Porsche’s New 911 Carrera GTS Adds Turbos, Is It Still Great?

New Carrera GTS is everything that was great about the old one, plus 10 percent.

Porsche’s 911 GTS slots into the lineup between the Carrera S and the higher performance models like the GT3 and the Turbo. In doing so, Porsche has given a little bit more of everything to the GTS. More wheel and tire, more power, more luxury, and more sound. For most 911 buyers, this is the car that fills the Goldilocks role of being “just right.” It’s not quite as hardcore as the GT3. It’s not as mind-numbingly fast as the 911 Turbo. And its an all-around better car than the Carrera S. Call it the sweet spot of the lineup, if you like.

Since the 911 GTS was launched with the 997 generation, we’ve loved it to bits. And the 991.1 GTS remains one of our favorite Porsche models of all time. This new model is powered by a smaller displacement turbocharged flat-six engine lifted from the 911 Carrera S model. It’s also imbued with their “power kit” enhancements. As such, it’s more powerful, faster, quicker, and a more impressive complete package. The naturally aspirated GTS that this replaces sounds better than the turbocharged model, but the glorious noise at the 3-minute mark of the The Smoking Tire‘s video above is helping us get over some of that.

CHECK OUT: What Forum Members Are Saying About This Just-Right 911

While head smoker Matt Farah seems to have some trouble with the GTS’s sat nav, basically everything else he has to say about the car indicates a glowing review. He even loves the car’s turning radius. Save a few bucks by not getting the AWD or the PDCC, and you’ll have a mega daily driver Porsche for about one and a quarter. The GTS comes with enough standard equipment that you really wouldn’t need to add any options to the car. Just make sure you get the 7-speed stick, it’s a gem.

Via [The Smoking Tire]