Any love for the 997 GTS?

[Zio Di Roma]

jed1234 said:

Does anyone know this manual 997.2 GTS? Asides from the red leather interior (appreciate that is marmite to some) I'm struggling to see why it has been on the market for well over a year. I personally quite like the red.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409204...

I sold my platinum silver manual GTS to Paragon last summer due to needing the funds for a home renovation. I wish I'd just added finance to the car for funds, as I miss it a lot! Thinking about buying another now, but as to be expected, not many manuals listed...

You’d need to like the colour red. Looks overdone to my eye.

[jed1234]

I've always felt red photographs so badly. Could be wrong, but I believe the red on this car looks quite deep/burgundy in person (it isn't bordeaux red but not too far off.)

[Zio Di Roma]

jed1234 said:

I've always felt red photographs so badly. Could be wrong, but I believe the red on this car looks quite deep/burgundy in person (it isn't bordeaux red but not too far off.)

Not sure about the 997 but when I had a 986 there were two reds. The red red was punchy but the Boxster red was lovely and photographed well.

[c4sman]

jed1234 said:

Does anyone know this manual 997.2 GTS? Asides from the red leather interior (appreciate that is marmite to some) I'm struggling to see why it has been on the market for well over a year. I personally quite like the red.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409204...

I sold my platinum silver manual GTS to Paragon last summer due to needing the funds for a home renovation. I wish I'd just added finance to the car for funds, as I miss it a lot! Thinking about buying another now, but as to be expected, not many manuals listed...

Suspect it’s all about the red interior. You’d have to be sure it’s a keeper as resale would be a challenge. 997 GTS manuals often stick around for a bit when up for sale as everyone demands a premium due to rarity (and I say that as an owner of one for 11 years).

[Wills2]

braddo said:

They're attractive wheels and I like being able to see them better:

I agree they look so much better than the painted wheels with the silver pin strip, transforms the look of the car, if I was lucky enough to have a GTS it's the first thing I'd do.

[Koln-RS]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409204...

Of course colours are personal - but that combo will seriously restrict its appeal.

If GTS Manual Coupes are being valued at a premium, most buyers will be looking for a desirable colour match (from the albeit limited choices).

The Black alone will divide opinion - a high maintenance colour that, imo, doesn’t really flatter the GTS, or the GT cars.

Red interiors don’t photo well and that one, with bright red everywhere, does look like an explosion in a lipstick factory.
Whereas the deeper/darker Bordeaux Red/ Black (two-tone) interior can look quite classy - although, even that changes in photos.

[Cheib]

Even if it had a black steering wheel it would make a difference.

Mine was platinum silver with a really good spec…sold through RPM within two weeks and was priced at the top end of the market.

[jed1234]

This car actually did have an alcantara wheel, it was up for sale privately before being listed by the current dealership (who have seemingly removed/changed it.)

My platinum silver car also sold in it's first week with Paragon, I also thought they had listed it at a punchy price, but seemingly not.

[maz8062]

Interesting review of the GTS by Jayemm. Spoiler alert, he has a different opinion to the 9Werks channel’s view of the model.

https://youtu.be/2BCEEpgyP8o?si=4Rh_RmhUm2dds0W4

[Zio Di Roma]

maz8062 said:

Interesting review of the GTS by Jayemm. Spoiler alert, he has a different opinion to the 9Werks channel’s view of the model.

https://youtu.be/2BCEEpgyP8o?si=4Rh_RmhUm2dds0W4

Can you summarise to save me from having to actually listen to him?

[maz8062]

Zio Di Roma said:

Can you summarise to save me from having to actually listen to him?

Over priced and not worth the money. He didn’t like the PDK and rated it well behind a GT3 of the same era. Given the choice, purely on fundamentals for the street, he’d choose a base 997.1 and save the cash.

[Brighton Speed]

maz8062 said:

Zio Di Roma said:

Can you summarise to save me from having to actually listen to him?

Over priced and not worth the money. He didn’t like the PDK and rated it well behind a GT3 of the same era. Given the choice, purely on fundamentals for the street, he’d choose a base 997.1 and save the cash.

He does like to court controversy at times and unfairly (IMO) criticise some Porsches, tending to rate the underdogs above the cars loved by the majority of the motoring media. Helps get everyone's attention I suppose.

Let's not forget he chose to review a heavier 4wd GTS with the wrong gearbox for that model - not exactly the best of the breed with practically anyone with half a brain lauding the 2wd manual as the sweet spot.

He also harped on about that particular car being black, so if you took the badges off nobody would know it's any different than a regular 997... That was after he'd explained how the GTS has a widebody which wasn't a Turbo, which clearly marked it out as being different to a regular 997!

He also didn't mention that a few years ago he'd already done a review of a 997 GTS - that one being a heavy Cabriolet with yes, you guessed it, a PDK gearbox.

Around that time I actually offered the guy a go in my Carrara White 2wd manual GTS with aerokit (a sublime car I totally adored) and he never got back to me. Some people eh..?

[Zio Di Roma]

maz8062 said:

Over priced and not worth the money. He didn’t like the PDK and rated it well behind a GT3 of the same era. Given the choice, purely on fundamentals for the street, he’d choose a base 997.1 and save the cash.

Ah, trying to add “controversial” to his grating presentation style.

Enough words have been written about the 7GTS for most people to make an informed opinion.

[SL550M]

Surely you either want a GTS or you want a GT3. It's all down to personal taste and intended usage. Trying to argue that one is better than the other is largely missing the point.

[Zio Di Roma]

SL550M said:

Surely you either want a GTS or you want a GT3. It's all down to personal taste and intended usage. Trying to argue that one is better than the other is largely missing the point.

“The GT3 is better than the GTS” well colour me shocked.

