This time, I was able to test drive a Porsche 911 Carrera GTS (992), which I have been curious about for some time, and I would like to report on it while comparing it with the Carrera T that I have at home.

Porsche GTS

Porsche grades are divided into three main categories: base grade, S, and GTS. Of course, there are also the T and GT3 series, but these are produced in smaller numbers, so the regular grades are often referred to as the three mentioned above.

Among them.The GTS grade stands for Grand Touring Sport.It is a grade that is tuned based on the S and is not intended for the race track like the GT3, but is only aimed to be the fastest on ordinary roads. It is also my personal favorite grade.

This GTS is the latest 992 Carrera GTS and is available in the popular color "Luby Star Neo'.This color is the successor to "Ruby Stone Red," which was available in the 964 era.The color is pink, so it stands out very prominently, but it is strange because it is a different color from the femininity and prettiness that one might imagine from pink, and rather makes one feel cool.

This GTS is,Right-hand drive with manual transmission, chassis with GTS standard sport PASM, and rear axle steering, almost identical to our Carrera T.The first is.

I immediately get in and start the engine.

The seats are the standard GTS Sport Seat Plus (4-way) and the interior is the GTS Interior Package. When the ignition is turned on, the 3-liter horizontally opposed 6-cylinder turbocharged engine with 480ps high-tuned engine wakes up with a heroic starting sound. The starting sound is exactly the same in volume and quality as that of the Carrera T.

I step on the clutch, which is very light and easy to operate for a Porsche, shift into first gear, and slowly take my foot off the clutch. The GTS starts off smoothly, showing no signs of stalling.

Accelerating up to speeds of 30 km/h and 40 km/h, one can honestly say that in this speed range, the sense of power of the engine is not at all different from that of the 385 hp base engine of the Carrera T. In fact, the Carrera T even has the feeling of accelerating more nimbly and quickly.

Is there really a 95 hp difference?"

The test drive started with this impression.

Carrera GTS suspension

The main difference between the Carrera, Carrera S, and Carrera T is the ride quality at low speeds.GTS is honestly a slap in the face.The rear thrust and noise is especially loud. This isI used to drive a 992 Targa 4GTS.The ride quality of the Targa is different from that of the 911. Of course, the Targa weighs differently and has a special suspension for the Targa, but this is a very hard 911.

This is a normal winding road with no particularly bad pavement, and although I had driven the same road with a 992 GT3, the GT3 felt more comfortable to drive.

When I got out of the car later and looked at the suspension, the tires and wheel size were the same as the Carrera T and S, but the brakes were completely different. the brakes on the GTS were tremendously huge, probably larger than the brakes on the PCCBs of a century ago.With such large cast iron brakes, the unsprung weight must be considerably heavier, which may also affect ride comfort.

If possible, I would like to add PCCB for GTS, but according to what I have heard, PCCB is not an option at the time of writing this blog.

Handling is very similar to the S and base Carrera. It is not as nimble as the Carrera T, but rather has a 992-like feel that grips the road surface firmly.From the moment the steering wheel is turned, the response is excellent, and the car goes around curves while transmitting an overwhelming sense of ground contact to the steering wheel.

Its turning ability is even greater because it has a rear axle.

Compared to the Carrera T, it has a stronger feeling of going into the middle of a curve in stages,Much like the movement of GT3.

Change the suspension to sport in the process,I set the damping force to a higher setting. In a straight line, there is not much difference in suspension between normal and sport. As we pick up the pace a little, we aggressively cut into the curves. The stiffness of the suspension was no longer bothering me, and the suspension became more supple.

The owner of the passenger seat, who was also aThis is more comfortable to ride.I'm sure you're right," he said.

I was talking with the owner later, but I think the design speed of the suspension of this GTS is far above the speed range of Japanese public roads. The sweet spot of the suspension is in a very high speed range, and I think that the suspension will show its true performance only when there is a large input and load on the suspension in such a speed range.

In fact, the owner usually,When driving down the Hanshin Expressway, where the flow is slow, I sometimes think "hmmm" at the ride quality of this car.I was told,When a reasonable load is applied on winding roads, the evaluation is changed to "good ride quality".Therefore, the hypothesis would not be wrong.

Incidentally, the GTS was filled with standard pressure at this time, which was almost plus or minus zero. If you are dissatisfied with the ride quality of the GTS, since the standard air pressure in modern cars is set a little higher to gain fuel economy,Go to the settings screen and set the Comfort Pressure setting,Adjust air pressureI'll try.I recommend that you do the same.

Attractiveness of the GTS Engine

At the beginning of this article, I mentioned that at low speeds, the power feel is not much different from that of the base engine of the Carrera T. However, this is a completely different story in the rev range above 4000 rpm.

From around 4000 rpm, as with the Carrera S engine, there is even less friction in the revs, and the engine tries to go higher and higher. This is clearly noticeable when compared to the base Carrera engine. Naturally, the sense of power increases, and in the case of the GTS, it even has a more violent bass sound.

Even though the engine displacement is the same,It sounds as if the displacement has been increased, and the tone is worthy of being called a "roar".The speed of the RPM increase in the high RPM range is also tremendous. In the high-rpm range, the speed at which the rpm rises is tremendous. It is just like a sparkler whose sparks increase in intensity in the latter half of its life.

As if with a last push, the speed at which the tachometer needle moves toward the red zone increases at an accelerating rate.It is not quite a GT3 engine, but it feels close.

However, that "roar" can only be experienced for a moment, as the acceleration of the 480 hp turbocharged engine is tremendous, reaching ridiculous speeds in no time. And since this is a manual transmission, you need to shift gears quite quickly, and if you falter even a little, you are likely to miss the best timing for shifting gears.

Next, I examined the torque output at low speeds. This is something I have said many times on my blog since the launch of the 992,There is a difference in turbo lag at low rpm between the Carrera engine and the Carrera S engine.What does this mean for the GTS? This is a verification of the fact that

Drive in third gear at just under 2,000 rpm, and then try to accelerate quickly from there.The GTS then accelerates about two tempo behind.Then I switch to the Carrera T and try the same thing. Then, the Carrera T accelerates quickly with a delay of about 1 tempo. The owner who was riding next to me also said, "It is true that the Carrera's engine is more responsive, by about 1 second. Is that why I felt uncomfortable with the overtaking acceleration on the Hanshin Expressway?Was said.

The GTS is not a low-speed or low-revving 911.I think the trick to get the best out of this car is to drive it in one lower gear and at a higher rpm.

By the way, if you want an engine that is great both in its high and low RPM range, I would recommend the 911 Turbo or Turbo S. That one has superb response in any rpm range.

Take the fruit or the flower?

As for Porsche GTS, although I personally still own a 991 and 981 GTS and have experienced various other GTS such as Cayman, Panamera, and Macan,I feel that recent GTSs are generally too close to GT3.

It used to stand more like an S, but it is now standing more like a GT series. It is the same with the power and the suspension; the GTS is still set up for general roads, but with each model change,I think I have one foot in racetrack territory.

That is a good thing, though,It is undeniable that some sacrifices have been made in terms of practicality.

If you are looking for a 911 that you can drive every day without worrying about resale and that is simply fun to drive, I would recommend the base Carrera. On the other hand,The GTS is better for those who value resale, value the overwhelming power and "flair" of the GTS brand, and want a 911 that also satisfies their desire for more ownership.Id.

This is not about which is right. Each person can choose the 911 that fits his or her style that he or she is looking for in a 911. The GTS is a Carrera that is as close to a GT3 as possible. For those who find it attractive, it will be the best partner.