GTS: three letters that, when siphoned together, evoke a strong yet wonderfully nostalgic sporting spirit in the Porsche world. As you’ll know, the legend started more than 50 years ago with the 904 Carrera GTS, a Targa Florio-winning car that gave rise to the infallible 917, and was reignited for the 911 production line in 2010 with the 997 Carrera GTS. A run-out special with high-quality options appointed as standard to the specification, a 997 GTS is an exquisite Carrera with genuine sporting intentions. It’s a Total 911 favourite and, if that’s not reason enough for you to find similar endearment with it, just take a look at the classifieds to see its current value. Certainly, no other 997 outside of the GT2/3/RS lineup has enjoyed such refusal to significantly depreciate.
Then came the 991 GTS, this time introduced for the first generation. Rolled out across Coupe and Cabriolet body styles in two- and four-wheel drive along with, for the first time, a Targa variant, worldwide Porsche marketing wasted little time in billing this new GTS lineup as ‘driving purity’. And, in context with the rest of the first-generation 991 range, there’s a genuine case in favour of that PR slant emanating from Zuffenhausen: all are naturally aspirated and have a passive rear axle, with a manual gearbox offered as standard - a combined setup which has never rolled out of Werk II since (as the 991.2 GT3 has rear steer as standard).