First drive: Porsche 911 GTS

Was ist das?

This is the new 424bhp 911 GTS. It fits into the 911 range above the S and below the GT3, and is the second time the GTS badging has been seen on the benchmark rear-engined car.

The first time we saw it on the 911 was at the very end of the 997 lifecycle, back in 2011. That car was a ‘greatest hits' of the 997 range all rolled up into one car, and priced a good £20k less than it would have cost if you'd got busy with the configurator.

With its more powerful motor, delete-option rear seats, wide body and a stack of detail improvements, it was, by quite some margin, the best value, most complete, 997-gen 911 you could buy.

Same story with this one?

In many ways yes. But not entirely, as you have to be careful with how you spec it to get the best from the formula: tick a few of the wrong boxes and you'll be missing the point.

The sweet spot is the base GTS with two-wheel drive and manual seven-speed box. This car offers a barge-load of extra power and useful options over the standard Carrera S for not much more money (relative to the price of the car, at least).

The rear-drive manual version is also, by a stretch, the purest-handling, most fun of the GTS mini range, which also includes four-wheel drive and cabriolet options.

What do you get with the GTS that the S doesn't have?

It's a laundry list of the small and large, but the major features are a more powerful engine than the Carrera S's - a 30bhp hike to 424bhp, the Carrera 4's wider body, 20-inch centre-lock wheels, Sport Chrono Pack and sports exhaust.

The GTS package costs around £7,500 more than a standard S, but specced individually the engine upgrades alone would set you back almost £2k more than that, so the rest of the stuff, according to TG Man Maths, is effectively free.

PDK or manual, though?

As much as we love Porsche's PDK double clutch gearbox - it's still probably the best in the business - the company has outdone itself with the newly revamped seven-speed manual. This is, without little doubt, the best manual gearbox I have ever used. Smooth, quick, precise, it's like Porsche has reinvented it all over again. It's uniquely polished details like this that make so many people continue to buy Porsches.

Is this GTS, like the last one, signalling the end of the 991 range?

Not this time. It's going to become a regular member of the 911 line-up from now on. That said, the 911 is due for a refresh in the next year or so, so expect to see some new features added to the range in the not too distant future.

How does it drive?

The C2 GTS, much like the GTS version of the Cayman and Boxster, is the 911 at its best. Not too extreme to be a pain to use everyday, but exciting enough to be interesting at all road speeds. Compared with a standard 991, the steering feels more direct and precise; the suspension, which is slightly lowered, is just the right amount more composed.

Driven flat-out on a racetrack, it's excellent fun. But even at more sane speeds on the road the GTS is more entertaining, too, just a little more sorted and purposeful.

So should I buy one?

Yes, if you buy the base two-wheel drive manual model, which is both conspicuously good value and the best expression of the GTS badge in the 991 range. Maybe even if you want a PDK or four-wheel drive. But probably not if you want a convertible, as you would be missing the point in the GTS. Better, in that case, to opt for a standard open-topped 991 Carrera.