Is it Really a Widowmaker? 997 GT2 -- ISSIMI Drives

ISSIMI Official
ISSIMI Official
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Published 2024-07-14
Widowmaker is the word most commonly associated with rear wheel drive, turbocharged 911s, and the 997 GT2 is no exception. But, is the reputation warranted? Ride along with Lorenzo as he pushes a 997 GT2 to find out if this turbocharged 911 is only purchased by those with a death wish, or the ultimate backroads bomber.

The introduction of the 993 Turbo in 1995 was the dawn of a new era for the Porsche 911. Gone was the single-turbo, rear wheel drive excitement of the 930 and 964 Turbo, and in its place, smooth twin-turbocharged power and planted, confidence-inspiring all-wheel drive. These were all pluses from a usability standpoint, but the car left something to be desired for the driving purist. During the 993 generation, Porsche debuted a new model- the GT2- which combined all of the speed and power of a 993 Turbo with reduced weight and rear wheel drive for the ultimate air-cooled thrill ride. The GT2 was initially produced as a homologation car, but starting with the 996, it became more of a “full production” 911- albeit always in extremely small numbers. With the introduction of the 997 in 2005, the GT2 variant was shown two years later at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show.

This 997.1 GT2 is available now for hybrid auction on ISSIMI's website: www.issimi.com/vehicles/2008-porsche-911-gt2
All Comments (21)
  • @zanshin09
    I’ve only ever associated the term “widowmaker” with the 930, on period-correct tires.
  • @richardmahoney9415
    I don’t care some of these videos are effectively commercials for auction cars on the site bc the rest of us not buying them get entertainment and education on the cars or a different perspective and the production is unreal and all the presenters not only Mr. Hyphen Scott are great
  • @BasedHadrian
    I personally always associate the Widowmaker tag with the 996 GT2. Supposedly the scariest of the bunch
  • @NSXavier997
    I love how the Mezger’s sound like a can of marbles @ idle. Whenever I fire mine up my neighbors question whether it’s broken.
  • @user-qy3gq4wj7h
    Fact check, the 997 GT2 variant wasn't a Widowmaker. That was the 930 turbo because it had a short wheelbase and rear-end weight bias. The early version had a single turbo which caused turbo lag and without the aid of traction control. It can be twitchy when you are not careful. The 997 had PSM and Porsche adjusted for rear-end weight bias. I have never had any issues with 997.
  • @stevetheodore_specialtycars
    I think it's more like ~230 units for all of North America, not just the USA. Owners often refer to roughly 194 for USA, with the rest sold in Canada. More than a few have criss-crossed the border, including my own. I do of course realize that getting accurate sales numbers can be nearly impossible though. I have owned my 997.1 GT2 for just over 5 years and it is indeed a very well rounded car. They are still tremendously underrated in my opinion (relative to GT3s), but this has been part of the 996/997 GT2 legacy all along for right or wrong. Mine is modified and approximates a GT2 RS for power/torque, but that hasn't ruined its character for driving it at slower speeds and in a variety of conditions. I have tracked my car and it behaved like a puppy, nothing like the Widowmaker moniker that is so often suggested. One of the things I enjoyed most on-track was that it allowed me to slide the car just a bit with PSM active, which is a real revelation if you're used to other marques that literally shut everything down as soon as slip is detected. Porsche knows how to build proper motorsports based road cars, and the mighty 997.1 GT2 is no exception. I plan to hold onto mine for a while yet, and really appreciate your great review. Best wishes on the auction too!
  • @bluetitan20
    Really loved that film. The whole way it was shot, the driving, the scenery the knowledge and the backstory and of course.... the mighty GT2 playing the starring role 😎
  • @Libra67jtc
    930 is the only "WIDOWMAKER" . Still one of the most beautiful looking cars.
  • @iLLGT2
    I just sold my 997 GT2 because of how tame it was... wasnt wild like my 996 RUF R-GT2 , I had suspension upgrades tune headers intercoolers lightweight flywheel and the car honestly felt like modded 997 turbo... it wasnt very emotional or edgy
  • @craig_s
    So happy to see someone filming on Skyline Blvd like this. Great work!
  • That 997 is beautiful.
  • @sklyrovka
    the 996/997 Mezger GT cars truly are the end of an era
  • @FizzyMotors
    Coincidentally when I made a video about the GT2 vs GT3 (996) I came to the same conclusion, using the same background music (in the conclusion) too lol. Love the intro of this video, beautifully made
  • @evanisashark1596
    man I'm so glad that Car Tales got his chance on this channel, it makes me so happy. I knew I recognized the style in the videos! Remember finding him early on, and then losing track of him. Super happy