TexasRider

I like the looks of those too.

But I don't think the OP is going to see many of these GTS with 50K miles. Maybe not too many with 80. I saw one really good one and talked to Mrs TR about snagging it for her versus her M-B. In two days it was gone.

tresean1

I, like the OP, have the same dilemma. I have been looking at getting one of these for about a year and a half now. Still undecided...but looking toward the 2009-2010 GTS (the styling is still classy and timeless, IMO). I don't like the pointy nose and "petiteness" of the 2011+ models.
Any advice on what "must have" options I should consider for when shopping, and what problems to be aware of?
Nice car, Devil Dog, wanna sell her?

Petza914

PDCC is a must-have, and air suspension if towing. GTS has normally aspirated driving characteristics, great bodywork, and sport exhaust. It's a great choice, unless you're more about power and speed, in which case, defer to the turbo. I was going to buy a GTS with the MT until I drove the Turbo S, then there was no turning back with that 150 extra HP.

tresean1

So when you say the GTS "has normally aspirated driving characteristics, great bodywork, and sport exhaust", are you saying that the Turbo S has noticeable turbo lag, no body kit, and no sport exhaust?

I do like speed (last car was a 385hp E550), but I do like sporty muscular looks as well--all wrapped up into a utility vehicle (from what I see, no SUV out there, except for the G-wagen and X6, looks as good as the Cayenne).
Feature for feature, what are the main pros/cons (or should I say contrasts) of GTS vs Turbo vs Turbo S?
I want to make sure I have an informed set of facts/options to weigh, before I get into the heavy decision-making of which model is best for me.

Petza914

Features of those 3 models are essentially the same, except for powerplant where the GTS doesn't have forced induction so with it's V8, it drives more like a muscle car - initial throttle response is faster, acceleration is more linear, etc. The Turbo & Turbo S drive more like a rocket - a little bit slower to get the power moving, but once moving, it's like riding a wave that's about to crest - just keeps pulling, and pulling. If you're a power junky and think the GTS is right for you, then don't drive a turbo. The turbos don't have a sport exhaust option - only the GTS. You can get aftermarket exhausts for the Turbo models (Fabspeed, cargraphic, etc) but I don't believe any are offered with the valves you can open and close, which is what the stock PSE on the GTS offers. That's not uncommon on turbo cars though as the exhaust needs to be properly tuned to the turbo size, airflow, etc in order to achieve proper volumetric efficiency. The Turbo S is the turbo with just more. 50 more HP, PDCC standard, larger front brake rotors, which are both a plus and a minus - plus - larger sink with maybe a bit more stopping power; minus - there aren't properly sized aftermarket rotor options available, and they're expensive. You really can't go wrong with any of the 3, it's just finding the model and features that works for you. If you're a manual transmission junky like I am, the GTS was offered with this, whereas the Turbo models were not. I started my search for a manual GTS with PDCC, but then found the Turbo S I bought and for how we use the car (family trips), the extra power trumped the stick-shift.

The other thing I didn't like about the GTS is I couldn't find one without alcantara seat centers - and the only place I like alcantara is on my headliner where it looks cool, but I don't touch it or sit on it. I like to be able wiggle around in my seat on longer trips without the seat material grabbing onto my pants and bunching them up or pulling, and alcantara is too sticky in that regard - great in a race car, less so in a Cayenne IMO. Some people love the alcantara material - I'm just not one of them. 2009 & 2010 gets you the slightly upgraded PCM with touchscreen and bluetooth phone connectivity (talking, not streaming), but your phone is better than the stock nav. I have a coil-up aux cable I use to play Pandora from my phone and use Waze into the console port when I'm driving, and it works fine while letting me take calls through the PCM.

tresean1

Thanks for the comparison. That helps a lot. I am with you on the alcantara seats, looks a bit tacky IMO...but I guess that is a trade-off to the sporty body kit and sport exhaust that only the GTS offers. Have you heard of anyone replacing the seats in a GTS with all leather? Another thing I was wondering: are the outboard parts of the seats not leather? In the 957 sales brochure, it mentions something to the effect of "leather on the seat backs in inboard portions on the seat bottoms". Seemed like a strange way of wording it, unless the outside portion of the seat (closest to the doors is leatherette for durability during ingress/egress?)

I do like the raw power of a N/A engine---my E550 was awesome in the department; but I guess I need to drive both the Turbo and GTS to decide in real life, as it pertains to a Cayenne. I do hate the huge delay that a SC or TT car gives; is the turbo lag very pronounced in these cars?
One of the main reasons I cannot drive them is because in my area, we have little to no Cayenne GTS or Turbo's for sale. So for now I unfortunately have to rely on specs and the opinions/advice of you guys, until I have narrowed my choice down to maybe 2 or 3. Most/all of the Cayennes I found online are either in the Northeast, Midwest, CA, or FL. I am not taking arbitrary flights just to go "test drive" cars...lol. I want that flight to be when I go pick it up!! haha

Petza914

My Turbo S has the full leather option, which means leather door and dash tops and I'm pretty sure the seats are all leather (center and sides - not sure about the backs of the front seats, but don't sit there, so not too worried about that). Turbo lag is not that bad - by comparison, my 90 Saab Turbo SPG had a ton more turbo lag than my Cayenne does.

