I came home from the hospital in a 356. From Day One I've had a long history with Porsches.
When I was 15, my uncle [noted vintage racer George Nelson] had an aubergine '73 911RS, a really great car. We took it to a friend's gas station to get an inspection sticker and on the way home he pulled over. I didn't know what he was doing. Then he got out and motioned for me to get out and jump in the driver's seat!
Of course, my uncle was always bigger than God to me and now I was driving his 911. As I'm driving, he keeps asking me, "Could you put a little muscle in it? Could you step on it?" pushing me faster and faster on this windy, winding road. After that day, I was hooked. I always knew that was the ultimate rush.
The GT3 is today's version of the '73 RS. I always thought the RS was the coolest Porsche on the planet and always wanted to have one. But, realistically, the amount of money required for a good one and with the limited usability , it wasn't there. When I found out the GT3 was going to come here, I had to have one.
The 356 was purchased at Max Hoffman's dealership on Park Avenue in New York. It was a big deal to me to purchase my GT3 at Hoffman's in Connecticut even though it's not the same dealership anymore. That was kind of a cool piece of history.
I wanted the Club Sport edition but because of [DOT regulations] the U.S. didn't get them. Alan at By Design was able to get the Club Sport bits and we took them to the next level by having the rollbar wrapped in black Porsche leather and painting the seatbacks Speed Yellow. I had the rims painted at the factory to make it look like a DTM or Cup racer and think we really achieved that effect.
The GT3 is the ultimate driving Porsche. I've been blessed to drive nearly every 911 product and a lot of tuner cars and this is the best driving Porsche I've ever been behind the wheel of. This is the ultimate street racer and for the 11-year-old "The Fast and The Furious" fanatic I live with, it absolutely rocks that Dad has the coolest street car. I definitely plan on many track days. I expect it will be a low-mileage car but it's definitely here to be used. With the good weather recently, I put 200 miles on it last week. Whenever I have non-city appointments, I'll take it for a ride. But it's not a grocery-getter, the rollbar takes all the practicality out of the car.
2003 Porsche Gt3 Specifications
EngineTypeSix cylinders, horizontally opposed
Power output380 bhp @ 7400 rpm
TransmissionSix-speed manual
Performance0 to 60: 4.3 sec.; Top track speed: 190 mph
SuspensionFr: Independent MacPherson strut design; r: independent multi-arm
ConfigurationBrakesFr: cross-drilled and inner-vented discs, 13.78x1.34 in., w/six-piston calipers; r: cross-drilled and inner-vented discs, 13x1.1 in., w/four-piston calipers
WheelsFr: 8.5x18; r: 11x18; painted yellow
TiresFr: 235/40ZR18; r: 295/30ZR18
BodyStamped steel unit body, rear engine, two seater
Interior Black-leather-wrapped rollbar; painted Speed Yellow seatbacks