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I finally had the opportunity to drive my new 991 GTS as well as my buddy Johnny's 997.2 Turbo on track this weekend, back-to-back. The differences were striking.
The GTS conjured up a tremendous sense of occasion, with the soundtrack at 7,000rpm a deafening yowl that genuinely has to be experienced to be believed. The PDK mapping in sport+ was faultless, delivering optimal rpm at every turn, lap after lap. There was no point in overriding the PDK in the sport+ setting (whereas in sport I had to execute manual downshifts several times per lap).
The TTS in contrast was a much more clinical, efficient and understated affair. There was no soundtrack to talk about, and overall I felt detached from, rather than involved in the drive.
The most notable difference lay in the handling, however, with the 991's longer wheelbase and wider front track allowing for noticeably better cornering than the TTS. With PDCC also optioned in the GTS, it was able to carry substantially more speed into slow corners, out-manoeuvring the Turbo time after time. The GTS just felt rock solid and planted on every corner, like a genuine race car, while the Turbo in comparison might as well have been a boat.
Overall, there was little doubt in my mind that the GTS is the more fun car to drive on track. Sure the Turbo was unbeatable on the straights, with acceleration that was little short of blinding. But for a smile on your face, the GTS did it for me hands-down.
So there we have it. My modest contribution to the ever-raging "which of the four hundred and seventy-eight 911 models is right for you?" debate. I leave you with a photo below of my friend Ben, who sat shotgun in the GTS. He had to go for a little lie-down to recover after ten minutes with me on track in the GTS. I'm not sure racing agrees with him all that well
Johnny did indeed drive the GTS. He's a no-nonsense Scottish engineer. His take was that (1) the handling of the GTS with longer wheelbase, wider front track and PDCC was noticeably better than the TTS in slow corners, (2) that his TTS however had the GTS eating dust on the straights, and (3) that he really didn't like the volume of the GTS soundtrack. "That made my ears hurt", he said, "totally unnecessary".
As for poor Ben, the news that new Top Gear host Chris Evans was caught on camera at the weekend throwing up at Laguna Seca after being taken round by Sabine Schmitz, has made him feel infinitely better about his own embarrassing episode. Not exactly good news for Evans to become known as the "car sickie Top Gear host", mind...
Johnny did indeed drive the GTS. He's a no-nonsense Scottish engineer. His take was that (1) the handling of the GTS with longer wheelbase, wider front track and PDCC was noticeably better than the TTS in slow corners, (2) that his TTS however had the GTS eating dust on the straights, and (3) that he really didn't like the volume of the GTS soundtrack. "That made my ears hurt", he said, "totally unnecessary".
As for poor Ben, the news that new Top Gear host Chris Evans was caught on camera at the weekend throwing up at Laguna Seca after being taken round by Sabine Schmitz, has made him feel infinitely better about his own embarrassing episode. Not exactly good news for Evans to become known as the "car sickie Top Gear host", mind...
So you and Johnny agree on points #1 and #2, but disagree on point #3. You like the aggressive sound of the GTS, and he likes the quietness of the Turbo.
As for Ben, tell him we like his blouse, and those slacks make his hips look big.
01-18-2016, 05:11 PM
991 GTS vs 997.2 TTS on track
