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Hello everyone, I just recently purchased a CPO 2015 4 GTS and wanted to introduce myself and provide some initial impressions so far after having owned the car for about a month now.
First off, the options list:
PASM Sport Suspension
Automatically dimming mirrors
Jet Black Metallic
Seat heating (front)
20” 911 Turbo S Wheels
Manual transmission
Luggage net in passenger footwell
Smoking package
LED headlights incl. PDLS Plus
ParkAssist (front and rear)
Leather interior in black with Alcantara GTS interior package
Center console trim in leather
Sun visors in leather
Steering column casing in leather
I purchased the car from Porsche of Clifton Park in NY (New Country Porsche). It’s a CPO, warrantied through June 2021. The mileage at purchase was just under 11,000.
Some pics:
The last pic is not my garage but that of the individual who put the film on (discussed below). Some of you in CT may recognize this garage. What you don’t see is the 2004 Gallardo next to my car because it sits so low!
Below are some of my initial thoughts and I can also echo all the positives that have already been said about this wonderful machine. I’m coming from an E92 M3 with DCT.
Engine: The power delivery is very similar to the M V8, having to work the revs high for maximum power. I’ve had torque monster turbo cars before and prefer the high revving NA characteristics and instant throttle response every time. Compared to the M, I would say that the throttle response in the GTS is a smidge slower but that could likely just be perception vs. reality. The M’s 8 individual throttle bodies made for throttle response that was laughingly good. Both motors sound fantastic in their own respects. I loved the M’s snarling and crackling induction noise when accelerating, with its almost F-1 like crescendo at full tilt; and love the bark at the moon howl of the GTS, especially with sport exhaust. They both sound amazing.
Steering: I was pleasantly surprised by how good the electric steering feels. The E92’s hydraulic steering was often praised for its wonderful feel but nothing about the GTS’s electric steering makes me miss the M’s hydraulic steering. I’m of the view that all else being equal, the hydraulic steering will offer more feedback but I also believe that there are some electric steering units that are better than their hydraulic competitors. I would argue that a lot of modern hydraulic units have lost much of their feel as well. My first car had no power steering at all, resulting in Austin Powers golf cart like maneuvers to parallel park! I have also read that some folks find the 4 to provide more feedback than the 2 due to the added weight and drivetrain up front. Perhaps some of my happiness with the steering is attributable to this. I also feel that where the steering may comparatively lack in feedback, it’s made up for with its preciseness and accuracy.
Paint: The jet black metallic has lots of flake in it which looks beautiful and also helps to hide imperfections. There are some bluish hues which I particularly like. I’ve already been asked a couple of times if the car is dark blue! At 11,000 miles, there is already a collection of rock chips at the front of the rear fenders (notorious area for these). While this bothers me a little, I’ll have to live with it. Some of the chips just look like metal flake, haha. But I had the full front, mirrors, rocker panels, and partial fenders wrapped in protective film for piece of mind and to prevent further chipping. The stock pieces of film on the rear fenders were removed and I was surprised how beat up they were already. But the previous owner definitely drove the car, putting on almost 11k miles in less than a year of ownership. Maybe it was tracked on occasion too.
Interior: I’m not a huge fan of black interiors but love them with contrast stitching or alcantara. But generally, I like there to be a contrast between the interior and exterior colors. I have the 4 way seats and enjoy the simplicity of them and knowing they are a little lighter than the 14-way or 18-way. The bolstering is very good and the alcantara prevents sliding around. In the M, the bolstering was average at best and sliding around the leather got annoying. The brushed aluminum interior bits provide a wonderfully subtle touch to the interior. Much nicer than the rubbery like carbon fiber interior bits of the M.
Other random thoughts:
- The RS Spyder wheels are one of my favorites of any wheel out there. I had the wheels coated with pearl nano when it was getting the film.
- Engine placement (controversy alert!)– I’m a believer that the engine is actually in the right place, or at least offers some advantages over other layouts such as superior corner exits and less weight transfer to the front upon braking. I owned a 2009 Cayman S before the M3 and while the mid engine layout was excellent, I love the rear engine too and am just happy to have the engine behind me again. I know there are so many other variables at play here, but in short, I think the rear engine layout offers some advantages, elements of fun, nostalgic appeal, and gorgeous, giant booty, that are not offered in any other current car. Can’t wait to take this to the track. I plan on doing Lime Rock on 11/3 with SCDA.
- AWD – I was indifferent on getting the S vs. 4S but this one happened to pop up at the right price. While it weighs more, this is somewhat offset by having the manual over pdk and 4 way seats over 14 or 18 way. Plus, I welcome the additional traction and steering feel (if this is true) and overall, it’s still probably about 400 lbs lighter than the M. After a little testing in the rain recently on a traffic free Sunday morning, I was surprised by how easy it was to spin the car sideways turning onto a side street. Granted I was liberal with the throttle ready to induce a spin but wasn’t expecting it to be so easy. I still need to find the limits of the car. I had an awd STI before and that took some effort to get sideways.
- Plates and registration - I'm still waiting for my CT plates and registration to arrive. Not surprised that it's taking so long but the temp plates are expiring soon which has me a little concerned. Once I receive the plates, I will of course remove the plastic plate border. I realize I blurred out the plates in 1 photo but not the other. This is merely because I no longer cared after editing the first one! Plus, they're NY temps and everything will change.
Anyway, if there are any other areas you’d like some feedback on, please let me know and I’ll be happy to share. I look forward to being part of the community!
Can't go wrong with one of these, nice option list as well. I traded my M for a 16 GTS which is completely different car IMO and ended up missing the old car, found clean one with 10 k miles and picked it up last week. Now that I drive it again, it feels so much bigger and heavier than GTS. Like the M3, love the GTS
Thanks everyone for the welcome and congratulations!
Bemo, looking forward to meeting up with you and Bluehorseshoe (and anyone else wanting to meet).
Rezus, do you now own both the M and GTS? There will be aspects of the M I will surely miss but one of the best parts of the M is its all around sportiness and versatility. But I no longer needed the practicality of the M since I also have an suv so i wanted my car to be a little more focused towards sport. I agree they are both great.
This past weekend in ReddIng, CT. We had a nice variety of Porsches. I opted for the Spyder since top down days are numbered. The GTS will be acquiring more miles soon.
So many of us came from the E92 M3. I had a DCT as well. I'm glad to be back into a manual. I do miss the sound and some performance aspects of that V8 but the GTS does so many things so much better I have no interest in returning to an M anytime soon.
Congrats Rambler and best of luck! You beat me to this one. I was calling on it nearly every day for about a week, right up until the day the salesguy told me it was gone.
I'm also not a fan of all black interiors, particularly on black cars, but this car pulls it off somehow.
This past weekend in ReddIng, CT. We had a nice variety of Porsches. I opted for the Spyder since top down days are numbered. The GTS will be acquiring more miles soon.
10-17-2016 | 07:05 PM
2015 4 GTS
