[R. Ravi]

Hello TBHP!

So UIUC has a few new supercars, but I've helped some friends take delivery of 2, so I thought I'd chronicle the delivery and buying experience of both.

The first is a 2017 Carmine Red Carrera GTS.



So here's how I'm going to lay out this post. I'm going to put in all the pictures after this post, so the text isn't too sporadic. If I'm explaining something specific, I might add a picture reference if needed.

1. Competitors Considered

2. The Car

3. Headline Figures

4. Driving Feel

5. Stuff We Like

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Competitors Considered

The owner of the car, let's call him Tom, had an F80 M3 Competition before the 911, so the natural brand progression was to Porsche to be honest. Didn't really look at much else because after having the M DCT, Porsche's PDK was the only thing that could match and exceed expectations.

We contemplated a lot of Porsches. Like a lot. Ranging from 997 GT3s to 991.2 GT3s to even waiting for the 992s to come out. But in the end, we decided to go for the .2 GTS for a couple of reasons.

.1 vs .2 GTS: Few reasons. We didn't have a .1 to drive and compare it to was the main one to be honest. But from what we read, if you drive the cars hard, the 992 performs better than the .1 from a throttle and power band perspective. You can use more of the for more of the rev range compared to a .1.

GTS vs GT3: The 991 GT3s were out of my friend's budget, because if we went for it, he definitely wanted a 991.2 GT3 for the engine. That car is still going for over sticker, so even getting an allocation or car doesn't make much sense from a resale perspective. He drove a 997 GT3, which I love by the way, but obviously it's going to be out of warranty and my friend ultimately decided he liked the 991.2 GTS better after driving both.

Didn't really consider other brands, because again, natural progression from a performance perspective was Porsche.

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The Car

[Spec sheet attached below]

We saw the car for sale at our 'local' Porsche dealer. If you haven't read my other posts, we go to school 2 hours south of Chicago, so that's the nearest place for us.

Got a pretty good deal at this Porsche dealership, and we have a prior relationship with them, so decided to shop with them. Westmont Porsche near Chicago. They have/had a 997 GT3 for sale as well which my friend drove, but again, decided to go with the .2 Carrera GTS. Also decided to go with the RWD for a better/more fun experience. This is his daily, and he puts winter tires on it for the winter, so RWD was fine.

We got a really good deal because the car we were looking at was technically a Porsche North America Corporate car. They wheeled it around for demos around the country, but didn't track it or drive it hard ever. If you've attended a NA auto show with a red Carrera GTS, this was probably the car you saw. Another added benefit was that even though the car had about 10k miles, my friend was the first owner. So it was a really good deal all around. I believe the warranty started from the day we took delivery as well, so he got virtually a new car for a very hefty discount.

Also, the .2 has a newer interface and MMI system, so that was a huge selling point.

Now, looking at the spec sheet:
Notable options are the PDK, Rear Wheel Steering, PASM is standard, and the adaptive sport seats.

Some of the major options that weren't equipped on the car are the Carbon Ceramic brakes, and Sport PASM (lowers the car 20mm). The car came equipped with Standard PASM.

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Headline Figures:

Engine: 3.0L TT Boxer 6 cyl
Power: 450 HP @ 6500rpm
Torque: 405 ft-lbs @ 2150- 5000 rpm
Max RPM: 7500 rpm
Trans: 7 speed PDK
Wheels: 20" w/ 245/35/20 Fronts and 305/30/20 Rears. Pretty staggered.
Brakes: 350 mm 6 piston calipers front and 330 mm 4 piston rears
Top Speed: 192 mph
0-60: 3.5 s with Sport Chrono
Warranty: 4 yrs/50k miles
*Fuel economy: 20 mpg city/26 mpg highway

* but who cares really

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Driving Feel

Engine
The power delivery is buttery smooth, and it is very quiet when you need it to be and loud when you don't want it to. It has a nice rumble that isn't at all protruding into the cabin when you're sitting at a red light, and it's loud enough when you're pushing it - and it actually sounds good from the outside.

There's rev-matching with the PDK, and it revs absolutely brilliantly. The rev-happiness of the engine matches the shift ferocity of the engine perfectly - hence the blistering 0-60 time. The figure mentioned above is honestly a conservative estimate done by Porsche NA. Actual times are usually quicker when tested independently. Road and Track says ~3.5 for the GTS.

The engine also revs quickly and smoothly, and with the car set up completely in sport mode the throttle is sharp and aggressive (as it should be). There's not much feeling of turbo lag and the power delivery feels instantaneous. The engine also revs so quickly that acceleration is strong when you're powering out of corners or on straights.

