997 c4s vs gts

[gstev]

Would appreciate some advice currently have boxster s which I enjoy but now considering the more 'refined' 911 and looking at the above 2 options available at local opc. Any big differences in driving experience.

Also there is a 991 3.4 for not a lot more money is it worth the extra £8000 difference?

Thanks in advance

Gavin

 

[chaholl]

I'd say take them all for a decent test drive and see which one works best for you. They may look pretty similar but they're very different to drive! I've tried both of the 997 cars and found the GTS to be the most thrilling of the two, however what put me off buying (in that instance) was the PDK. Not that the gearbox isn't excellent, it's just that I felt it took a bit away from the driving experience. Also, it'll depend on where and how you intend to drive the thing. The 4s is AWD and therefore easy to drive in all conditions, whereas the GTS is RWD, which is great if you want to throw it around a track but maybe a bit of a handful on the back roads.

I think the other point to consider is depreciation (and this is relevant to your 991 question as well). Both the GTS and the 991 are relatively early in their lifespan and therefore have a bit to loose before they start to tail off. Depending on the age of your C4S, you may find that it doesn't have as far to drop before things even out. Of course, if you intend to run the thing till it's dead none of this matters!

Having said all of this, I don't currently own any of these three cars. Maybe some of the folks in here that do can provide more in depth commentary on the day-to-day experience. I do note that there seems to be a relatively large number of low mileage GTS for sale.

 

[Lancerlot]

GTS - no question. PDK is superb. Don't let depreciation get in the way of choosing the right car, but GTS will drop less.
3.4 991 is underpowered and not worth the extra money.
(All IMHO of course! [8|])
Regards,

Clive.

 

[waxman]

Firstly not a bad place to be choosing between any of these 3!
I personally agree with Clive's comment ON THE GTS and that's where I put my money.
I would definitely drive all 3 - check GTS has sports chrono plus if PDK and as you are probably aware it has the factory powerkit engine at 408 hp- if you test drive you need to use the last 1800 rpm to feel the real benefit of this upgrade - but do this and you will!
Alternatively you may prefer the new cabin feel and look of the 991 - all down to personal choice at end of day. PSM is pretty advanced now and flatters the driver and I never have any concerns on road or trackday about it being 2WD.
Happy hunting
Tony

 

[jamesc]

Another vote for the GTS and as Waxman said that's where I put my money. I chose a short shift manual 2WD and it is as sweet as a nut. To me it strikes the right balance between usability and speed, i.e. for me a GT3 would be too quick (for road use - I'm no track day hero) and anything less might have been a little tame. Lovely steering feel too.

 

[Skuserob]

And another vote for the GTS with PDK which is where I put my money. No regrets excellent car. Drive them all if you can as each to his own!

 

[gstev]

thanks for feedback, as you say try them all, should be fun

Gavin

 

[Rintoul]

Another vote for the GTS, in my case the C4GTS as I wanted all year round use and with winter tyres on.
IMHO PDK is brilliant and is the way to go on or off track. (eg new GT3 and every other decent exotic car has done away with a manual clutch).
The 408bhp engine upgrade gives extra mid range and a superb sound with the sports exhaust.
Read some of the test reviews at the launch of these cars (they generally say the best 911 to date) and see if you agree when you test drive them.
Like Clive says I personally would avoid the bog standard 991 due to low power (relatively speaking of course) and probable higher depreciation in the longer term.
But of course we all have different budgets and requirements from cars, if we were all the same three wouldn't be much discussion and debate.

 

[Lancerlot]

There's a Register drive report on the GTS here. But you need to be a member to access it. [8|]

Regards,

Clive

 

[markiii]

ORIGINAL: Rintoul

IMHO PDK is brilliant and is the way to go on or off track. (eg new GT3 and every other decent exotic car has done away with a manual clutch).

Brilliant it maybe, but a large part od the reason is that's its easier to warranty with out hamfisted drivers grenading things

 

[shorthouse]

ORIGINAL: Skuserob

And another vote for the GTS with PDK which is where I put my money. No regrets excellent car. Drive them all if you can as each to his own!

