Porsche 911 GTS goes AWD

PORSCHE has gone niche model mad, with six new vehicle debuts in as many weeks comprising five additions to its existing range.

The second surprise new 911 variant to appear in a matter of weeks is the Carrera 4 GTS Coupe and Cabriolet, both of which will be available to customer order only in Australia priced from $283,300 and $302,600 respectively.

Porsche is in the middle of launching its second petrol-electric model in the Panamera Hybrid, but since the start of April has also released the Cayman Black Edition alongside all-black versions of the Boxster and 911, the frugal new Panamera Diesel and top-shelf Turbo S four-door, as well as upgraded engines for the Cayenne SUV.

The new all-wheel drive Carrera GTS twins follow the release of the wild new 911 GT3 RS 4.0 Coupe last month, when many took it to be a fresh and final swansong for the existing 997-series 911 range, before its 991-series replacement premieres at this September’s Frankfurt motor show.

The new C4 GTS models do not match the performance of the bigger-engined GT3 RS 4.0, Porsche’s new naturally aspirated 911 flagship, but they do offer the same 17kW increase in peak power (to 300kW at 7300rpm) over the 283kW 3.8-litre flat-six in the Carrera S.

The GTS engine’s unique induction system and throatier sports exhaust with specific black outlet surfacing also liberate more flexibility, with 320Nm of torque said to be available at just 1500rpm and peak torque of 420Nm on tap anywhere between 4200 and 5600rpm.

The result is an official 0-100km/h acceleration time of just 4.6 seconds for the most basic Carrera 4 GTS Coupe manual, with the Cabriolet body style adding 0.2s to that figure.

Opting for the PDK twin-clutch semi-automatic transmission reduces acceleration times in both models by 0.2s.

Despite this, neither C4 GTS is thirstier than their equivalent Carrera models, with the coupe’s official European fuel consumption remaining at 11.0L/100km and the convertible at 11.2L/100km.

Also like their rear-wheel drive GTS counterparts, the AWD models add a range of performance-oriented extras, including a motorsport-inspired interior headlined by sports seats and Alcantara fake-suede-trimmed steering wheel, gearshifter, handbrake, door-pulls, door box lids and centre panels.

Once again, the C4 GTS cars are differentiated externally by a pacier Sport Design front spoiler with black lip, specific black side skirts, black centre-locking 19-inch RS Spyder wheels with gloss-lathed rim flanges and tyres as wide as 305/30 ZR19 at the rear, GTS decals on the doors and boot, and a reflective strip between the tail-lights to denote AWD.

Of course, that is because the GTS Coupe and Cabriolet also feature the wide-body rear-end that the original rear-drive GTS borrowed from all-wheel drive 911 derivatives like the Turbo and Carrera 4 itself, meaning that additional exterior GTS features are limited in this case to the front end, bigger wheels and badging.

That makes them less unique than the rear-drive GTS siblings, but the addition of the multi-plate-clutch-operated AWD Porsche Traction Management system (and a limited-slip rear differential) as standard sees both C4 GTS models command a small price premium over the GTS Carrera 2s.