What Makes a 991 Carrera GTS?

what makes a 911 GTS Porsche

The 991 was a completely new platform for Porsche, and only the third since the 911 was introduced.  The 901 was first, followed by the 996, and then the 991.  It was also the first platform introduced after Porsche had become part of VAG, though the design work was completed prior to the acquisition.

The new platform introduced a number of changes over the 996/997 generation cars; longer wheelbase, wider front track, lower roofline, significant interior upgrades, and more.  Many say the car is more of a tourer than prior generations, and this is inline with my own impressions after my first back to back drive of the 997 and 991 GTS cars.  

In time, I’ll share my impressions on some of the non-GTS specific features introduced with the 991 including electronic assisted steering, the 7 speed manual, the electronic parking brake and more.  Like others who have shared opinions on the 991, I have mixed feelings about some of these “improvements”.

Back to the topic at hand, which is what makes a 991 GTS?  The recipe is largely the same as what makes a 997 GTS: design and performance.

The most visual difference in my opinion is the wide body design.  With the 991 Porsche offered four ways to buy a wide body, two-wheel drive naturally aspirated 911: the GTS, 911R, GT3, and GT3 RS.  Note that the first three are 1,852 mm, while the GT3 RS offers an even wider body at 1,880 mm. 

Other design changes for the exterior included darkened lights, black centerlock wheels, Sport Design front spoiler & exterior mirrors, a black engine grille & rear louvers.  On the inside of the 991 GTS you’ll find Sport Plus seats, Alcantara upholstery with contrasting stitching, black gauges and anodized black aluminum trim.  Features could be optioned out, for instance my GTS is equipped with 5 lug wheels and leather seats.

Performance improvements include Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV), Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), and the X51 Powerkit which adds 30 hp to the 3.8 liter using modified cylinder heads & camshafts, a variable resonance intake plenum with switchable valves to act like ITBs, and adjustments to the ECU.  Peak torque doesn’t change, but is moved up in the RPM range for “usability” on the street. 

For the true enthusiasts, a few GTS trivia nuggets in closing.  The 991.1 GTS was the first GTS available in Targa form, and the last 991.1 GTS (i.e. the last naturally aspirated GTS) was in Carmine Red.