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.