The Porsche 911 is a sportscar that needs little introduction, with a storied history in motorsport and legions of owners of the road-going versions waxing lyrical of the virtues of its rear-engine layout, sonorous flat-six engines, daily driveability, and phenomenal performance in a variety of driving scenarios. The GTS badge dates back to 1963 for the Porsche brand, but as far as the 911 is concerned, it was first used in 2010 on the 997.2 models, then on the 991 and more recently, the 992 generation of the sports car icon.
The most recent 992 generation of the 911 is the most technologically advanced, fastest and most efficient 911 ever produced. With the new GT3 on the way for those looking for a hard-edged track toy with reasonable road manners and the Carrera and Carrera S for those looking for a composed road-going sports car, we were keen to discover what the new middle child in the range, the Carrera GTS, has to offer potential 911 buyers as we tested the newcomer on some scenic Western Cape roads.
Exterior
Telling the GTS apart from a standard Carrera and Carrera S is simple, the GTS models feature body-coloured trim on the lower half of the side mirrors, tinted LED headlights with the Porsche Dynamic Lighting + system which includes a high-speed dynamic main beam as well as cornering lights and 20-inch front and 21-inch rear Turbo S alloy wheels with centre-locking hubs. There is also a Sport Design front apron and black spoiler lip rounding off the front end.
At the rear, the lid grille features vertical slats painted black, the badges are painted black, a Sport Design rear apron as week as a sports exhaust system with black tailpipes. While the design is relatively far removed from the track-ready look of the GT3, the GTS is certainly a sportier and more sophisticated piece of aesthetics than a standard 911.
Interior
The interior is also more distinctive, with an optional GTS interior package, Race-Tex seat, steering wheel, armrest and gearshift lever, a GT Sport steering wheel and a new 10.9-inch infotainment system that offers wireless Apple CarPlay functionality and, for the first time in a 911, Android Auto functionality. The model also gets 4-way adjustable Sport Seat Plus items with the GTS emblem on the headrests.
The GTS can also be specified with the lightweight package, with saves 25kg through the use of a lighter battery, the removal of the rear seats and floor mats, the addition of carbon fibre bucket seats and lightweight rear and side windows. The package also adds rear-axle steering and reprofiled underbody panelling for enhanced aerodynamics.
Under the skin
The GTS has several upgrades over the standard 911 models, including a bump in power and torque, with its 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six now producing 353kW and 570Nm of torque, an increase of 30kW and 40Nm of torque versus the Carrera S. The rise in power and torque is due to a higher turbo boost pressure of 1.33-bar versus 1.17-bar in the Carrera S.
The GTS also features the PASM sport chassis, including a 10mm lower ride height, new active roll stabilisation for the PDCC system, the addition of helper springs at the rear axle and the same 408mm front and 380mm brake discs seen on the Turbo models. The GTS can also be specified with a 7-speed manual gearbox as a no-cost option on rear-wheel drive models, while an 8-speed PDK is amongst the standard equipment.
The model range consists of two coupe variants, two cabriolets and one Targa, with both the Coupe and Cabriolet models available with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive while the Targa is all-wheel drive only.
Driving GTS
Our day began at the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands where a quartet of 911 GTS models barked into life as we prepared to experience what the GTS offers as a package. We set off in a Carrera 4 GTS and began a full day of driving through the Western Cape.
The all-wheel drive version of the GTS is some 85kg heavier than the rear-wheel drive version, tipping the scales at 1 595kg, 45kg lighter than the Turbo model and with a R1.0-million lower price tag. Performance is mega, with 100km/h coming up in 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 309km/h. The acceleration is beautifully linear, the launch to 60km/h brutal and the sound emanating from the engine as it reaches its 7 500r/min crescendo is about as characterful as you could hope for from a turbocharged flat-six. Porsche has certainly engineered some of the GT3’s aural drama into the upper echelons of the rev range, so always leave the active exhaust on, please.
The handling is practicably neutral, the steering precise and incredibly well weighted for an electronic system. It was only when we swapped the all-wheel drive model for the lighter rear-wheel drive model that we noted just how much we prefer the steering and front end feel of the rear-driven car, which also feels more willing to rotate through corners. Despite a slightly slower 3.4 second 0-100km/h and a marginally higher top speed of 311km/h, it was that tangible feeling of an unencumbered, non-driven pair of front wheels that gave us the quintessential 911 feel that we were looking for all morning.
When it comes to outright road manners, the GTS is compromised, with a standard Carrera or Carrera S providing a more supple ride quality, more suited to our often pock-marked roads, while the firmer set-up of the GTS came across as overly stiff on many of the roads that we encountered. The ride quality along with the fact that the car is so wildly fast and over-braked is why we think that the GTS has moved closer to its GT3 sibling and indeed, further away from the Carrera and Carrera S.
Pricing
The 911 GTS range comes with a 3-year/100 000km Driveplan which can be extended to a 5-year plan upon request.
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Porsche 911 Carrera GTS |
R2 290 000 |
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Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS |
R2 400 000 |
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Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet |
R2 490 000 |
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Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet |
R2 600 000 |
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Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS |
R2 600 000 |
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Verdict
The latest iteration of the 911 GTS is different to its predecessor in many ways. Instead of feeling like a hotted-up Carrera S, the latest variant feels and indeed, sounds like a turbocharged GT3, but with a slightly softer edge.
Those in the market for a 911 that will only do duty on the road and very little track time will still find a Carrera or Carrera S more appealing, however, for those looking for something that blends about 65% GT3 with 35% Carrera S, look no further than a GTS, preferably the rear-wheel drive version for the keener driving enthusiasts among us.