+1 for GTS
You know you want to []

 

[Rintoul]

Markki I think the real reason for going the "clutchless" route is that the gear changes are far quicker than a "manual human operated clutch" gear change, thus resulting in a faster car with
quicker acceleration figures and laptimes. (Rather than just to provide a warranty to those that cannot cope with a manual gearbox and wreck the engine).
F1 drivers seem to get on fine without one.
The bonus with the twin clutch PDK is that it also make the car very town user friendly. Although I personally prefer the single clutch robotised manual gearboxes from a pure drivers interaction
point of view.
However just to annoy the "purists" who insist that the best must have a manual gearbox and 2 wheel drive :-
To stir up the debate I believe that the PDK Carrera 4 GTS has faster lap times than a PDK Carrera 2 GTS , Also both are faster accelerating than their "manual" counterparts, and those
with sports crono faster still.
There is another 997 post referring to whether sports crono is worth it, Porsche claim 0.2 secs quicker with sports crono and another 0.2 with pdk,. {Personally I am not bothered about the stop
watch gizmo and have never used it but the change to engine mapping and gearbox definitely livens everything up in sport and sport plus) so my vote is that it is absolutely essential and really
should be standard on the car.
But perhaps the way Porsche market their cars at a published price that is way below what needs to be paid for "essentials" is perhaps for another debate. They are still fabulous cars.
Iain

 

[geoff lane]

Sorry but I have to agree with Mark,

For me its not about lap times or acceleration figures as these cars are plenty fast enough particularly on the roads of GB be it PDK or manual. As far as I'm concerned its about interaction and feeling part of the driving process and being able to get a buzz even when driving slowly which you get with the added involvement of a manual

Again just an individuals opinion but I have owned both.

Geoff

 

[isysman]

Another for the GTS (but a manual would be my preference). I think the GTS looks fantastic, it was originally the car I wanted. I actually put GTS bumpers on my old Carrera S because I loved the look so much. I ended up buying a Turbo but my head spins around 360 when I see one. Fantastic!

 

[Clewsey]

+1 GTS

 

[GTS SpeedYellow]

Another vote for GTS plus PDK and Sport Chrono Plus.

Sounds daft, but I have size 12 feet and the footwell is much more comfortable with only 2 pedals!

For interest, I have just sourced some registration numbers for the GTS off the Gov www as follows ... (see "Production Figures" post)

GTS C2 100 manual plus 377 PDK = 477
GTS C4 23 manual plus 247 PDK = 270

Suggests the market prefers 2 pedals by some margin but of course it is entirely a personal choice.

 

[nickf]

I changed my C4S Gen 2 for a GTS, never regretted the decision!

 

[andyc11]

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How could you resist? I drove a GT3 gen 1 and 2, 991 S and an Aston V8V before deciding on this. The GT3 was a lovely car, but just a bit too much for me. Couldn't justify the extra £20k for a 991 at a spec similar to a GTS (this was December 13 so they've taken quite a hit on values now), which left the Aston. In my opinion, by far a better looking car than any 997, the noise is something else, but performance was nothing like any Porsche I drove. The GTS ticked a lot of boxes for me, the main one being it feels like an event everytime I open the door. Fantastic performance, but also happy to sit at 70mph with cruise on. Looking at values, they've not really moved much since I bought mine, although a number are coming up to the 3 year mark now so this could change.

 

[Alex L]

Just popped into Lamborghini Pangbourne on the way back from the school run. Craig was taking snaps of a very nice grey GTS he had in. Craig use to work at OPC Reading for many years so knows his Porsches - I know Simon C bought his GTS from Craig.

Anyone looking for a GTS should keep an eye out on the HR Owen website for when it goes up there. I'm sure he would do you a cracking deal!

 

[Clewsey]

ORIGINAL: Alex L

Just popped into Lamborghini Pangbourne on the way back from the school run. Craig was taking snaps of a very nice grey GTS he had in. Craig use to work at OPC Reading for many years so knows his Porsches - I know Simon C bought his GTS from Craig.

Anyone looking for a GTS should keep an eye out on the HR Owen website for when it goes up there. I'm sure he would do you a cracking deal!

It's not mine he's taking pictures of [] top man is Craig on customer service. He said he'd do me a good deal on a Gallardo next year when mine's up. He's a trier, I'll give him that! []