The engine is rear mounted, which makes the car throw its' weight around a little differently than most cars. But the placement aides handling, and it's fantastic. Also, the engine (big, heavy) being over the drive wheels means you get more grip on the launch.

The launch is pretty violent - to be honest it's on the same level of the M6, but that's pretty violent too. The Porsche Launch control system is a lot simpler than the M-Division one though. Just disengage DSC and plant your foot on the brake, mash the throttle, release, and then you're off. It's clearly faster than the M6 Gran Coupe, but it doesn't feel like a different league of acceleration like the Turbo S or Huracan.

Independent automakers report on slight turbo lag when really pushing the car, but the rev range through which that happens is really small.

Since the rev range for max torque is so large, you always have huge amounts of power on tap, and it's always usable. If you do feel like you need more power, all you need to do is pull a paddle. Speaking of which...

Transmission
The PDK is other worldly. I drive an M6 Gran Coupe with DCT. Man, when both of these transmissions are in their element, they are unbeatable. But the PDK is generally regarded as better. I might be a little biased because I've lived with the M DCT, but my friend who moved from the M3 to the Carrera GTS (CGTS) says the PDK is the better trans. Instantly upshifts and downshifts, and rev-matches so you never feel like you're out of power. The PDK unit also means that when you want to drive hard - on an open road, track, or even in the city means that you can always get the amount of power you want.

There's virtually no lag on the shifts. You pull the paddle, and the tach literally jumps to the next gear. It's ultra smooth as well - when you're in comfort mode or driving in city traffic there's no jerks when the clutch engages or you try and creep in traffic. This is a bit of a flaw with the M DCT, and can make the driving experience through traffic a little uncomfortable for passengers if you're in Sport+. Comfort mode works blissfully in both cars.

The PDK also creeps forward, unlike the M DCT.

Handling
Ok I want to try and make you feel like you're taking a corner in a 911. Hard. Like on a racetrack. Words aren't going to do it justice, but let's see if I can come close.

You're approaching the corner way too fast for a regular car. But you're not in a regular car. You're in the pinnacle of handling performance. A 911. You slam on the brakes and start to downshift before you enter the corner. The downshifts are instant, and within milliseconds you've pulled the paddles twice and the car is right below redline, with peak power at your disposal. The engine is screaming behind you, and the throttle is sharp, and touchy. The brakes have slowed you down so hard that you're using your core strength and torqued seat belt are all that keep you from sliding onto the floor in front of you.

Early to mid corner is where the suspension trickery really comes into its' own. As you throw the car into the corner, the active suspension and stability management work hand in hand with torque vectoring and rear wheel steering to let you turn in hard, and flat. The lateral grip is astounding on the limit, and you can really feel the rear wheel steering working under braking to get you tighter and tighter into a corner. If it wasn't for the active seats and the generous amount of bolstering, you'd be sliding around the inside of the car, no doubt.

Within another second, you're mid corner. Your neck is the only part of your body that isn't supported - the rest of your body is fit firmly into the sports seat. The engine is still screaming behind your ear, sitting at a constant RPM waiting for you to plant your foot. The tires are screaming from the amount of stress they're under, but some gentle wrestling of the wheel and easing off the power instantly quiets them. This is where the sensation of being in a 911 is firmly different than other cars. The Rear wheel steering (RWS) makes the car feel like it's going to understeer off track, leading you into a fireball of financial instability, but rather it crabs you safely out of the corner.

On the exit, the power is immediately available - all you need to do is upshift. You get more. Instantly. The Traction Control and stability management keep the power and handling under control, while your mind and body take a second to register what you've just done. And then you're ready to do it all again.

And this, this experience, is what taking a corner in a 911 feels like. It's just below the limit of sensory overload to the point that it's confidence inspiring. And that - that confidence that you can throw the car into a corner and come out the other side unscathed - is what makes these cars so fast. It's not just the technology, it's the psychological impact it has on your driving.

Daily Driver
The ride is very smooth in comfort mode, and the transmission shifts smoothly in Comfort mode. There's Alcantara everywhere, and I love that. The wheel is Alcantara - but if you get sweaty hands when driving keeping it clean can be a task in itself. The traditional Porsche instrument cluster dominates the view in front of the driver, and the wheel has the Sports Chrono dial on it. Makes you feel special when you turn it, I must say. Better than buttons or options through the MMI- making it physical makes you really feel like you're in a driver's car.

