If the classic 911 is too soft and the GT3 is too brutal, you will find it in the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS. It is a bit more nimble than the basic 911 and is a lot of fun as a convertible with manual transmission.
It’s not always easy as a Porsche 911 fan. The Carrera is too soft for some and the GT3 too brutal. So what to do These indecisive ones can be helped. The solution to the problem has the abbreviation GTS in its name. At Porsche, this traditionally stands for Gran Turismo Sport and is more than just an equipment variant. “It was our goal to sharpen the Carrera S even more,” explains Michael Rössler, Overall Vehicle Project Manager 911, adding a number: “The GTS is two seconds faster than its predecessor on the Nordschleife.” The Nürburgring is and will remain the benchmark for all sporty products that bear the Zuffenhausen coat of arms on the front hood.
You don’t just shake something like that off your wrist. The flat six-ender hammer with 353 kW / 480 PS and a maximum torque of 570 Newton meters on the two drive axles. That is 22 kW / 30 PS and 40 Newton meters more than the Porsche Carrera 911 S. We have chosen the hand-torn version and are happy about around 35 kilograms less load on the rear axle compared to the PDK version. It is wonderful to have the luck of the shift with the short stick in your own hand. You can do the manual transmission at Porsche! The paths through the alleys are crisp, short and precise. Click, click, click. We quickly merge with the transmission and often only shift to keep the magnificent engine happy. Despite the double charge, it is aware of its tradition and only starts working with full zeal beyond the 4,000 revolutions. The open GTS 4 completes the sprint from zero to 100 km / h in 4.3 seconds and is up to 307 km / h. Those who opt for the PDK transmission are 0.8 seconds faster, but miss the joy of shifting.
To ensure that this joy of turning and sprinting also gets onto the road, the engineers took a very close look at the chassis of the Porsche 911 Turbo and installed a helper spring on the rear axle. This means that the main springs are always under tension, which improves responsiveness and thus traction. The sports suspension with a ten millimeter lowering is fitted as standard on our convertible. In addition, there are the usual driving dynamics suspects: A mechanical differential lock on the rear axle and rear axle steering garnished with a good pinch of torque vectoring. The fact that the body of the GTS generally dips ten millimeters lower over the asphalt is just as important in the agility calculation as the aerodynamic optimizations: fins on the underbody, which help to generate 30 percent more contact pressure at the front. In order to maintain the balance, the rear spoiler is extended more and generates more downforce.
The equation works. The Porsche 911 Carerra 4 GTS Cabrio experience begins as soon as you turn in. The open-air 911, which weighs 1,630 kilograms, happily follows the steering angle and does not allow itself to be asked for long when accelerating out, as long as the boxer is kept happy with revs. The festival of lateral acceleration is not disturbed by a rear axle that suddenly develops a life of its own. Loosely based on the philosopher Descartes, the principle is: I steer, so I drive. Wonderfully how intuitively this 911 can be circled around the corner, how the front axle intervenes when accelerating out and how effortlessly one masters every curve radius. With this car you are relaxed and fast on the road, but you can also cruise at 50 km / h in seventh gear.
As soon as you let the balaclava disappear into the hood compartment, the storm and stress time of the GTS 911 reaches a new dimension and the Zuffenhausen vehicle finally mutates into the bride of the wind. Windows and wind deflector down and the mild breeze in the interior is transformed into a stiff breeze, in the center of which the driver enjoys the force of the elements and the power of the sonorous sawing six-cylinder power plant in his back.
The fact that this enthusiasm for agility is bought with a somewhat tighter set-up is acknowledged with a relaxed smile. Especially since the GTS never mutated into a disc killer. Speaking of price: for the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabrio you have to put at least 163,115 euros on the table. Quite steep, but this sum is forgotten after the first corner – I promise.
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