ece2ep

First of all, I’d like to thank everyone here at RL for making these forums great. I have just registered but have read many posts in the past and have learned a lot from many members. I’m happy to say that I’ve just made a deal to order a 2017 C4S. This will be my first Porsche and I am looking forward to it a great deal.

I considered ordering a 4GTS, however I wasn’t that interested in all the Alcantara and some of the black elements. I have now specced my car as a C4S with Powerkit and sport package. My understanding is that it has PASM (as do all 991.2s). I didn’t add SPASM, as I wanted _a little_ ground clearance and also thought it might make the suspension a bit too stiff. I also didn’t add PDCC, because I’ve read that the absolute lack of body roll in corners is a bit unnatural. My guess is that although I will have essentially the GTS engine, the car will have wheels that are slightly less wide, it will not have the SD front spoiler, and will be missing the aforementioned Alcantara and black elements. I’m not sure the mechanical characteristics should be much different (wheel width notwithstanding).

So, I have a couple of questions (understanding that a lot of personal preferences may apply):
1. Am I missing something important by not adding PDCC?
2. Is the slight difference in wheel width from the GTS an issue (doubt it)?
3. Are there any other non-cosmetic differences between a 4GTS and a 4S with Powerkit?

Thanks in advance for any advice. As above, I’ve learned so much from RL so far and look forward to participating more in the future.

OKB

gts is more performance oriented with sport pasm, powerkit, less consumer comfort interior finish, sport bumper. They give you all the performance stuff up front. The pdcc you wont tell much difference w/or w/out unless you drive both cars hard continuously. You can boost you hp with a cheap ecu tune and get more hp than the pk.

randr

There ar no rights or wrongs in this.

Like yourself, I decided not to go for PDCC (there is very little roll in the .2) and S-PASM (PASM is quite robust as is and the extra clearance was a must for me) but added rear axle steering (big difference across a whole range of driving conditions).

Enjoy the process!

GTSMeister

Did the same analysis on what you are looking at C4S vs. 4GTS. I ended up with 4GTS.

You did notice the width of GTS rear evidenced by the ET of the wheels fitted to GTS. That does reduce your aftermarket choices on wheels for the GTS even with the 5 lug option, C4S is better in that regard. I went with 4GTS because I liked the brushed black aluminum trim in the cabin (only available there). You don't have to get the alcantara interior on the GTS.

The answer for me was that I did want the PDCC and PASM (20mm lower). When I start with a C4S and make it into the 4GTS with those options it costs ~$6K more. I gotta think that the wider track on the GTS is there for a reason. It appears that it may be for the exhaust system center pipes. I could not figure out how to combine the powerkit and sport exhaust on the C4S.

So in the end I get all the performance things I would have gotten, plus center exhaust pipes in black, the black brushed trim inside and all the other interior pieces I wanted. And all for $6K less. But you gotta want all the suspension stuff to make it worth while.

I think no matter what, you're gonna be happy with what you get and like you said personal preferences play a lot.

Oh, and don't forget the "reduced sound insulation" the GTS has. :-)

--bob

ece2ep

Thanks to those who responded thus far. I'm glad to her some confirmatory information on PDCC and S-PASM. I'll have the rear axle steering as part of the SP. OKB: I considered leaving off the PK and getting a more traditional 4S, but thought the extra power would be nice. To your point, I'm not sure I'd be ready to consider aftermarket ECU flashes or similar mods for some time, so I thought this was a reasonable (if pricey) choice. randr: Glad to hear you had a similar thought process about both PDCC and S-PASM. GTSMeister: Thanks for more information on wheel differences. I decided to do CF trim, though I can see how the black brushed aluminum is a selling point for the GTS. The option for the power kit I chose was the "3.0 S Powerkit i.c.w. Sport Package". The configurator says this combines both the Powerkit (X51) with the Sport Package (P3P), so it appears it would have all of the other SP elements, including sport chrono, sport exhaust, RAS, etc. I also think I might prefer not having the "reduced sound insulation".

Hurricane

I have both PDCC and SPASM on mine. SPASM rides firmer than PASM, no question. While I like PDCC (it contributes to a more pleasant ride and also keeps the car flatter in corners), others do feel that it is unnatural feeling on the track.

Priced equally, I personally would lean towards the GTS. You can always spec the GTS with leather vs alcantara, right?

bmedude

Tell us what the spec of your 4S is and we can give you better advice. I personally went with a 4S. A similarly speced 4GTS would cost about 20K more.

tstafford

Does that price difference include the power kit on the 4S? OP says he wants that. I'm guessing a 4S w/ the power kit starts to bump up close to the GTS.

rk-d

So the configurator doesn't let you get PSE with Powerkit on the C4S. That could be the deal-breaker?

Similarly equipped with PDK, PDCC, SPASM, FAL, Powerkit and sport design front bumper, sport design mirrors the C4S is ~$1k more expensive. Without PSE or CL wheels or black exhaust tips. Resale is almost guaranteed to be better on the GTS compared to a similarly priced C4S.

If I was dedicated to the C4 platform, I'd go GTS b/c I have a hard time leaving significant power on the table, if it's a financially viable option (most of the reason why I jumped from C4s to Turbo)

bmedude

If you're decking out your 4S, definitely get the GTS trim. My 4s has no cosmetic options and the popular performance options.

My personal opinion.... I'd rather have a base turbo than a decked out 4GTS.

sechsgang

Honestly I would bump up to a gts and spec leather only interior...many people I know who were in the same spot regretted it later down the line. Also S-PASM really doesnt change the ride that much anymore, and while the ride height is a little lower, its not NEARLY a problem compared to almost every other exotic type sports car, so unless you have a really really steep driveway or live in LA (didn't look at that so maybe foot in mouth if you do) then that extra shouldnt make the difference.

pitt911

aftermarket ECU changes are not worth the risk IMO. A lot of companies are catching up to these and voiding warranty on the spot . I can't give you a specific warranty void by Porsche, but I am hearing more and more about that with other brands.

bmedude

I live in the suburbs of westchester county, NY. The roads are great here for the most part but I do have to be careful when pulling in to driveways and ramps with regular PASM. I do scrape occasionally.

Archimedes

I have PDCC on my car and I'd only spec it again if I were getting a SPASM car again, as it softens up the straight line ride a bit. On a PASM car, I wouldn't bother.

Everything else you're asking about is personal preference. For me, the GTS would be out because I wouldn't want PSE on a 991.2. If I were buying a .2, I'd be looking at a high spec 4S.

NoGaBiker

If you're getting powerkit and thereby boosting 4S price up to or exceeding 4GTS, just remember that in all likelihood when you go to sell them you will get "Used 4S" money, and the 4GTS will get "Used 4GTS" money, which has historically been a good bit higher than equivalent S money.

In otherwords, the X51 tends to do like other options, bringing very little relative to its cost.