Porsche 911 Carrera GTS review by Autocar
Mar 2, 2011 | 11:10 AM
#1
Thread Starter
| Teamspeed Pro
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 31,554
From: Zoo York
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS review by Autocar 
Autocar's Vicky Parrott gets behind the wheel of the new Porsche 911 GTS and likes it, a lot.
What is it?
There is no such thing as a bad Porsche 911, but with no fewer than 22 variations on the theme including this new GTS coupe, the question of which one best suits your requirements is getting ever trickier.
Our initial test of the GTS showed that this new model, with the wider body of the four-wheel drive 911s combined with rear-wheel drive and a more powerful, 402bhp version of the 3.8-litre flat six was quite possibly the best of the Carreras.
What’s it like?
A stint on UK roads as only confirmed our suspicions about how good this 911 is. Our test car came with optional £769 sports suspension, which brings 20mm lowered ride height and firmer springs to the standard variable adaptive damper system and also adds a mechanical diff to the equation.
The ride quality that results can be slightly unforgiving when in sport mode at lower speeds, but honestly, who cares? Yes, it’s a little bouncy around town, but the compromise between body control and damper absorption is still amongst the best you will find in any sports car and that works in Britain as well as anywhere else.
The real appeal of the GTS is the happy medium it strikes between offering more focused responses that have whispers of the GT3 about them, and yet just as much livability as a standard Carrera 2S. It is approachable because it offers such good feedback and delicacy of response through its alcantara-rimmed steering wheel, and with the diff on our car it also delivers even more traction and adjustability.
Another bonus is that peak 310lb ft of torque is delivered from 4200rpm compared to the C2S’s 4400rpm. It’s a marginal difference but having a wider spread of torque helps the sense of immediacy that you get in the GTS, even at low revs.
Should I buy one?
Consider that opting for a standard C2S will save you just over £2000 on the GTS, yet the latter comes as standard with the excellent £1465 sports exhaust system amongst other notable extras – not least the more powerful engine, wider track and wide body looks.
The only question left is quite why anybody looking at the ‘normal’ rear-wheel drive 911s wouldn’t choose the GTS. It’s not a middle-ground, because that suggests compromise. With the exception of those yearning for forced induction or a roll-cage (or both), it’s perilously close to being the only 911 you should buy.
Vicky Parrott
There is no such thing as a bad Porsche 911, but with no fewer than 22 variations on the theme including this new GTS coupe, the question of which one best suits your requirements is getting ever trickier.
Our initial test of the GTS showed that this new model, with the wider body of the four-wheel drive 911s combined with rear-wheel drive and a more powerful, 402bhp version of the 3.8-litre flat six was quite possibly the best of the Carreras.
What’s it like?
A stint on UK roads as only confirmed our suspicions about how good this 911 is. Our test car came with optional £769 sports suspension, which brings 20mm lowered ride height and firmer springs to the standard variable adaptive damper system and also adds a mechanical diff to the equation.
The ride quality that results can be slightly unforgiving when in sport mode at lower speeds, but honestly, who cares? Yes, it’s a little bouncy around town, but the compromise between body control and damper absorption is still amongst the best you will find in any sports car and that works in Britain as well as anywhere else.
The real appeal of the GTS is the happy medium it strikes between offering more focused responses that have whispers of the GT3 about them, and yet just as much livability as a standard Carrera 2S. It is approachable because it offers such good feedback and delicacy of response through its alcantara-rimmed steering wheel, and with the diff on our car it also delivers even more traction and adjustability.
Another bonus is that peak 310lb ft of torque is delivered from 4200rpm compared to the C2S’s 4400rpm. It’s a marginal difference but having a wider spread of torque helps the sense of immediacy that you get in the GTS, even at low revs.
Should I buy one?
Consider that opting for a standard C2S will save you just over £2000 on the GTS, yet the latter comes as standard with the excellent £1465 sports exhaust system amongst other notable extras – not least the more powerful engine, wider track and wide body looks.
The only question left is quite why anybody looking at the ‘normal’ rear-wheel drive 911s wouldn’t choose the GTS. It’s not a middle-ground, because that suggests compromise. With the exception of those yearning for forced induction or a roll-cage (or both), it’s perilously close to being the only 911 you should buy.
Vicky Parrott
Mar 9, 2011 | 12:46 AM
#9
Teamspeed Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 249
From: Fort Lauderdale
I just got mine in Meteor Grey Mettalic - coupe with PDK.... traded in my 18,000 mile 2010 GT3 for in on Friday. This car rocks! I am so delighted not to be weilding a 30lb clutch in traffic & bottoming out on every low spot. People say why? I say race cars are for the track - street cars are for the street... it took me a while to get it.
Mar 9, 2011 | 01:02 AM
#10
Teamspeed Pro
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,468
From: Los Angeles, CA
I just got mine in Meteor Grey Mettalic - coupe with PDK.... traded in my 18,000 mile 2010 GT3 for in on Friday. This car rocks! I am so delighted not to be weilding a 30lb clutch in traffic & bottoming out on every low spot. People say why? I say race cars are for the track - street cars are for the street... it took me a while to get it.
