The finale for the current-generation 911, the GTS blazes into the Porsche retail experience in the middle of this winter, with a Cabriolet and fixed roof.

Porsche wants today's 911 to go out with a bang(shift). So, the 911 GTS is tweaked from drivetrain to rubber to be a little more neutral, a little more sporty than the Carrera S, they say.

The tweaks to the classic flat six are more audible than visceral. The same 3.8-liter boxer engine from the 911 Carrera S adopts a new intake manifold with vacuum-actuated flaps that flex to put oomph in torque delivery or in top-end horsepower. The power curve goes a little barbell, racking up 408 horsepower with a higher 7300-rpm peak than the S's 385 hp. Torque's identical at 310 pound-feet, but the new manifold lets peak torque show up early to the party, a couple hundred rpm earlier. Porsche's lead engineer for the 911 engine lineup says the new add-on clearly could find a place in the next 911, if the past offers any history lesson.

The engine straps on either a six-speed manual or the fantastically German "Doppelkupplungsgetriebe" (PDK) seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission. The manual gearbox has been domesticated over the years, and no longer requires powerlifter thighs to actuate--it's lighter to the toe than a Tremec manual. The PDK had us at "Doppelkupplung"; dual-clutch gearboxes just work better for sporting drives and Porsche's execution is just about flawless.

Assemble your own drivetrain of choice, and the rear-drive GTS pounces on the 60-mph mark in as many as 4.8 seconds (a hefty Cabriolet with a manual gearbox, and no Sport Chrono package) or as little as 4.2 seconds (a PDK Coupe with Sport Chrono, and activated Launch Control mode). The topmost top speed is 190 mph.

Before you know it, you can hit half that figure without much thinking. You won't do so in stealth mode. The GTS has a sport exhaust system that belts out Temptations-low rumbles, a flat-six bel canto, and some dog’s-ear exhaust sizzle in one magnificent chord. It makes for one fantastic soundtrack all its own—so much so, we left the audio system off entirely.



When it comes to the dynamics of a big-tired, wide-rear-ended 911, we thank lots of deities for Porsche's stability and traction systems. There's no way the 911 would have achieved its handling bliss without all the electronic assists and interventions applied to its steering, transmission, throttle and shocks. You can choose Normal, Sport or if you paid for it, Sport Chrono mode, and step up the performance ladder with increasing ride tension, steering quickness and automated shift speed--with the lightest, least intrusive filter applied to all the feedback.

We wouldn't call the GTS' handling anything but brilliant. The brakes are better. Tucked behind 235/35ZR-19 front tires and 305/30ZR-19 rears, all on center-mount wheels, the GTS has fearless braking ability thanks to four-piston calipers, perforated and ventilated discs. That's before opting for the high-performance--but chattery and grabby--carbon-ceramic discs we've sampled on the 911 Turbo.

Porsche drivers like a sexy rear end, apparently. The GTS's major visual double entendre is the wide-body flares from the Carrera 4, which add 1.4 inches to the beam but show up minus the extra chunk of mass contributed by all-wheel drive. Up front, LED indicators round off the corners and some Saab-ish vertical ribs brace the central air intake. Glossy black paint shades those center-mount wheels, and a few delicate GTS logos stick to the sheetmetal.

The stock 911 interior wears a new coat of Alcantara, which is faux suede, which probably holds up fine over time--still, it's wrapped around the steering wheel, and the perpetually sweaty might want to look for other options, or possibly gloves. The same material runs in a band down the seats, and is wrapped around the shift-lever boot.

Both the GTS Coupe and the Cabriolet we cycled through had Porsche’s vastly improved navigation and audio systems, complete with an SD card slot for semi-permanent music storage. The Cabriolet had a power-operated, glass-windowed top that lowers or opens in 20 seconds, at speeds of up to 32 mph. A wind screen lowers buffeting at humane speeds, but Porsche also sells a hard top to cover the area behind the seats when you feel like turning the wind into a weapon.

And yes, there are sometimes back seats in the GTS. In the Cabriolet, they're standard; order the coupe and they're left off the build sheet, with only plush carpeted niches left behind—which is essentially what any 911’s rear seats are. If you still want the upholstered cushions in the GTS Coupe, you can have them—for a price.

That’s the endgame that probably teases more Porsche customers than it pleases. At a base price of $103,100(U.S.) for the GTS Coupe, or $112,900(U.S.) for the GTS Cabriolet, you'll save about $15,500(U.S.) over the cost of optioning up a Carrera S to the same spec--and going that route still leaves you with the narrow body.



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