![]() But consider this: the 2015 model’s engine output is a mere five horses down on the last-gen GT3, and it also happens to be the mightiest rear-wheel drive coupe Porsche offers with a manual transmission lurking on the order sheet. I want to be clear: the 2015 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS isn’t intended as a GT3 substitute, but rather a more powerful version of the 911 formula that doesn’t sacrifice day-to-day comfort in the pursuit of performance. The GTS cab was perfectly willing to snake through canyon twists and turns very much too fast, providing me with the utmost confidence in its ability to handle the many long downhill runs that never straightened out for longer than 10 metres or so. You can also get the Carrera GTS in cabriolet form, and while the reduced chassis stiffness compared to the coupe was immediately noticeable at Willow Springs, on the ride back to Pasadena it was almost completely imperceptible. Moving beyond the visual aspect, it’s clear that there’s a difference in driving personality between AWD and RWD editions of the GTS that reveals itself most distinctly on a road course, where the former exchanges increased cornering grip and a more settled character at high speeds for less steering feel through the wheel. AWD versus RWD versus ToplessĪs with the previous edition of the GTS, regardless of whether you order the Carrera 4 GTS with its all-wheel drive system or the standard rear-wheel drive Carrera GTS you get the same swollen haunches and wider track at the rear of the car (in this case an additional 36 mm). Stirring the pot are your choice of either a seven-speed manual or seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automated manual transmission, and Porsche claims a 0-100 km/h time of four seconds with the latter installed – about the same as what you’d get out of a Carrera S. X-ray the GTS mill’s intake, however, and you’ll discover what Porsche calls a ‘variable resonance induction system’ that, together with revised intake valves and more aggressive exhaust tuning have yielded an additional 30 horsepower over the S model’s 400 ponies (torque remains flat at 325 lb-ft). Open the access panel at the rear of the 911 Carrera GTS and you’ll find the same 3.8-litre, horizontally-opposed six-cylinder motor unit that takes up space in the Carrera S’ engine compartment. Given the typically inflated cost of individual Porsche options, this helps to make the near-$18k price differential between the Carrera S and the Carrera GTS that much easier to swallow. You also get Alcantara leather seats and a leather interior as standard equipment, HID headlights with unique smoked lenses, and 20-inch centre lock rims. Specifically, the GTS trim bundles together a number of options that one would have to pay extra for with the Carrera S, including the track-oriented Sport Chrono package, an active sport exhaust system, and Porsche’s PASM adaptive suspension. The 2015 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS isn’t a dramatic improvement over the Carrera S model that sits just beneath it in the pecking order – rather, it’s a question of combining hotter performance with better packaging. Also: Porsche Thanks Their Customers With A Special Edition. ![]() ![]()
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