A SHARPER WAY TO DIAL 911 (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_porsche911carreragts_2023

By Jonathan Crouch

Porsche's 911 Carrera GTS might just mark the sweet spot in the 911 range. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 53

The 911 model line - 'neunelf' in German - has a lot of life in it yet and proof of that comes with this mid-level Carrera GTS model. With more focus than a base Carrera and just a taste of 911 Turbo, it might well be all the 911 you could ever need.

Backgroundword count: 176

'GTS' or 'Gran Turismo Sport' branding has long been a Porsche staple. The company first used it back in 1963 with their 904, the moniker supposed to designate a sports car suitable for both road and track. GTS versions of the 924, 928 and Cayenne then eventually followed but the badge didn't appear on the 911 until 2009, as part of the facelift made to the '997' version of that model. Sales were strong enough for the GTS nomenclature to be retained for the replacement '991'-series 911 in 2012. In 2021, it also appeared on that car successor, the '992' series 911, creating the car we're going to look at here. Which is available with rear and all-wheel drive and with the Coupe, Targa and, as in this case, Cabriolet body styles. The idea with the 911 GTS is to offer a perfect middle ground. A 911 with a little more focus than a Carrera. But without the price and track style compromises of a GT3. With a bit of 911 Turbo thrown in. Sounds promising.

Driving Experienceword count: 295

It's hard to imagine why you would need a faster 911 than this, unless you happen to own a racetrack. First impressions are of a GT3 level of speed, not surprisingly given that the engine output is just 30hp shy of that variant. Even the slowest GTS derivative (a manual rear-driven Cabriolet) needs just 4.1s to reach 62mph from rest. The fastest (the PDK auto all-wheel driven Coupe), takes nearly a second off that, recording 3.3s en route to 192mph. That manual, by the way, is Porsche's rather curious 7-speed 'box, but of course most customers will want the usual 8-speed dual clutch PDK auto. Probably matched to all-wheel drive rather than a rear-driven format, though the latter adds 50kgs of weight. You don't get the sophisticated double wishbone front suspension you'd find on a GT3 but don't worry because the damping system is mostly shared with the 911 Turbo - and very well judged. Even the sharpest 'Sport' and 'Sport Plus' settings aren't too harsh for road use. Lowered sports suspension features on Coupe and Cabriolet GTS models: the Targa version gets regular PASM suspension, as on a Carrera S. The engine's not brash like an AMG V8 - or shrill when revving out like an Italian V8 - but as we suggested earlier, it certainly serves up plenty of orchestral fireworks, embellishing your progress with whooshing turbines, fluttering wastegates and sonorous roars. It also brings an almost supercar-style level of pulling power to the party - 570Nm if you're interested, 40Nm more than a Carrera S. The resulting acceleration, as we've already suggested, is almost concussive and, unlike with previous '997' and '991'-series GTS 911 models, you don't have to thrash the engine to really experience all the flat six has to offer.

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