Classifieds' Car Of The Day: Less Fiery Porsche 911 GT3

We found out today that Porsche has located the issue that causes its latest 911 GT3 to catch fire, and is taking steps to sort it. However, if your confidence in the 991 GT3 remains shaken, and if you're not keen on only having the option of the PDK DCT 'box, why not give the 997 generation GT3 a go?

Unlike the current PDK-only GT3, the 997 version came with a six-speed manual. The 3.6-litre flat-six develops 409bhp, enough to send the GT3 from 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds, and on to a top speed of 193mph. Later versions had the flat-six enlarged to 3.8-litres, upping the power to an even more potent 428bhp.

Various measures were employed to keep the weight down, including the use of aluminium doors, a plastic composite bonnet, the loss of the rear seats and fewer creature comforts. Underneath, there's revised suspension and beefier brakes. The whole car was even built on the Carrera 4 platform - partly to give extra stiffness - which tells you a lot about the depth of the engineering that went into the GT3.

Unfortunately, they don't depreciate anywhere near as quickly as their more ordinary 911 brethren, which is why this later 3.8-litre example is up for a hefty £73,995 despite being five years old. Incredibly, that's not a great deal less than the original list price. That said, it'll have no doubt cost considerably more with the usual pricey Porsche options on top, and it's only done a reasonably low 24,000 miles. So, if you're rather wealthy and are sizing up a new GT3, this manual 997 is surely a tempting alternative.