There are few sports cars on the market today as instantly recognisable as the Porsche 911. We’re here with one of the latest models – the Carrera GTS – which promises to offer a stripped back, original driving experience more like that offered by Porsches of old.
EXTERIOR VO
This latest 911 shape is a rounded evolution of the original 911’s styling. This GTS model gets the wider arches and bodykit usually reserved for Porsche’s four-wheel-drive models, while the racing-inspired centre lock wheels come straight from the Turbo model. It’s a very pretty car, both on pictures and in the flesh. Further visual elements specific to the GTS include smoked headlamp glass and a blackened exhaust.
INTERIOR
The interior of the 911 GTS is a convincingly great place to be. These sports seats offer plenty of support, while the steering wheel has a huge amount of adjustment, meaning I can get it exactly as I want it – right up in my chest, in my case. There’s lots of leather and alcantara used throughout, and it all feels very well put together – though our test car has developed a rather annoying rattle over the course of a few hundred miles.
PRACTICALITY
As you’d imagine with a small, powerful sports car, practicality isn’t top of the agenda. There are four seats, though the rear ones are really only suitable for children. The boot at the front – or frunk, as it’s referred too – only offers 145 litres of space, but it’s quite deep meaning you can pack a surprisingly good amount of luggage in there. You won’t be taking any flat-pack furniture home, however.
Performance VO
The GTS is available with two or four-wheel-drive, but our test car is the former. It’s powered by a 444bhp 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged flat six engine which is driven to the wheels through a seven-speed gearbox. The sprint to 60mph takes well under four seconds, and it’ll top out at 193mph.
DRIVING PTC
Many people kicked up a storm when this latest generation 911 was revealed to be powered by a turbocharged engine. However, those doubts were quickly put aside when it became clear that the new unit was just as effective as the old. Yes, you do lose that visceral naturally-aspirated experience, but what you get in its place is a huge amount of performance.
This seven-speed gearbox – yes, that’s right seven – has a really mechanical throw to it, and all of the major controls have been excellently weighted. The engine loves to be revved out, and the way this corners separates it from more road-based 911s and puts it one model short of the track-munching monster GT3.
VERDICT
The Porsche 911 is all about evolution – after all, it couldn’t always stay as a small, air-cooled car from the 1960s. This latest edition is more rounded than ever before, both in terms of its styling and the way that it drives. The GTS we have here is real triumph, and showcases what Porsche can do with the latest technology at its disposal.
