Porsche 911 GTS first drive review

Middle children are usually either the meek wallflower of the family or, the complete opposite, a rebellious attention seeker.

The Porsche 911 GTS, which sits right in the middle of the 19-strong members of the latest 911 family, is neither reserved nor reckless.

Available as either a coupe or Cabriolet and with the choice of rear- or all-wheel drive transmissions and seven speed manual or automatic gearboxes, the four GTS variants range between $268,700 and $312,690 (plus on-road costs) slotting in between the second-tier Carrera S and race-ready GT3 models in terms of cost, performance and overall character.

All are powered by an uprated version of the company's naturally-aspirated 3.8-litre flat six cylinder engine which has been massaged to produce an additional 19kW of peak power through modifications to the intake system and the fitment of a larger intake camshaft and standard Sports Exhaust system. The GTS-spec engine produces 316kW at 7500rpm and 440Nm from 5750rpm with a claimed average fuel consumption of 8.7L/100km and, in coupe form, the ability to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 4.0 seconds. The drop tops are 0.2 seconds slower.

Each is also packaged with a range of performance features that are optional on the Carrera S, such as the Sport Chrono package, which brings dynamic engine mounts and a launch control function, the PASM suspension that has adaptive dampers also drops the ride height by 10mm as well as 20-inch centre-lock alloys from the flagship Turbo S.

Uniquely though, all GTS models share the wide-body rear end from the all-wheel drive variants, meaning the rear drivers have an additional 44mm in rear track width (the distance between the tyres across the axle) in comparison to the Carrera S. They can also be identified from a regular Carrera S by a few subtle visual cues such as the GT3-inspired front spoiler, extended side skirts and black highlights on the window surrounds, headlight bezels and badging.

Inside, the cabin is fitted with figure hugging sports seats, GTS badging on the instrument cluster and head rests and lashings of Alcantara trim, including the steering wheel, seat cushions and door panels. Providing customers with a taste of the hard-core GT3's character, the GTS coupe can even be ordered without rear seats to save weight.

Having sampled the 911 GTS in California this week it is clear the car is so much more than the sum of its parts.

On the surface, the GTS doesn't feel all that different to a regular 911, but dig deeper and it is improved in every dimension. The two-stage adaptive dampers, firstly, make it marginally more comfortable to drive around town than a Carrera S on standard suspension. At the other end of the driving spectrum, and in concert with the bigger rear rubber , the GTS has even more lateral grip through the corners.

The Coupe is obviously the sharper tool if you're a serious driving enthusiast but the drop-top is hardly a slouch and feels nearly as tight when driven hard with barely any shake across its windscreen – normally a sign of weakened underpinnings.

Where the convertible comes to the fore is amplifying the GTS's emotional appeal when the roof is down; accelerating the sensation of speed with the wind in your hair and tickling the aural receptors with the unique note from its flat six sounding just as glorious screaming at full noise as it does burbling from its four black tailpipes when you lift off the throttle with the Sport Exhaust activated.

The rear drive layout offers the purist, and most playful, driving experience but the Carrera 4's all-wheel drive system doesn't detracts from the GTS' character at all and may provide a sense of extra security for some.

As for the choice of gearbox,  the seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic is the pick, offering seamless shifts when left to its own devices and its fuel-saving coasting function helps make light work of around town duties. But its highly intuitive Sport Plus mode, simple launch control function and whip-cracking gearchanges make it the faster choice when you need to extract its full performance potential.

If you still prefer a traditional three-pedal operation (and/or would prefer to pocket the $7000-odd difference), the GTS' manual transmission is a benchmark for its type with a precise, mechanical action to its changes and a rev matching function in Sport mode that helps smooth out the action when changing down gears.

Like all 911 variants, the GTS isn't without its flaws though. By its very nature as a sports coupe, its rear seats are almost useless and there is little in the way of small storage space in the cabin, but the biggest gripe is the excessive road noise generated from its large rear tyres on anything but perfectly smooth surfaces.

Still, the last-generation GTS was such a success that Porsche has fast forwarded its arrival in the latest 991-Type model to extend its lifecycle and cash in on its popularity. And there's plenty of reasons why this one will follow suit as it incrementally improves upon the 911 Carrera S in every aspect – which is hardly an easy task to start with.

Seems Porsche has given its middle child just the right amount of attention and it is actually the sweet spot in the range.

Porsche 911 Carrera GTS

On-sale: February 2015

Price: $268,700 (GTS Coupe), $284,100 (Carrera 4 GTS Coupe), $289,700 (GTS Cabriolet), $305,300 (Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet) – plus on-road costs

Engine: 3.8-litre flat six-cylinder petrol

Power: 316kW at 7500rpm

Torque: 440Nm at 5750rpm

Transmission: 7-speed manual or dual-clutch automatic, RWD or AWD

Consumption: 8.7L/10km