Porsche Carrera 911 GTS, its best form is sports cars

Choose between different models in the range Porsche 911 it is not an easy task. Everyone will find something to their liking: front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, convertible, Targa, coupe or turbo, GT3 or S. Where is the new? Porsche Carrera 911 GTS in all this? If we go see the price (coupe starts with 131.431 euros)I would say halfway between the Carrera S and the GT3. He certainly falls between the two for other reasons.

La 911 signed GTS contains all the usability of a regular Carrera stole DNA from the racing GT3 itself. A sportier 911 that prefers driving pleasure while sacrificing a minimum of comfort.

Live, he looks like an athlete who “pulls up” before the competition: he shows a little more muscle, but it's all about the subtleties. In fact, the body is oversized like the Carrera 4, and the 20-inch alloy wheels (standard) are on the Turbo, with a single nut, which is what many racing cars use. It will be nonsense, but I love this detail.

It is a muscle renewal this affects the entire car, not just the appearance. Suspension is 20mm lower than the S, a 7-speed PDK gearbox is standard, a sport exhaust is also available, and the 3.0-liter turbocharger is boosted by 30bhp. 450 h.p. and 550 Nm full torque. Enough to accelerate the Porsche 911 GTS from 0 to 100 km / h in 4,1 seconds (3,7 with PDK) to a top speed of 312 km / h.

In addition, there are larger 350mm front and 330mm rear brake discs – optional carbon-ceramic – and plenty of Alcantara in the interior, including the steering wheel. Then all GTSs include PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) and the Sport Chrono package, which includes active engine mounts and a drive mode selector.

PEDALS PLEASE

I will immediately take possession of one 911 Targa 4 GTS with wonderful 7-speed manual transmission and three pedals, which, oddly enough, costs about 2.000 euros. How the world is changing ...

La Clutch it is not hard at all, and the start is no more difficult than with golf. Controlling this short, dry and precise gear lever is a pleasure even at low speeds.

This allows you to immediately install intimate relationship with the car, an intimacy that even a lightning PDK change cannot match. Feels like 30 hp. more, but the line performance isn't that far from the Carrera S.

What is clear is that the car seems more compact, assembled, maneuverable. A few curves are enough to understand that GTS limit is very high and that it takes a much more tortuous path to emphasize this properly. Fortunately, we leave the motorway and head along the beautiful mountain roads above Desenzano del Garda.

I've said it before: new 3.0-liter turbo engine The Carrera is the closest turbo to naturally aspirated engine I have ever tried. The feed rises so progressively and without holes that it is tempting to examine the last thousand laps of the rev counter; only two things "twist" it: powerful torque at the bottom (550 Nm constant between 2.150 and 5.500 rpm) and the absence of fireworks near the red zone. But to be a turbocharged engine, it stretches, damn it, stretches. In sport mode, pleasant pops, roars and gurglings come from the exhaust pipe. It can't even match the sound of the old aspirator, but you know what? You will quickly forget.

Real added value this 911 GTS how it carries you along when the road allows you to drive... It is more accurate, has more grip and provides clearer information than the Carrera S. I force into a quick third turn and am surprised how much the GTS resists understeer. GTS curves, period. L 'the front always seems light, but never feels "flying" even if you accelerate too early out of corners. What a car. The manual transmission is your best ally: the pedals are optimally positioned for heel touch, but in sport mode it automatically does the double work for you, avoiding annoying braking headaches. And trust me, the GTS rides very hard, with the same power and endurance that Porsche taught us to, with a little extra effort.

The 911 GTS is also equipped with the best of them. Pirelli PZero CorsaThis no doubt increases the GTS's cornering ability, but I don't remember having to sweat so much with the 4S to cause oversteer. For this reason, I am going with the Carrera 4 GTS and opting for the PDK-only version with rear-wheel drive.

Immediately the two-wheel drive version appears to be more agile, with more transparent and lighter steering., only one task is free to complete: rotate. Now yes, I can get the rear to slip in corners, but the grip is so monumental even so that one has to look for oversteer. PDK remains a lightning-fast change, but if it's perfect for quieter 911s, it takes a piece of the puzzle out of the more interactive and authentic GTS. Either way, however you choose, get on your feet.

SO GTS?

Therefore, it is worth spending this extra money on GTS Race? In fact, I thought I would find a very “learn more GT3” it is less Career... He misses that wild streak of a racing 911, but how feeling and the pace, I don't think, is that far; not to mention it's definitely more elegant and discreet. La The Porsche Carrera 911 GTS is simply a 911 at its peak: Each of its components has been improved to provide the ultimate in driving pleasure as well as an incredibly beautiful look. The increased rigidity barely interferes with day-to-day use (thanks to PASM, which works wonders too), but when the road clears and winds on its own, you know where that extra money has gone. Yes, it's worth it. Especially with a manual transmission.