Is the M491 really a 911 GTS?

The essence of a GTS.  It’s the focus here at GTSence.  I’ve written about models like the 991 GTS and 997 GTS, and plan to explore both in more depth.  Porsche offers the GTS as a model across their range, as do other manufacturers.  

Though the first 911 GTS came with the 997.2 in 2011, I’ve wondered if Porsche produced earlier 911 models with the essence of a GTS; perhaps even an air cooled version. 

Many of the mechanical features that make a 911 GTS can be ordered as options on any 911 model from the factory: alcantera, center locking wheels, X51 Powerkit, etc.  While these features certainly help to create the essence of a GTS, they are less special than one particular feature that cannot be ordered as an option: the wide body design.

With the 997 Porsche offered just two ways to buy a wide body, two-wheel drive, naturally aspirated car: the GTS and GT3 RS.  Although the number of choices doubled with the 991, the wide body, two-wheel drive, naturally aspirated design was still limited to the GTS, 911R, GT3, and GT3 RS.  In my opinion, the wide body design is a defining feature for any 911 that can be said to have a GTSence; more specifically a wide body, two-wheel drive, naturally aspirated design.

While Porsche didn’t use the GTS badge, I think there is an air cooled car that has the essence of a GTS.  From 1984 – 89, Porsche offered the Carrera 3.2 with an optional M491 “Turbo Look” package which included: 

• Wide body design
• Whale tail style spoiler (or M470 spoiler delete)
• Wrap around chin spoiler
• Turbo suspension, wheels, tires and brakes 

The  M491 “Turbo Look” (aka SSE for Special Sport Equipment or simply SuperSport in other countries) sounds remarkably similar to a modern 911 GTS with both design and performance upgrades including what I consider to be a defining feature: a wide body design in a two-wheel drive, naturally aspirated package.

In my estimation, the M491 is essentially an air cooled 911 GTS!  Here’s a great resource for those interested in the Turbo Look cars: https://www.turbo-look.com/

History of the wide body 911 Porsche & why it matters

One of the defining features of the GTS is the wide body design.  With both the 997.2 and 991.1 generation cars, the GTS is one of the few possible paths to buying a naturally aspirated, two-wheel drive wide body 911 Porsche.

For both GTS variants, the wide body design adds 22 mm to each side for a more muscular appearance.  The change offers more than improved looks though, a wide body stance also offers advantages to the performance minded.  Keep reading below for more info on the history of the wide body including which 911 models use this design, then check out our related post for bonus info on the performance advantages of a wide body design.

I was curious to understand how performance is affected by a wide body design, and also wondered when the first wide body 911 Porsche was introduced.  The first Porsche that I remember noticing as a kid was the 70’s era 911 RS/RSR; the wide body was a prominent design element for those cars.

In fact, the ‘73 Carrera 2.7 RS is the first 911 to wear the wide body design, followed by the RSR in ‘74.  As these were limited production models, many would say a wide body 911 Porsche model really didn’t become mainstream until the introduction of the 911 Turbo in ‘75 in Europe (‘76 in the US), and it has remained a defining feature of the model since.

By the 1980’s enthusiasts began welding arches on to naturally aspirated 911’s to achieve the muscular look of the Turbo.  Porsche embraced this interest and began to offer Turbo-look cars that adopted the wide body design in addition to other enhancements.  Optioned as the M491 or Turbo-Look package starting in 1984, the cars were initially given a wide body stance by attaching arches to a narrow body car.  By 1986 Porsche began producing the M491 cars using a wide body side panel.

Next came a range of special edition two-wheel drive, naturally aspirated cars in wide body including the 3.2 Speedster, 964 Speedster, the America Roadster, and other models available outside the US.  Porsche then went with a wide body layout for all 993 Carrera S cars only to revert back to a narrow body design for all 996 two-wheel drive, naturally aspirated cars sold in the US (i.e. the GT3 RS was a notable wide body exception in the 996 range, but was not available in the US market).

The 997 generation offered two wide body options in a two-wheel drive, naturally aspirated format, the GTS (and GTS-based special editions like the Speedster) and GT3 RS.  With the 991 the line-up became a bit more complex.  The GTS (and GTS-based special editions like the 50th Anniversary 911), 911 R, and GT3 models were built with a 1,852 mm wide body design, while the GT3 RS used a 1,880 mm “ultra wide body” shared with the 911 Turbo.  With the introduction of the 992, Porsche announced that all models will be delivered in wide body.

With the history of the wide body as a backdrop, let’s shift the focus to performance.  In this area, there are two factors to consider: traction and suspension dynamics.  A wide body design allows for a bigger tire while keeping the wheels inboard of the bodywork.  The larger tire contact patch results in increased traction which supports more power for performance oriented driving.

A wide body design can also affect suspension dynamics such as body roll and over/under steer.  In simple terms, stability is increased as the wheels are pushed outward from the centerline of the car.  Read more about how a wide body design affects performance in this post comparing a 997 GTS and Carrera S.

The history of the GTS and Porsche

For me, the GTS feels like a spec created for the 911, perfectly bridging the road-focused Carrera S and the track-focused GT3.  Representing the best of both worlds, the Grand Turismo Sport delivers it all in a single model.

Though in my opinion the 911 GTS is arguably the best execution of the spec, it is not the first or the only GTS.  Many other marques have worn these letters including Ferrari, Maserati, Dodge, Holden, Toyota, and even Vespa!  In time, we may have the opportunity to examine each of these specimens, but my primary interest is with the history of the GTS and Porsche. 

The 911 wasn’t even the first Porsche to bear the GTS badge.  That honor goes to the 904, a mid-engined, race car from the 1960’s.  The Porsche 904 GTS was built to compete in the popular Gran Turismo racing classes, but still capable of being driven on the road.  First entered in the 1964 World Sportscar Championship, the 904 GTS won the manufacturer’s world championship in 1964 and 1965.

This race-before-road design ethos continued into the 1980’s with the 924 Carrera GTS, before the 928 GTS was introduced in the 1990’s as the first GTS to perhaps emphasize touring over sport; a trend that continued with the 2008 Cayenne GTS that followed the 928.  

It wasn’t until the 991 launch was approaching, that Porsche gave us the 911 GTS as a swansong to the 997.2.  Most of what makes a GTS can be spec-ed from the factory as a well appointed Carrera S (i.e. Alcantara, Centerlocks, X50 Powerkit) with one notable exception.  There were only two ways to buy a wide body, two-wheel drive, naturally aspirated 997: the GTS and GT3 RS.  You could also count special models like the Sport Classic and Speedster, but these are really just GTSs in disguise.

Given the GTS’s popularity, Porsche offered it with both generations of the 991, and it should be no surprise that a 992 GTS is in development.

Perhaps no other manufacturer has offered as many GTS models.  The entire family of Porsche cars are available in GTS form, except for the new Taycan – though who knows what the future holds.