Every time I get out of a Porsche 911, I wonder why, if you had the means, would you drive anything else? This car comes about as close to a machine becoming an extension of you as any car I've driven. It's easy to dive in and out of traffic on the freeway, and with all of that power, way too easy to cruise way beyond the legal speed limit. The speed comes on effortlessly and before you know it, triple digits are registering.
The GTS model has 23 more horsepower than a 911 Carrera S, but it's difficult to really sort that out during a daily commute. Maybe the extra ponies would make themselves more known at the track, or on the autobahn. On the interstates in Michigan, it was difficult to notice them.
The 911 is always a joy to drive. With the Alcantara-covered wheel to the outstanding brakes, this is a terrific car. And it looked absolutely stunning sitting in my garage this morning. It's something I could get used to seeing.
Other than allowing you to say, "My 911 is a GTS," I'm having a hard time justifying the substantial price jump from this Carrera S to the GTS. An extra 23 hp is nice, but it's far, far from changing the Carrera S experience in any significant way.
I'm quite familiar with 911s, and various versions of the car top my personal wish list. However, from what my drive in this car told me, I wouldn't spend a moment wishing I had spent the extra money on a GTS over a standard S. Porsche is squeezing every last bit it can out of the Carrera range before the next iteration arrives, but there's just no reason to buy into the 11th-hour madness.
But I want to look at the final sticker on a similarly equipped Carrera S. If it ends up being pretty close, then yeah, might as well go with the GTS.
What separates a Carrera S from a Carrera GTS? For starters, the GTS puts an $11,200 bigger dent in your pocketbook if you compare base prices, but you do get more in the GTS. More begins with the additional 23 hp that Mac and Roger mention above. Torque remains the same at 310 lb-ft but comes 200 rpm earlier at 4,200 rpm, compared with that on the S. Top speed of the GTS is 2 mph higher in the GTS at 188 mph and it gets to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds with the dual-clutch transmission, which is a smidge quicker than the S's 4.3-second time with the same gearbox, according to Porsche.
Visually, the GTS gains the wide bodywork from the all-wheel-drive models, a wider track, center-mount RS Spyder wheels with meaty 305/30R-19 tires in back, a different lower front fascia and side skirts. All of the exterior jewelry is painted black, which gives our particular black test car an even more sinister appearance.
In the cabin, the sport seats get Alcantara inserts to keep occupants better held in place, and Alcantara is also used to cover the steering wheel and the parking-brake handle.
Driving the GTS is, as expected, nothing short of spectacular. The boxer six-cylinder is eager and pulls throughout the rev range. The ZF gearbox is one of the best dual-clutch units available, with impeccable shift response. Steering is direct with loads of feedback and satisfying weight, and the brakes are typical Porsche strong. Find some corners and the GTS is unflappable, with more grip and capabilities than you'll ever be able to exhaust on the streets.
Porsche says it did the GTS to close the gap between the S and the GT3 with 435 hp. I didn't really think that gap was in need of filling, but with this generation of the 911 heading off in the sunset, you can't fault Porsche of squeezing ever last drop out of the 997 in its last year. And in Porsche terms, an $11,000 price jump isn't exactly jaw-dropping. You get some extra power, a wide body, slicker wheels and some fancy interior touches. I wouldn't blame you for throwing down for the GTS over the S.
If this is compromise, somebody alert Congress. The 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS is supposed to be the perfect balance between screamers like the GT3 and the GT3 RS and the lower orders of Carrera. Well, frankly, I would take any of them, but the GTS is less severe and more liveable than a GT3 while allowing you to safely approach the GT3's handling prowess. It is maybe the fastest car you could drive every day, though, again, I would drive any of them every day. I'd be like the rat in the experiment that keeps hitting the "pleasure" button until it collapses from joy.
In this case (though the car is full of them) the pleasure button is perhaps the seven-speed PDK transmission on the GTS that I drove in Los Angles. In "D," in case you are trying to save gas or for some other reason restrain yourself, it upshifts way early. Use the shifter paddles while the trans is in D and it'll shift where you want it to shift but will then go back on its own to upshifting early. However, knock the shifter lever over to the left and it'll hold gears, allowing you to maintain composure through a turn, though if you forget and stop for a while at a red light it'll start in first. In sport and sport-plus it will hold gears and shift at higher rpm.
In any case, you get an awful lot out of the 408-hp flat-six with this. I got a 4.3-second 0-to-60-mph time, for instance, using our Racelogic timing device. Just step on the gas and go. I did not try the top track speed of 188 mph, but I have no reason to doubt it. If you insist on having angst you could say that the GT3 is best for great mountain roads and the simple Carrera is best for freeways. Frankly, you need to have one of each. But if you can't do that, the GTS is the best of all worlds.
That is, until the new 911 debuts at Frankfurt.