The 7GTS is widely considered one of the best 911s yet and, when one considers what it cost, it was a bit of a steal.

[Josco010]

I felt he was talking bullocks to be honest, the GTS targets a man who does not want a hardcore car for track days, but a nice comfortable sports car halfway house between the GT3 and C2S. To compare a GTS versus a C2 and talk about the colour and no obvious badges etc etc and say all the stuff he said to qualify his thoughts makes no sense to me though subjective and are his personal opinion.

[maz8062]

Josco010 said:

I felt he was talking bullocks to be honest, the GTS targets a man who does not want a hardcore car for track days, but a nice comfortable sports car halfway house between the GT3 and C2S. To compare a GTS versus a C2 and talk about the colour and no obvious badges etc etc and say all the stuff he said to qualify his thoughts makes no sense to me though subjective and are his personal opinion.

Jayemm is not one of my favourites but he drives a lot of cars, a lot. In the last 6 months for example, he’s driven 6 911’s and a GT4; from an ST, 996 GT2, 997 GT3, 996 GT3, 997.1 C2 and now the GTS. He is just comparing the cars based on his actual experience of driving them…on the road, not track.

If one has never driven a 997.1 C2 manual you don’t know how good they are for the street. They’re effectively a 996.2 C2 with 997 updates, some even have PASM. No they’re not better than a GTS objectively but they’re not meant to be - they’re very good for the driving that 99,9% of folk use their cars for.

Put simply, the 997 GTS is no where near a GT3 - that’s what he was saying.

[PRO5T]

I watched it last night and thought he had a point to be honest.

A mate bought the £55k Friends Green one a couple of years ago, I personally thought that made sense at just over £10k more expensive than a comparative 997.2 Carrera S with similar mileage.

Once you start getting into the £65k + price range that they seem to be now I'd increasingly find it hard to justify.

The "just buy a GT3" argument doesn't wash for me however (even as a GT3 owner), not everyone wants one or the compromises they come with. My mate with his GTS can take his wife and kids out in his GTS (and does) and has zero interest in taking his cars on a track.

[Cheib]

maz8062 said:

Josco010 said:

I felt he was talking bullocks to be honest, the GTS targets a man who does not want a hardcore car for track days, but a nice comfortable sports car halfway house between the GT3 and C2S. To compare a GTS versus a C2 and talk about the colour and no obvious badges etc etc and say all the stuff he said to qualify his thoughts makes no sense to me though subjective and are his personal opinion.

Jayemm is not one of my favourites but he drives a lot of cars, a lot. In the last 6 months for example, he’s driven 6 911’s and a GT4; from an ST, 996 GT2, 997 GT3, 996 GT3, 997.1 C2 and now the GTS. He is just comparing the cars based on his actual experience of driving them…on the road, not track.

If one has never driven a 997.1 C2 manual you don’t know how good they are for the street. They’re effectively a 996.2 C2 with 997 updates, some even have PASM. No they’re not better than a GTS objectively but they’re not meant to be - they’re very good for the driving that 99,9% of folk use their cars for.

Put simply, the 997 GTS is no where near a GT3 - that’s what he was saying.

A manual RWD GTS is a superb road car. It is not nor will it ever be a GT3…it’s got a very good but not a great engine, the power kit does give it a fantastic top end. The gear ratios are perfect for the speeds you can do on our best drivers roads.

I owned one for 6 years, the least three of which I had a 991.2 GT3 in the garage with it.

If I had one 911 that only did road miles I might well buy another.

[Josco010]

Cheib said:

maz8062 said:

Josco010 said:

I felt he was talking bullocks to be honest, the GTS targets a man who does not want a hardcore car for track days, but a nice comfortable sports car halfway house between the GT3 and C2S. To compare a GTS versus a C2 and talk about the colour and no obvious badges etc etc and say all the stuff he said to qualify his thoughts makes no sense to me though subjective and are his personal opinion.

Jayemm is not one of my favourites but he drives a lot of cars, a lot. In the last 6 months for example, he’s driven 6 911’s and a GT4; from an ST, 996 GT2, 997 GT3, 996 GT3, 997.1 C2 and now the GTS. He is just comparing the cars based on his actual experience of driving them…on the road, not track.

If one has never driven a 997.1 C2 manual you don’t know how good they are for the street. They’re effectively a 996.2 C2 with 997 updates, some even have PASM. No they’re not better than a GTS objectively but they’re not meant to be - they’re very good for the driving that 99,9% of folk use their cars for.

Put simply, the 997 GTS is no where near a GT3 - that’s what he was saying.

A manual RWD GTS is a superb road car. It is not nor will it ever be a GT3…it’s got a very good but not a great engine, the power kit does give it a fantastic top end. The gear ratios are perfect for the speeds you can do on our best drivers roads.

I owned one for 6 years, the least three of which I had a 991.2 GT3 in the garage with it.

If I had one 911 that only did road miles I might well buy another.

I'd never compare the GTS with the GT3 nor the C2S most especially definitely not the C2 which i had for some years before going aircooled. A pal had a sweet 997.1RS and then laterly 997.2rs both of which drove, i also drove both models on the track including a 997.2 GT3. I'd say all cars above cater accordingly as Porsche intended and that includes the GTS or/and the C2.
I feel the GTS suits a guy who wants something that nears the GT3 but not the compromises but includes the comfort of the C2/S and their usabilty for everyday road use. (As has been addressed above severally).
I chose the cab GTS as a car with back seats to travel with family on European road trips. has the Pace, functionality and suppleness and yes desirability i want in a car for a Grand Touring Sports vehicle. Since track days are not in my vocab, it ticks all boxes.

One could argue a C2S is more than enough to be honest.

They are all good for what they are not one better than the other or to campare. Does not make sense when one tries to...