Porsche 911 Carrera GTS 2021 review

The original Carrera GTS of 2011 was a high-point in Porsche 911 history. A swansong special edition for the ‘997’ model, it combined the best bits of other 911s into one perfectly resolved package. Even noted Porsche detractor Jeremy Clarkson described it as ‘a beautiful experience’. 

Ben Pulman of CAR magazine concurred, calling the £76,758 sports car ‘an absolute bargain’. And so it would prove. A decade later, the average asking price for a 997 Carrera GTS is still around £75,000. They simply haven’t depreciated. 

After such an auspicious start, it was perhaps inevitable that the GTS swiftly became a fixture of the 911 range: a mid-point between the Carrera S and GT3. So, with a new ‘992’ version hitting the streets, I drove all three cars back-to-back to see if the GTS remains the sweet-spot. It’s a tough job, etc…

Simple pleasures

The latest Carrera GTS is a veritable range of cars in itself, available with two- or four-wheel drive, and in coupe, cabriolet or Targa body styles. I opted to keep things simple with a rear-driven coupe – and a (no-cost option) seven-speed manual gearbox, rather than the paddle-shift PDK. 

With a 3.0-litre turbocharged flat-six, the 480hp GTS is neatly equidistant from the 450hp Carrera S and 510hp GT3. However, its chassis upgrades owe more to the 581hp 911 Turbo, such as adaptive PASM dampers, helper springs for the rear axle and Turbo-spec brakes.

An optional Lightweight Package adds thinner glass and jettisons the rear seats, but the 25kg saving is modest on a 1,545kg car. 

His dark materials

Visually, the Carrera GTS is distinguished by a 10mm drop in ride height, black chrome trim (including the roll hoop on Targa models) and black centre-lock wheels. The darker theme continues inside, where the Sport Chrono package – offering Sport, Sport Plus and Individual drive modes – comes as standard. 

I start with the £94,350 Carrera S. After 57 years of 911 evolution, its manners are amenable, its talents accessible, yet its sheer speed (0-62mph in 4.2sec) shouldn’t be underestimated.

This second-tier 911 blurs the line between luxurious GT and sports car, switching from calm to combative as your mood dictates. Drive it in isolation and you want for nothing more.

Question of sport

There is more, though, and it wears a ‘GTS’ badge and a £108,920 price tag. The new car seems sportier from the get-go, with grippy Race-Tex suede on the seats and steering wheel, plus a stubbier gear lever for a quicker shift. Even at low speeds, its suspension feels taut and tightly controlled, like a clenched muscle ready for action. 

That token extra 30hp shaves just 0.1sec off the 0-62mph time and is rarely noticeable on the road. But the way this 911 rides, steers and stops is ratcheted up a notch. It feels more intense, more alive and ultimately more fun, with slingshot traction and a zen-like composure that promotes total confidence.

Granted, you sacrifice a little comfort versus the Carrera S, but the rewards are worth it. 

A beautiful find

Even so, I’ve saved the best until last – right? Well, yes and no. The £123,100 GT3 thrusts the 911 deep into supercar territory. From its hard-backed bucket seats to the huge wing bisecting your rearward view, it feels ruthlessly fit for purpose. Double wishbone front suspension bestows a newfound agility, while its ferocious naturally aspirated engine goads you, over and again, into the 9,000rpm red paint.

Head for the North Wales or the Nurburgring and the GT3 reigns supreme. But its investment potential, not to mention its rock-hard ride and belly-scraping aversion to speed humps, mean you’d hesitate to drive one to work.

The Carrera GTS provides a ‘beautiful experience’ on every journey, so the sum total of your enjoyment may be more. It’s the Porsche 911 I’d choose.

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