phow

I think the GTS gets plenty of respect but I also think these GTS/GT4 comparisons are apples and oranges which is what is driving these polarizing opinions. The GTS is a top of the line 718 and the GT4 is a GT product from a completely different division at Porsche.

I’m also a 911 and GT3 owner and on the 911 owner side we don’t spend much time comparing Carrera models to GT models as they are just “different”.

Personally I think the detuned 4.0 being available in the GTS creates the illusion that the cars are more closely related than they really are. The GTS shares far more components with the S than it does the GT4.

I’ve spent time with both the GTS and GT4 at the same time. They are very different vehicles. Pick the one that suits YOUR use case.

Zhao

lol or we have different 'pain' thresholds for bad advice from previous forums. Good old Honda (or similar) forums for example you'd get a thread like 'I have 3 kids and another on the way so I'm looking at trading my civic in odyssey or a pilot. Which one do think is best?'. 9/10 posts = get the type R and drop it with some stupid hellaflush rims and a big turbo and plastidip it, then put a decal on the windshield so you can't see where you're going. Brain cancer like that makes the worst advice here seem like great advice to me by comparison.


You definitely have a point in 911 land though. A GT2/3 RS isn't the car for most people on this planet or probably even most GT2/3 RS owners which is why they always show up for sale with <2000km on them and i've commented before I never see those thigns at the track (although last time I posted that apparently there are places in north america where thy are super common on hte track like quebec). It's surprising how few base 911's exist when that is more performance than most people can handle.

unclemat

Oh, the infatuation with "GT division". Please. They slapped some stiffer coilovers on the car, gave it some areo bits, wider tires, and increased rev limiter. Big ****ing deal. Of course it is a better track car. And a worse street car.

"Illusion that the cars are more closely related than they really are"... seriously?

TXshaggy

Just slapped some stiffer coilovers..? Hardly, the entire front clip chassis and mounting strucure is from the 991.2 GT3. Rear subframe GT specific.

PASM, PSM, steering ratio, wheel, tires, brakes, aero, PDK programming, etc…all different.

Just increased rev limiter? Peak power is 600 RPMs higher and max TQ band wider, plus 5% more HP.

You can reference the press releases and technical data on the Porsche Newsroom.

Your response actually validated the previous posters comment on perception.

Tief Lernen

Yup - I had a Boxster GTS 2.5 and so many things about the GT4 are different, often in ways that don't show up on a spec sheet or press release. The brakes are much stiffer, the steering has more feedback and is somewhat lighter. The suspension (aside from being a different geometry) also has stiffer bushings and less rubber everywhere. Even programming of the gauge cluster is different (race mode for the TPMS, and the coolant temperature gauge isn't artificially buffered, etc.) Yeah, it's the same unibody structure, but every subsystem has something different from the regular 718 models (aside from, you know, HVAC controls or whatever). Definitely feels like the GT division went in and changed things to their liking across the entire car.

unclemat

Haha. I knew my post will rattle some GT4 owners Of course GT4 has much improved suspension with all the bits you list. And, of course, GTS is more like S, except the engine. But at the end of the day, this is still same platform with more similarities than differences. And if I could justify/afford a GT4 in addition to GTS 4.0 I am buying, I'd totally have one as a track toy, as it is an awesome machine for that purpose.

wizee

Yup, there’s a lot more to it than just stiffer coilovers and aero. The GT4/Spyder steering, brakes, and chassis response feel very different from the GTS.

Jeff Jones

They are both great cars with a long list of pros and a short list of cons. It’s good to have options!

Tief Lernen

That said none of the GT stuff matters if you’re not tracking the car, and if I were buying a car for street use and light track only, I would definitely buy the Boxster GTS 4.0 over a GT4, no question.

phow

Your post didn’t rattle anyone and only managed to prove my point regarding the false perception that the GTS and GT4 are more closely related than they actually are.

