Porsche’s 992 GTS is a wolf in sheep’s clothing
For 12 years now GTS has become a byword within Porsche’s range for a model that’s not too hot, not too cool but, to coin a phrase, just right – often GTS models have been the pick of the bunch. And now there’s a new one: the first GTS of the 992 generation 911. Expectations are understandably high, but priced from almost £109,000 in coupe form, can it justify the extra £11,470 it costs over a Carrera S?
Being more than the aforesaid Carrera S but less than a GT3 means, in Porsche’s words, “a carefully curated combination of performance, style and emotion.” While there are design tweaks – you will look hard to spot them – this is primarily about adding power and dynamism to an already exceptional package.
So there are more horses: 30PS (22kW) more to be exact from a 480PS (353kW) version of the turbo 3.0-litre flat-six. Torque is up too, by 20Nm (15lb ft) to 570Nm (422lb ft), and with the PDK dual-clutch transmission specified you will be able to hit 62mph from standstill in just 3.3 seconds, four-tenths quicker than a Carrera S.
Want to change gears for yourself? You can opt for a manual ‘box, a seven-speeder with a shortened lever to suit the GTS’s more sporting character. That character should be signalled to the world by a fruity twin-pipe sports exhaust system, made even fruitier inside the cabin by the GTS’s paring back of sound insulation.
Underneath there are elements of 911 Turbo in the GTS’s running gear. The suspension is derived from the flagship 911 model which also donates rear helper springs on the back axle. Their job? To keep the main springs under constant tension. The chassis is lower by 10mm and there are stiffer springs, adapted shock absorbers and anti-roll bars, and a new Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) control set-up.
The brakes are from the Turbo – 408mm discs front, 380mm discs at the back – as are the wheels, black satin-finished centre-lock alloys, 20-inches up front with 21s behind.
If driver appeal is boosted then the GTS shouldn’t lack for showroom appeal either, though in keeping with the GTS ethos there’s nothing showy about it. All models – and you can get the GTS badge on the back of coupe, cabrio and Targa in rear or all-wheel-drive forms – get the Sport Design body kit. It comprises front apron with spoiler lip, special side sills and body-colour mirror housings.
Also not unique to the GTS but included as standard are the Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus LED headlights and array of accents, including badgework on the engine lid, in silk or high-gloss black finish. The rear lights are unique to the GTS. Black is the dominant colour inside and favoured trim material is Race-Tex microfibre.
Sports seats, sports steering wheel, Sport Chrono package, Porsche Track Precision app and a tyre temperature display are also part of the GTS offer. Porsche has also used the GTS’s introduction to catch up on the connectivity front: you now summon up the car’s functions with “Hey Porsche” while Android Auto has been added to Apple CarPlay (the changes will flow through to all 911s in time, says Porsche).
All models are available to order now with deliveries later in the year, but as long as you don’t need the rear seats, it might be worth waiting until the Lightweight Design option comes on stream, promised for later in 2021. This not only saves 25kg with carbon-fibre reinforced plastic bucket seats, lightweight glass and the whipping out of the back chairs, but also gives you rear-axle steering and aero elements to boost downforce.
The best mainstream 911 model yet? It will be a shock if it’s not.
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