The world might not need another Porsche 911 variant, but if the new GTS is anything near as good as its predecessor then you're unlikely to ever need another 911. The previous car was introduced late in the 997's life, so this new one is early, and it does the same cherry-picking exercise of Porsche's configurator to leave you little to choose other than the colour and whether you want it with a manual, auto, two- or four-wheel drive and with or without a roof. A rear-wheel drive manual coupé would do us just fine thanks...
Exterior
The new 911 GTS has some really lovely detailing and a wide-hipped Carrera 4 body - whether there's drive delivered up front or not. It's lower too by 10mm thanks to standard PASM suspension, while 20-inch centre-lock alloy wheels are a GTS signature. They're finished in matt black and Porsche also blacks out some of the details around the air intakes and vents, plus there's black chrome exhaust pipes, which are attached to a standard Sports Exhaust system and the headlights are dark tinted - and bi-Xenon. Inside, it's a bit more focused, with a smattering of GTS badging, Alcantara and leather trimmed sports seats and some choice add-ons like Porsche communication with satnav and DAB.
Mechanicals
The 3.8-litre engine from the 911 Carrera S has been tweaked to deliver an additional 30hp for a 430hp maximum, which is enough to allow the C2 GTS to reach a 319km/h maximum - some 16km/h more than the standard car. It's quicker to 100km/h too; with the PDK transmission it shaves 0.3 seconds off for a 4.0-second time. Detail changes are slight, but as with the Cayman and Boxster GTS models - not to mention this car's predecessor - the result should be a significant change from the standard car. The equipment list reads like a must-have for the standard Carrera, including Torque Vectoring with a limited slip differential, Porsche Active Suspension Management and that Sports Exhaust among others. We just hope that Porsche's transmission people have tweaked the PDK to drive more like that in the 911 GT3.
Anything else?
Not really, the 911 GTS might read like an options list special, but it's the options we'd have, and if you start adding them all up it actually looks like good value. Especially as it brings some additional kit that's not otherwise available - and that evocative badge. It's available to order now, too. Irish pricing starts at €144,329.