Maybe you can find a PCA member in your area that will take you for a ride in their Turbo or GTS, or even let you drive it. What part of the country are you in? Ideally, you'll want to find one that is a warm climate car to eliminate the chances of a bore scored motor that seems to happen more often in the cold climate examples. Mine is in the middle of a widebody conversion & color change - thread is here: https://rennlist.com/forums/porsche-...s-project.html

Planning to keep this one for a very long time. Only has 28,000 miles.

tresean1

Sorry, I may have worded my previous response weirdly/wrongly. What I was trying to ask was: are the outboard parts of the base/S/GTS seats not leather? I am fully aware that the middle of the seats is alcantara in a GTS; but in the 957 sales brochure, it mentions something to the effect of "leather on the seat backs and inboard portions on the seat bottoms"...which makes me think there is no leather on the outboard portion of the seats. Seemed like a strange way of Porsche's marketing team wording it, unless the outside portion of the seat (the outboard part of the seat cushion closest to the doors) is truly leatherette? I guess they did this for durability during ingress/egress? Can anyone confirm?I am in Virginia, so not many pre-owned GTS's (or Cayennes, period, for that matter) on the market here. And I certainly don't want to deal with the snobby ****** at my local Porsche dealership.I think there are only like 20 957 GTS's for sale in the whole country. :-(

tresean1

hey guys--


found a Cayenne GTS with the below options and considering it. What, if anything do you think is missing from the list of "must-have" or "nice-to-have" options? Or is this one pretty "complete"?


0TD - Floor Mats
1N3 - Variable Assist Power Steering
2D1 - Enlarged Rear Spoiler With Fixed Double-Wing Profile
3FE - Moonroof
4F6 - Porsche Entry And Drive
7X2 - Front And Rear Park Assist
9JA - Non-Smoker Package
9VL - BOSE® Surround Sound System
9WM - Preparation For Rear Seat Entertainment
CY2 - 21" Sport Wheel W/ Wheel Arch Extension In Exterior Color
G0R - Tiptronic S
PC3 - Bi-Xenon Headlights With Washers
PF2 - Porsche Communication Management Incl. Navigation Module
PK3 - Heated Front Seats
PO4 - Light Comfort Package In Conj. W/ Driver Memory Package
Q1J - 12-way Power Seats With Sports Seats Padding
QR1 - Compass Display
QV4 - XM Satellite Radio
TS - Standard Havanna Interior With Alcantara
UF1 - Universal Audio Interface

Petza914

For me personally, Full Leather and PDCC are must haves.

v10rick

One thing to consider is the GTS final drive ratio is 4.10. Good for plenty of low end grunt, bad if you are primarily a highway driver.

Most definitely the sport exhaust sound is awesome, without any mods.

Good luck with your search.

tresean1

I agree about the leather, not really a fan of the suede. Is full leather even available on the GTS?
Tell me, exactly what do you mean by that, in layman's terms? I am mechanically illiterate...lol.

Petza914

I'm not sure if all leather seats are available in the GTS though they may have been a no-cost option. Most of the GTSs I saw during my search had the alcantara centers, which neither me nor my wife like. You could always find all leather seats from another car and swap them out or someone may trade you for the alcantara ones as they're actually pretty popular. The Full Leather options makes the top of the dash and tops of the doors leather. Without it, I believe those areas are a vinyl or a synthetic material of some sort and the leather look, feel, and smell make the interior seem much higher end and a nicer place to spend time.

What he means here is that regardless of the transmission gear ratios, a 4.10 final drive gives you more power and acceleration around town because in the GTS, in the same gear at the same speed as you'd be in a Turbo, you would actually be turning more RPMs, which means you're into the power band of the engine more of the time. However, this means on the highway in top gear, the Turbo would be turning fewer RPMs and be quieter and smoother. In laymans terms, think about a 10 speed bike where in the turbo, you'd be in 10th gear and for every revolution of the pedals the gearing would move you further, in the GTS, you'd be in 9th gear, which means to cover the same distance, you'd have to turn the pedals further, but it would also be easier to do (less resistance), making it seem more responsive. The turbo has so much power, it can run the taller final drive ratio - to feel peppy, the GTS needs lower gearing. This isn't apples to apples though as the NA engine in the GTS will feel more direct whereas the turbo needs to build boost in order to deliver that increased power.

v10rick

Adding to this ^^^

GTS in 6th gear the engine rpm is around 2800 @ 60mph
The 04S @ 60 mph was about 2200 rpm. <<numbers are from distant memory.

The GTS will accelerate up steep grades in 6th gear. The 04S would constantly up-shift/downshift on the same grade.
Note the GTS has a 65HP advantage in this comparison.

tresean1

I guess I was trying to figure out what he meant by bad for highway driving. Does he mean that this will mess something up, or I will experience where on the engine or transmission or something? Or does he mean bad in the sense of personal preference for someone who is really into the details of power delivery?