Porsche 911 GTS 2017: Critics praise 'perfectly judged' Carrera

Among the highlights of this year's Detroit Motor Show is the news that Porsche will be adding high-performance GTS variants to its 911 range this year.

As the range-topping variant of the turbocharged 991.2 generation of 911 sports car, GTS models will receive a power boost of 30bhp and an extra 37lb-ft torque to their 3.0-litre flat-six engines. This will bring the total output up to 444bhp and 406lb-ft torque.

The company's dual-clutch PDK gearbox and Sport Chrono package, which includes sports chassis and engine modes, launches the 911 GTS from zero to 62mph in 3.6secs and on to a top speed of 194mph.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The firm's active suspension management (PASM) comes as standard and lowers the ride height of all GTS models by 0.4ins, dropping the centre of gravity and improving the car's handling.

The interior has also had a few upgrades. GTS models will have "Alcantara seats with GTS logos", says AutoExpress, as well as lashings of aluminium and "a stop watch on the dash". An updated version of Porsche's Track Precision app is also included. This allows owners to "display driving data" on their smartphone.

Exterior changes include a wide body – previously only available on four-wheel drive models – as well as a redesigned front splitter and rear spoiler to reduce aerodynamic lift. There are also black highlights on the exhaust, air vents and rear-lights, as well as GTS graphics to distinguish the car from base model Carreras.

Reviews

Porsche has cleverly delivered a car that has its own characteristics, says Autocar, with the larger turbochargers giving lots of "deep down torque" to breathe fresh life into the 911 chassis.

Cornering has also been improved and the GTS demonstrates a level of "poise" through corners not available on a regular Carrera road car. This makes it arguably the "best normal 911" on the market and is "every bit as good" as expected, says the site.

"There's a pause no longer than the blink of an eye as you apply full throttle and the turbos build boost" in the GTS with PDK gearbox, AutoExpress says, and while switching the driving mode into Sport and Sport+ improves the throttle response, drivers will "still notice" a hint of turbo lag.

But the refinements to the electric steering are "genuinely lovely", it adds, making driver inputs and front axle feedback feel "perfectly judged".

Evo says that many claim the new turbocharged 911s don't have the same drivability as the older models. The new GTS, however, "feels more like a 911 of old".

The manual gearbox and electric steering are "very good" and bring with them a more involved driving experience that allows the driver to "pick apart" a good stretch of road.

The range is expected to reach the UK in March, says Evo. Prices start at £94,316 for rear-wheel drive coupes, with the all-wheel drive Targa 4 GTS starting at £108,144, the magazine adds.