2023 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Review

Mother Nature seemingly takes issue with the 2023 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS.

We first drove the 992-generation 911 GTS about 18 months ago in the Appalachians, where intermittent rain couldn’t dampen my enthusiasm for the traditional sweet spot of the 911 range. So when Porsche put a winter-rubbered GTS coupe on the fleet, we leaned into it. Pictures of the Carmine Red sports car tearing through snow drifts danced in our heads.

So of course it was a warm(ish), snow-free week together. Something something, best-laid plans.

Nonetheless, it was seven days to reinforce the message: the GTS is a stupendous all-rounder for everyday use. The price has inched even higher these days, but the payoff is the most rewarding turbo-powered version of Porsche’s icon.

Traditionally, the GTS has sat between S and Turbo, but has been more of a Carrera S Plus: a bit more power, a bit more kit, but fundamentally a positive parts-bin special. This generation is more of a diet Turbo; it borrows that model’s sweet center-lock wheels (staggered 20-inch front, 21-inch rear) and big brakes (16.1-inch front, 15.0-inch rear). Not only that, but the GTS also pinches the Turbo’s springs and dampers, including the secondary helper spring on the rear axle. The standard PASM active suspension is based off the big T’s, too. The whole package has been retuned for the GTS’ lighter, 3,536-pound (1,604-kilogram) curb weight. Coupes and convertibles sit 0.4 inches (10 millimeters) closer to terra firma; the stylish Targa does not.

The 3.0-liter flat-six tucked in the tail sees increases of 30 to both horsepower and pound-feet, now totalling 473 and 420, respectively. The incredibly smooth eight-speed PDK transmission is standard, and that’s what’s equipped here, but buyers can also spec the seven-speed manual transmission if they’d rather shift for themselves.

Fans of subtlety will appreciate the GTS doesn’t shout about its skills, too. The lesser 911s’ optional Sport Design package is standard here, with a unique black lip spoiler up front and blacked-out trim at the rear. A pair of big-bore exhaust tips get the night-time treatment as well, along with smokier head- and taillights. A trio of GTS badges mark this car out—two on the lower doors, and the addition to the rear badge—but Porsche’s famously long options list offers a delete.

Three point one seconds. That’s how quick the 911 Carrera 4 GTS will crack off a run to 60 mph (96 km/h) with the PDK. Even on winters, using an imprecise smartphone stopwatch, the dummy-easy launch control shows this GTS is game. This is a shockingly quick car, shocking because the 911 does this sprint with about as much effort as it takes one of us to take a swig from a water bottle. The flat-six sings through the sport-tuned exhaust, full of that breathy character that’s so intrinsic to the 911 experience, just with the faintest bit of turbo woofle laid over. The PDK remains one of the smartest, smoothest, self-shifters out there too: happy to take things easy and surf that effortless torque, or hold onto a gear right up to redline.

Grip, even on the winter rubber, far exceeds what’s necessary for public roads. The quick steering, meanwhile, is a fine alternative to a morning coffee. Precise, well-weighted, and consistent in its feedback, the 911’s helm builds driver confidence quicker than that 0–60 dash. Porsche has spent more than a decade fine-tuning its electronic power steering, and the result is a rim that offers easy-to-process feedback. Since the AWD system rarely ever sends power up front, that perfectly-sized steering wheel remains gloriously unaffected, too. This tester’s optional rear-wheel steering only increases agility, but does so in a way that never feels artificial. That is the GTS’ great Houdini act: making a very digital car feel analog.

Brake feel is just as solid as the steering, with a predictable pedal and more than enough power to haul this 3,500-pound coupe up with a quickness.

What’s more, the GTS practically sips fuel. After a week of driving it shall we say “spiritedly,” the 911 returned a little over 21 mpg (11.0 L/100 km), which is better than what we saw in a week with a Hyundai Palisade. Of course, that three-row didn’t need a steady diet of 94…

The 911 has been such an enduring icon of everyday sports car life because of that unique shape. Instead of a rolling wedge, Porsche’s icon has an upright glasshouse, and that gifts the driver with excellent all-round visibility. Yes, there’s a 360-degree camera here—still Porsche’s unusual fisheye one, which can make distance judgments hard in tight spots—but it’s far from a necessity.

This interior is typically vault-like in its construction, too. Everything fits together tightly, and every surface feels good to the touch. Going for the eponymously-named interior package coats the cabin in Race-Tex, with Carmine Red stitching as contrast. The optional 18-way power-adjustable seats are firm, well-contoured but not overbearing, and provide a wide range of adjustments to satisfy most folks. That view out over the wheel is sweet—if only it didn’t also block the two outermost digital dials. Porsche has of course kept the central tach analog, because some things are sacred.

We’ve been lightly critical of Porsche’s infotainment system in the past. In products like the Cayenne and Taycan, it can come across as slightly behind the luxury curve, a little too simplistic. Here in a two-seat sports car, however—and running the latest software PCM 6.0 software—that’s less of a hang-up. As Paul Rand once said, “simplicity is not the goal. It is the by-product of a good idea and modest expectations.”

The system snappily does what you need with little menu-hunting required. The addition of color coordination for the most-used icons makes it easier to handle without focusing, though there’s also an improved voice aspect for that, too. Wireless Apple CarPlay hooks up without issue, and this year, Android users can finally enjoy the same perk. A small usability bonus: the flat surface in front of the touchscreen, for a secure perch.

This car doesn’t even take the longest walk down Porsche’s extensive options list, either. There are around $32,000 ($40,000 CAD) of additions, and a significant portion of that is the Lightweight Package ($8,690 / $9,910 CAD). But the inherent goodness of the GTS means you could skip that, or the GTS interior, the carbon trim bits, and Premium package and not really miss anything. I’ll always argue in favor of the front axle lift ($2,770 / $3,150 CAD)—and those of us in colder climes may enjoy the heated steering wheel. Porsche still charging two grand for something a Corolla offers as standard (adaptive cruise control) continues to feel punitive, however.

What else at this price? The Audi R8 and Acura NSX are waving goodbye, and Mercedes is in the process of replacing the AMG GT coupe; the SL is now the de facto droptop flagship once more. Aston Martin’s pretty Vantage kicks off around the same price, too. Performance above all else? Corvette Z06… if you can find one.

The 2023 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS is the platonic ideal of a sports car. It’s just as quick as a GT3 across anything bar the Nürburgring, yet it’s a friendlier ride. It won’t crack 9,000 rpm, but it’ll still sing, and it’ll do it without draining your wallet quite so quickly. The GTS works better at blending in, too, at home in traffic and at fancy events in a way its pugnacious track-day sibling could never be.

Had I picked a more lucrative profession, the GTS would be on my dream daily driver short list. Sure, if I lived next to a track, the GT3 would be tempting, but to live with, to enjoy in (nearly) all road scenarios, the GTS hits the highs more consistently.

Just don’t ask how it is in snow. We still don’t know—but we still want to find out.

FAQs

How much does the 2023 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS cost?

The 2023 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS begins at $152,550 ($168,350 CAD) including destination. Opting for the all-wheel drive Carrera 4 GTS adds $7,300 ($9,500 CAD). Want a cabriolet? Even more.

How much horsepower does the 2023 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS have?

All models have 473 horsepower, with 420 pound-feet of torque.

How fast is the 2023 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS?

The coupe will do 0–60 mph (0–96 km/h) in 3.1 seconds, and is capable of 193 mph (311 km/h) if given the room.