The MMI screen is large and the UI is intuitive and sharp. The newer system also works better with Porsche's app, we've heard, but we don't really use it. The front trunk is decently spaced, and ride height in the US is easily manageable. Not gonna puta lip on the front, so we're good for now.

The best thing compared to the M DCT from BMW is the smooth engagement of first gear. The M DCT jerks when it engages first at times, making the ride comparatively jerky for passengers.

The CGTS is a 4 seater - technically - but the rear seats are too small for most people (obviously).

The car has pretty good road presence. The exhaust could be a little louder we feel, but it's good enough. The M6 has the V8 (that's my daily, which is why I keep referencing it), and it's a lot louder (and better sounding if you ask me).

The Rear Wheel steering makes this car handle city conditions phenomenally. Turns really tightly, and the added camber makes this a great daily.
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Stuff We Like:
1. Rear Wheel Steering makes this a joy to handle in the city and on open roads/handling drives
2. PDK transmission is other worldly
3. Active spoiler is functional, cool to look at, and helps keep the car planted when driving hard
4. Exhaust note for a 6 cyl is fantastic, and the tips are placed in the center and in black chrome. Look great. Also the button for the valves really do make it more quiet/loud depending on how you wanted it. A really cool system
5. The seats are well bolstered when driving really hard - they keep you firmly in your seat and support you really well
6. The four point principle with regards to front and rear headlights (shown below) really make the car stand out when the DRLs are on
7. Truck/luggage capacity is not bad for a sports car
8. Alcantara filled interior is great, and the quality of materials is fantastic. Of course in this price point, we start to expect it, but it still meets and exceeds expectations
9. The new MMI system is fantastic - easy to use, intuitive, and multilingual
10. Sport Chrono dial for drive modes is a great way to change the driving dynamic of the car. Most cars have buttons - the dial is a nice change in design philosophy, and adds that little bit of 'specialness' when changing the driving modes
11. Aluminum paddles feel really good - many automakers use plastic paddles, but these feel (as they should) and a cut above the rest
12. The cup holders are nicely integrated into the dash - they're great for when you want them to be hidden

Stuff We Don't Like:
1. The cupholders make it extremely hard to get out if the right one is out. Because they're attached from a single point to the dash, if you try and get out with it open, and your knee hits it, you always feel like it's about to snap off. Also, getting out with a drink means you might hit it and spill the drink.
2. Paddles could be a little bigger? I like bigger paddles when they're steering mounted, so an option to get extensions would be great.
3. Climate control placed behind the gear lever makes it hard to view the temperatures/settings sometimes. Also, all the buttons are facing upwards, so unless you memorize their positions, you have to keep looking at the buttons. This is fine if you daily the 911, but if you have many other cars, it's not the most intuitive experience.
4. Sweaty hands/hot climates, and the Alcantara wheel can start to wear/get dirty
5. The exterior shape/design of the 911 has kind of lost it's speciality for me. It's not ugly, but it doesn't make me go "wow" anymore.
6. There are many blank buttons. By the climate buttons/near the exhaust and wing buttons in the center, on the driver door by the window controls. Makes it look like your car isn't optioned out, or you're missing some features.
7. Seats are so bolstered that they can be hard to get out of smoothly. Especially if you're older/not as flexible. The M6 has active bolsters that loosen/open up when you turn the car off, so they make the entry/exit easier. Would be great on a car like this

[R. Ravi]

THE SPEC





Button controls for exhaust, spoiler, suspension and autostop/start



Infotainment/Climate Buttons



Steering wheel/Instrument Cluster. Wheel in Alcantara and metal finish is beautiful. Wheel is also really thin, which feels odd at first but you get used to it quickly. Aluminum paddles are nice, but kind of small in my opinion. Sport Chrono switch is great, and I love the way they engineered the drive modes.



Carmine red interior inserts and Alcantara are everywhere



Cup holders come out of the push slot in the dashboard



It's a Porsche, so key goes in the left. I'm 6' 2", so you can see the amount of space you have. It's pretty snug.



The lever to drop the front seat to get in the back...



...reveals not much space for an adult. But much Alcantara if you ever put your kids in there!



Instrument cluster - love the tachometer in the center of the cluster



Sport Chrono clock



Opposite side mirror. Kind of small, but bigger than Mustangs and stuff.



Driver side mirror. See a lotta curves. That's the engine cover open you see, not the spoiler



Glovebox is enough to keep your papers and a few other things.



