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

Ten Second Review

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.

Background

'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 Experience

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.

Design and Build

All 911 GTS models get the brand's Porsche Design Package. This gives you darkened headlight and daytime running lights surrounds. And the black finish used for the GTS badging also features on the front spoiler lip - and on the centre-lock alloy wheels. Body style choice lies between Coupe or glass-roofed Targa models - or the Cabriolet we tried version with a canvas hood that can be raised or lowered in only 12 seconds. As usual on a current 911, the wide arches house different rim sizes - you've 20-inch alloys at the front, with 21-inchers at the rear. Inside, the GTS cabin is marked out by greater use of Alcantara - Porsche calls it 'Race-Tex'. Plus there are more tightly supportive 'Sport Plus' seats and a thin-rimmed 'GT Sports' steering wheel which, like the ordinary 911 tiller, rather obscures the outermost instrument cluster dials. Other things you'd have to pay extra for on a Carrera include the 'Sport Chrono Package' with its dash top-mounted stopwatch; plus you'll be able to use the 'Porsche Track Precision' app. Apart from the gearstick (10mm shorter than that in a regular Carrera), everything else is as with any other '992' series 911. Here, we've got the optional 'GTS Interior Package' with matt carbon highlights. As you'd expect in a 911, through the grippy three-spoke wheel you view a defiantly analogue central rev counter, without which a Porsche simply wouldn't be a Porsche. The two 7-inch read-outs that sit either side of it are actually configurable freeform displays. The left hand one has two virtual dials, one a speedometer (to supplement the digital speedo in the rev counter) and, on the far left, a read-out for time and outside temperature. As usual with a 911, just about everything else you need to know is covered off by a 10.9-inch flush-mounted 'Porsche Communication Management' touchscreen display in the centre of the dash. There are the usual two rear seats (unless you order the optional 'lightweight package'. And under the bonnet, there's 132-litres of storage space.

Market and Model

At the time of our test in early Autumn 2023, pricing for the 911 Carrera GTS started from around £122,000 - that's for a rear-driven Coupe model. To give you some range perspective, that's about £12,000 more than the equivalent Carrera S Coupe. It's £6,000 more to get your Carrera GTS with all-wheel drive. Either way, you'll pay £10,000 more for the Cabriolet body style we tried, which means our test Carrera 4 GTS test car listed at £138,000 at the time of our test. The same sum will also get you this GTS model in Targa form with a lift-out roof panel; with that body style and GTS trim, you have to have all-wheel drive. Standard on GTS models is the brand's 'SportDesign Package' which includes a bespoke design for the front and rear aprons and front spoiler, all with black finishing. There's tinted LED headlamps incorporating the 'Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus' set-up. A sports exhaust system with a modified silencer and two oval tailpipes trims in black stainless steel comes included. And you get PASM sport suspension lowered by 10mm. And satin black-finished Turbo S wheels that are 20-inches at the front and 21-inches at the back. Inside, the cabin is trimmed in black 'Race-Tex' alcantara, which also features on the multi-function 'GT Sports' steering wheel. There are heated 'Sports Seats Plus' bucket seats embroidered with a black GTS logo. The 'Sport Chrono Package' you'd have to pay extra for on lesser 911's comes as standard on this one, including the usual dash top-mounted stopwatch, a mode switch, the 'Porsche Track Precision' app and a tyre temperature display.

Cost of Ownership

As you'd expect, the efficiency figures of a 911 GTS aren't all that much different from those of an ordinary 911 Carrera. The Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet we tried is WLTP-rated at up to 26.2mpg on the combined cycle and up to 244g/km of CO2. The most efficient GTS package is the rear-driven Coupe, which manages bests of 27.2mpg and 236g/km of CO2. What else? Well all 911 GTS models are covered by the brand's usual three-year unlimited mileage warranty package. And the 911 also has 12 years of corrosion cover and a three year paint guarantee. Insurance for a car of this power and performance is never going to be cheap; all GTS variants attract a top-of-the-shop group 50 rating. Still, residual value percentages are uber-high - think in the late fifties after three years of ownership - or better. Bear in mind that depreciation will take a hit if you load your car up with too many unnecessary pricey extras. There's a wider dealer network than many rivals can offer and you'll only need to visit your local Porsche centre every two years or every 20,000 miles, whichever comes first. There's no option to buy into a pre-paid servicing package at point of purchase, but the brand does provide a fixed price servicing approach that makes sure you'll know in advance exactly what work will be carried out and what it will cost.

Summary

While this GTS model is probably never going to satisfy 911 customer who really wants a GT3, it's certainly a very credible and more affordable alternative to a 911 Turbo. Which is why for us, GTS ownership represents the sweet spot in the 911 range, regardless of whether your body style of choice is Coupe, Targa or, as in this case, Cabriolet. It feels more focused than an ordinary 911 and if you were to order a Carrera S with all the dynamic features fitted here, GTS ownership wouldn't actually cost you all that much more. Yes, that price is certainly considerable, but you can pay an awful lot more for a super sports car of this sort and get an awful lot less. The 'Gran Turismo Sport' interpretation of what a 911 should be might not be your most addictive choice from the range. But as an ownership proposition, it might prove to be the most satisfying one.