The Porsche GT2 is an incredible car.
Just 2 weeks ago I was at Silverstone and the GT2 was the only car (with its Cup tyres) that could stay with me (he was actually faster at the beginning of every session).
Saying that a GT2 has a sterile driving experience is not correct in my opinion.
For me the Porsche is better over the GT in the steering feedback and gearbox.
You can't deny how the FGT steering feels a little vague at least at turn in. It gets better but in my opinion iit cannot match the precision of the Porsche one.
And the Ricardo is a fantastic piece of kit, and probably engineered to withstand much more torque than a stock FGT, but it trails the Porsche 6 speed manual in terms of precision and feedback.
Also the Porsche is a lighter and smaller car. No matter how you slice it this filters back when you drive it. At 1,350kg it is no lightweight, but it is still 200kg lighter than the FGT.
Also if you track your car regularly and start adding the bills the FGT becomes quite an expensive car to run. I figure that I spend $1,400 per track day (1 set of pads, 1/2 set of tyres, fuel, 1/3 rotors, oil, insurance, track day fee etc).
The GT2 also retains some of the peculiar traits that made the 911 legendary. You either like it or not, but having the engine hanging behind the rear axle certainly changes how you drive the car.
Ask yourself why 50% of the cars you see at a track day are 911s. They are tough, they take the beating lap anfter lap, and they reward you with a fantastic driver experience. Knowinng you are fast in a 911 always give you a sense of acheivement.
So for me the GT2 is one of the greatest cars in production right now. And it does not matter what wiill come next year, because you can climb onto a 2001 MKI GT3 RS and still feel special. Or a 1997 993 RS, or a 1994 964 RS. Granted you will not be the fastest guy around the track, but that will not take away anything from the driving experience.
The problem here is that you are comparing the GT2 with the Ford GT. The Ford is not a regular car. As the other guys have expressed above there is something more that comes with the FGT. And it cannot be put down to lap times, HP figures, costs, return on investment, depreciation or anything.
The Ford GT is (because of its heritage) a car everybody is drawn to. As if it is programmed in our genetic code, the Ford GT is the idea of what a race car is.
Plus they have made relatively few of them and so it makes it rare. And not many people drive it around, let alone take it to the track. So the looks on people's face is justified.
It's an icon.
Now the fact that Ford actually delivered a 1st class supercar embedded with the icon makes things rather interesting.
So even though the driving experience is not so dynamically pure (I wish the GT weighted 2-300kg less) the Ford delivers. And it is a fun car to drive. In fact because of the lack of any electronic nanny it is more of a full on sort of experience.
It really depends on what you are after. I believe that if you are prepared to put up with the incredibly stiff set up then the GT2 makes for a more "practical" car. It is less obvious, you can park it anywhere, it has a longer range (more mile to the gallon and bigger tank), it is probably faster on a twisty road, it excells at the track, it never brakes down, you have space for some luggage (golf clubs etc)....
The Ford GT is more of a choice dictated by your heart. It will stir emotions on a different level, a level unknown by the GT2 (I guess you would need to drive a 1973 RSR to get the same feelings). It can be superfast at the track (I think that with the right tyres the GT2 stands no chance against a FGT), it gets you noticed and it is always positive attention and so on.
Personally if I could have any car right now it would still be the Ford GT. But that is not an entirely rational decision.
I can see why the GT2 is the ultimate car for a lot of the magazines...