address those problems by replacing the engine in every GT3 sold so far
It’s possible if not likely that the safety aspect of this (regulated via gubmin mandate) prompted action rather than giving a damn about the s̶u̶c̶k̶e̶r̶s̶ owners.
Even if it’s you saying it, I have to agree. If it weren’t for fires, it’d be the owners getting burned.
“Even if it’s you saying it…”
Even a blind mouse can find cheese once in a while.
> Even a blind mouse can find cheese once in a while.
In the event when both parties consider each other to be the blind mouse, it’s worth pondering what makes for being more right.
Perhaps it comes from recognizing mistakes and organizing systematic methods for minimizing them wholesale.
Some people figured out logical & scientific frameworks a few centuries ago, but the vast majority have yet to catch up.
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/03/dispatches-do-brasil-movin-on-up/#comment-2963481
Since mice tend to rely on their incredible sense of smell to find found anyway and a blind mouse would probably have an even more heightened sense of smell, wouldn’t a blind mouse find food/cheese just fine and all the time anyway?
If only a blind mouse could find an intermediate shaft bearing …
Am I the only one wondering how soon the owners of these cars will complain/sue over the diminished value caused by the installation of a replacement, non-numbers-matching engine?
If Porsche is the one replacing all the engines in every 911 GT3, why wouldn’t they be able to make all the new engines numbers matching?
Look for 991 GT3s on eBay in 5 years with “ORIGINAL ENGINE”, just like the guys who try to advertise their 1981 Imperial coupes “ORIGINAL FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM”.
LOL, checked out an 83 Imperial on Ebay today with a messed up carb. Seller recommended Edelbrock replacement carb.
This is what now passes for corporate benevolence. I’d guess the legal department was behind it rather than their Office of Good Works.
Pretty cynical view
“Pretty cynical view” _ _ _ There is another one?
Sporty, where you been? See current GM news for real world confirmation. (Rest assured, just tip of the iceberg.) Innocence of the lambs, I’d say. And that’s not cynicism.
Corporations have an “Office of Good Works?? Yeah, right.
Yes, part of the Department of Silly Walks. Learned this from my friend Monty Python.
Whither the GT3. This was once the ultimate in tactility, rifle bolt gearshifts, real race porven engine, sublime steering.
Now we have a more powerful but unporven engine, designed to mimic(low rev chunter) the real race one. PDK which is fatser but not better, and by definition not as rugged, and 4ws. Can we think of the mnay ways this car will wilt and fail over time when driven hard on track.
So yeah porche expanded the GT3 franchise by building a faster car that any fool can drive.
Here is the point, faster does not mean better, and definitly does not mean more fun. When faster comes at the price of durability on track and tactility for the street we have a problem. Note the Gt3 was never the fastest car out there, didnt need to be, had other attributes, what does it have now.
They are following Ferrari’s lead of doing faster at the risk of cost and complexity. Since Ferrari is making a boatload of money, it’s a good model from an accounting perspective.
> So yeah porche expanded the GT3 franchise by building a faster car that any fool can drive.
Consider that approx 0% of the prior fools can drive theirs it’s tough to see how this is negative.
Consider again how well the GT3 sold compared to similarly priced non-“Metzger” 911’s, it’s apparent how few buyers care about its characteristics.
I am no Porsche fan, but I see at least two GT3s at every track day I go to, and they are usually driven well in the advanced group.
In fact, I would be willing to bet that GT3s are among the top five production cars used on track by percentage sold. My guess is that only Lotuses have a higher percentage of track-driving owners.
So the number isn’t quite 0% ;)
Lets see, they sold everyonbe they could make, in fact there was a wait. Currently, a 997.2 GT3 Rs is woirth alte elast as much as it cost new and a the Rs40 is looking to be worth double what it cost new 1.5 years ago, which incidentaly is double what a great brand new 991GT3 costs now. All this depite the 997.2 being stick only and “slower” tahn the 991 GT3.
As a breif 458 owner told me, faster is not necessarily better.
> Lets see, they sold everyonbe they could make, in fact there was a wait.
I hope the suckers realize they often do this on purpose to make special editions seem more “exclusive”.
> Currently, a 997.2 GT3 Rs is woirth alte elast as much as it cost new and a the Rs40 is looking to be worth double what it cost new 1.5 years ago, which incidentaly is double what a great brand new 991GT3 costs now. All this depite the 997.2 being stick only and “slower” tahn the 991 GT3.
The prices on manual 911’s are upward bound with collectors in general because they stopped making them (hence “exclusive”).
> As a breif 458 owner told me, faster is not necessarily better.
No, but a Ferrari has more brand cache than Porsche.
I’ll gladly play the fool here and ask the obvious question: What options were available to Porsche other than a full recall and engine replacement (or significant repair)? It’s not like they could have told buyers “too bad” and ignored them.
I’ll gladly give a manufacturer a “high-five” when deserved but, in this case, Porsche has simply offered the bare minimum. What am I missing?
I agree. It’s a brand new car.
On the other hand, Ferrari would have probably just told people that it’s part of the cost of owning a Ferrari.
Rest assured, you’re missing nothing.
Jack committed:
but that’s a line of thinking that ends up with demanding the return to production of the 356 Pre-A.
Wait, that’s a great idea!
You have driven one, right?…
Bet they still are in the black on each car even after replacing the engines.
My neighbor has a fairly new 911, that with 18k miles, needed a new clutch. I apologize for not knowing anything current about Porsche, but I do know he loves that car about as much as his daughter. Imagine his surprise at the factory denying his warranty claim and invoicing him just shy of $25k for the repair. At that fee, they can replace many engines, no matter what the reconciliation becomes. Customer goodwill? I doubt Porsche has an accounting category for that, since it is so little used.
I’ve seen a $25K Porsche clutch replacement at lower mileage than that, but it was for a Carrera GT that originally cost about $450K. I asked the guy that owns the shop what would happen when PDK Boxsters and Caymans with some miles start needing clutches. He said he’ll be buying them as parts cars, until he has too many of them.
What an odd attaboy complementing Porsche for initiating this particular recall. What else did you expect them to do? Their halo car is throwing piston rods through the engine block. So, they recall and fix all of 987 examples. Duh!
This is the same company that will not give me ANY information on the lifetime failure rate of 996 and Boxster IMS bearings not specifically covered under the recent lawsuit settlement. I promise I won’t sue. I am just trying to operate and maintain a piece of used equipment.