Side profile with the wing up.



Wheels/GTS decal/brakes



Front profile



DRLs. Love them. The four point pricinple (ie the four LEDs)



Brake lights off/rear wing



Brake lights on/rear wing. Note the four lights principle exemplified back here as well. Looks great when you're behind the car.



In traffic



Photoshoot





leading the pack



GTS Donuts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ftI4deJYDc&t=14s

Very Cringe Video Attempt of GTS in Snow/Donuts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR59qxSkwgw

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[superbad]

Superb description, especially of taking a corner, reading is always better than any video .
You said two cars, but this is only one...?

[suhaas307]

Fantastic report!

I must say, 'Tom' is a very lucky bloke. The GTS is the sweet spot between the base Carrera models and the GT3.. it's the car you'd pick when you want a bit of that GT3 magic without losing some of that practically of a regular Carrera.

Looking forward to regular and detailed updates on the car! 👍

[R. Ravi]

Originally Posted by superbad

Superb description, especially of taking a corner, reading is always better than any video .
You said two cars, but this is only one...?

Yes! Also picked up a 991.1 GT3 RS but that's a bit of a garage queen! It's still winter here stateside so the car went into the garage after delivery and is still sitting in there to be honest. When we can take it out and experience it a little bit more, I'll write up a solid review of the car!

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Fantastic report!

I must say, 'Tom' is a very lucky bloke. The GTS is the sweet spot between the base Carrera models and the GT3.. it's the car you'd pick when you want a bit of that GT3 magic without losing some of that practically of a regular Carrera.

Looking forward to regular and detailed updates on the car! 👍

For sure! 'Tom' might be getting another car soon, so I might be writing another review soon

[sandeepmohan]

You sure have experienced what I call automotive nirvana. I guess, when you at a stage like this, having owned other performance cars like the BMW M series, the only real upgrade is a Porsche. I do not think there is any other car worth considering if all you care about is driving pleasure.

In this modern day and age, I am glad Porsche have stuck to an elaborate set of analog dials and a key. As much as I like and appreciate fancy LED display dials, analog is where I belong.

I don't drive anything remotely close to a fancy Porsche. I drive a Subaru with a NA 3l 6 pot boxer motor. There are some characteristics that are similar to what you have described. On how the engine tends to race to the red line. In my case, it is after the 3.5k rpm mark where this happens. The engine sounds better when you floor it. It is as if it wants you to gun it all the time.

Thanks for sharing.

[Asish_VK]

Fantastic car & Fantastic report

Nice write up too. And TOM is a lucky guy indeed.


OT: I'm sorry , but cant stop me from saying, that the black BMW just steals the show in this image . Looks absolutely smashing.

Originally Posted by R. Ravi

Attachment 1858548

In traffic

Attachment 1858492

[R. Ravi]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I guess, when you at a stage like this, having owned other performance cars like the BMW M series, the only real upgrade is a Porsche.

In this modern day and age, I am glad Porsche have stuck to an elaborate set of analog dials and a key. As much as I like and appreciate fancy LED display dials, analog is where I belong.

Yes! I completely agree with the digital vs analog display stuff. I feel like the only information you really need when you look down is the car's driving stuff. The other stuff can/should be kept on the center console. Otherwise there's just too much to change around when you're driving around. All of these cars have Heads Up Displays as well, which if you use properly, you never have to look at the dash even.

Everyone I know goes from the M cars to Porsches. If you've bought an M car, you adore driving. And Porsche's just feel special when you drive them. I'm still a little polarized with their design philosophy... I feel like they could make a good looking car for style's sake. Something that's 9/10ths of a 911, but looks amazing would sell in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Asish_VK

Fantastic car & Fantastic report

Nice write up too. And TOM is a lucky guy indeed.


OT: I'm sorry , but cant stop me from saying, that the black BMW just steals the show in this image . Looks absolutely smashing.

Thank you! Yeah that guy has done so much to his M4 :P It's tuned as well, and has a crazy AWE exhaust. The red stripes are all accents and stickers, but a lot of people have messaged me about where to get those accents for their cars!


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Ok guys, so I've made a compilation of driving footage in the 911. We have a small backroad near our college, only one way in and one way out, and we block it off and have our own little track (don't do this). There's no traffic as it leads to a dead end, so we can drive as hard as we want, and nobody will get hurt.

I've added some day driving, launch control, donuts and all.

Note the speed of the PDK shifting, and the engine note. For a 6-cylinder engine - not bad at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AX-Mk7gEfc