As I said in my post, buy the car that fits your use case and enjoy. Nobody cares which one you pick. I only care when BS information is passed around that causes misinformation among those that read these threads in an effort to educate themselves.

I have been fortunate to own a wide variety of Porsche’s standard line cars and GT cars. I have no illusions regarding the differences between what’s better on the street vs track.

However, IMHO the GT4 has actually become more of what the GT3 used to be. A street car that is also at home on the track. The 992 GT3 is much more track car than street car this time around.

The GT4 actually reminds me a lot of both 997 and 991 GT3’s. I personally find the GT4 to be the perfect weekend backroad/canyon car but I probably wouldn’t recommend it as a daily option. That’s where I think the GTS makes more sense as balance of both comfort and performance, which always been the purpose of the GTS across the various model lines.

Zhao

Depends on your definition of doesn't matter. You could also say that the 4.0 is pointless too and just get the base by the same logic, but we know that isn't true. Those GT bits still have value on a GT4/spyder to people who do not track it. Looks alone is significant.

wizee

The GTS is more comfortable, practical, and bad road friendly than the GT4. However, that’s not why people buy sports cars. A Corolla is better than a GTS by that measure. People buy sports cars because they like to feel of the steering, the feel of the chassis, the brakes, the grip, the look, and of course the speed (though that point is mostly moot between GT4 and GTS). The differences in steering, chassis, brake feel, and styling of the GT4 can all be enjoyed on the road.

minn19

I agree, this place is very GT/Spyder or nothing for the majority of the people here. And said majority barely ever take it to the track but tell themselves it’s better on the street when in reality it is often the reverse (GTS is better on the street). Apparently more people have smooth roads than I do to enjoy all of the extra GT division engineering. The totally different/night and day differences get thrown around so much on all car forums it’s extremely overused IMO. The GT3 and other 992s are much more different because they have different engines to start with. That’s no small matter and why the GT4 and GTS are so similar. I’ve driven both and they feel very similar, I guess I’m not a pro like most everyone else and can feel the extra steering input etc.

phow

The absolute statement that the GTS is better on the street is simply not true. If by the street you mean curvy backroad/canyons that are mostly smooth with the exception of a pothole here and there, the GT4 is better. If by the street you mean city driving in stop-and-go traffic, with the occasional opportunity to get on it, the GTS is better. Obviously, these aren't the only two potential scenarios but you get the idea.

Secondly, as both a Carrera and GT3 owner, I can tell you there are about the same amount of differences between Carrera GTS and GT3 as there are between 718 GTS and GT4. The fact that you get the option of a detuned version of the 4.0 in the GTS is irrelevant. The GTS is far closer to Cayman S than GT4.

Thirdly, if you have truly driven both and found them to be "very similar" (I won't question the validity of this claim) I really wonder what was the conditions in which you drove them? My friend just received his GTS 4.0 and we did a canyon drive for about 4 hours last weekend. Halfway through we switched cars. We both agreed they were very different vehicles and we both appreciated the pro's that each had to offer. Neither one of us felt that they were "very similar" and while he was slightly jealous of the GT4's canyon carving abilities, he was still happy with his decision because the GTS will act as his daily driver.

minn19

The roads I drive on all the time which should matter the most to who is buying the car. Not all of the marketing or what magazines/forums say. I barely have any smooth roads nor do I attack them as hard as some do here on public streets. If I had canyon roads that are apparently smooth and tracks like you guys have around you I’d probably have looked closer at a GT4. Oddly enough, when I bought my GTS the GT4s were far more plentiful and could be had at a discount. You have to have smooth roads and really be honking on it to really feel the differences.

I 100% disagree about the differences, it’s slightly detuned by the way to the point that most say they really don’t notice. Saying one car that has a completely different engines than the ones that don’t are more similar is absurd to me. The characteristics of the N/A 4.0 vs the FI 2.5 make for very different experiences.

Good for you and your friend, I and many others have opposite opinions.