Remember how we told you the Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 was the last 997 911? And before that, we thought maybe the 911 Speedster was the last? We were wrong both times. Like a joke with a punchline that just never comes, today there is one more. And it's this — the new Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS.
Offered in both coupe and cabriolet form, the Carrera 4 GTS takes Porsche's Carrera GTS, and then adds a further segment-splicing helping heaping of all-wheel drive.
The Carrera 4 GTS gets the same power upgrade of 23 horses (408 HP) over the 911 Carrera 4S as the GTS, which enables the 3.8-liter 911 Carrera 4 GTS — available as a coupe and cabriolet — to accelerate from 0-to-60 0.1 seconds faster.
The Carrera 4 GTS coupe comes equipped with the optional seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) and with the optional Sport Chrono Package Plus it can sprint to 60 in just 4.0 seconds. Top-track speed is also increased to 187 mph (186 mph w/PDK).
Like every other all-wheel-drive 911 model, the Carrera 4 GTS features a body with 44-mm wider wheel arches in the back. This particular package also gets a SportDesign front apron, black side skirts from the 911 GT2, a black panel between the rear tailpipes, and enter-locking 19-inch RS Spyder design wheels, painted in high-gloss black with polished lips.
On sale this fall, the 911 Carrera 4 GTS Coupe will be available in the U.S. at a base MSRP of $110,200 while the 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet will be priced at $120,100.
And thankfully, with this 997, there's now finally the perfect Porsche 911 for consumers who want to accelerate a touch quicker than a 911 Carrera 4S, but not quite as quickly as the 911 Turbo — and certainly not for the same price; have as high of a top speed as the 911 Carrera S, but not quite as high as the Carrera GTS; and who want the stability offered by all-wheel-drive, plus are willing to pay a few thousand more to have it. Basically, these people are the countless handful of Porsche-philes who want an all-wheel-drive 911 Speedster for half the price, and also might want to choose more than two colors and whether or not they want a roof. Hey, hold on a second, that sounds like a great idea for the next last 911.
It's good to know that if I fail at this whole auto journalist thing, I could totally be a Porsche product planner.
And for those who were wondering, here, yet again, is the new list of currently available Mustang-like Porsche 911 (997) variant list. Go ahead and taste the rainbow.