While now increasingly ubiquitous, there's an unerring and continuing sense that the GTS Porsches are the pick of the range if you can't stretch to (or aren't selected for...) a GT product. This 991.II GTS is the latest, not the first turbo GTS of the modern era but of course the first turbocharged 911 GTS.
The formula is much as before, with some additional power, a few styling tweaks and one or two chassis upgrades. The Carrera S's 3.0-litre flat-six now has a
pair of new turbos
to yield 450hp, with torque up to 406lb ft (from 369lb ft) as well. In its most athletic specification - a C4 GTS with PDK - Porsche claims a 0-62mph time of 3.6 seconds. The top speed of all models is at least 186mph, with the manual C2 Coupe holding V-max honours with a 194mph maximum. Fuel consumption and CO2 are officially as low as 34mpg and 188g/km.
As previously, the 911 GTS will be offered as a coupe, cabrio or Targa and with rear- or four-wheel drive, although the Targa is four-wheel drive only. If you're getting the heaviest one, why not go all out? As standard all of the GTS variants are fitted with the PASM also on the Carrera S, but the coupes have that superseded by PASM with sports suspension which drops the car another 10mm.
Marking them out cosmetically are the GTS trademark black accents (see the intakes, tips of the sports exhaust, badges and the strip between the lights), plus the wider AWD chassis (1,852mm across the rear arches) for all models. If you're struggling to tell the RWD and AWD models apart - we all do that, right? - note that the C4 GTS cars have an illuminated strip between the lights rather than a black one. Useful to know. All models received a new 'Sport Design' front splitter, a rear spoiler that rises higher to reduce lift and the smoked rear light lenses.
Liberal Alcantara applications adorn the interior to remind you this is the sporty one, along with a smattering of GTS badges. Should you wish to test the sporty credentials of your 911 GTS, a standard Porsche Track Precision app has been "further enhanced" for its installation, now boasting the capacity for automatic recording and analysis of driving data on your phone.
With the wraps having just come off the 911 GTS at Detroit, the car is available to order at your local OPC now. Prices kick off at £94,316 for the manual 911 C2 GTS coupe, which places it right at
AMG GT money
fruitier F-Types
'Engineered by NISMO' GT-R
. For a 911 C4 GTS Coupe you're looking at £99,303, with the cabrios starting at £103,158. Both the C4 GTS Cabriolet and Targa 4 GTS are identically priced, at £108,144. Don't forget about that options spend too... First deliveries are due in March.