Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Package
All 911s are special. But some are more special than others.
Somewhere close to the top of the list is the GT3, Porsche’s road-legal racer. But its wickedly effective aerodynamics and circuit-ready chassis give it a look that’s too extrovert for some; too brash. Take that swan-neck rear wing so crucial to the new GT3’s track-shredding downforce, for example – do you really want that on your car on the Sunday morning coffee run?
Step forward the Touring Package, named after an option Porsche first offered on the ’73 Carrera RS. It combines most of what makes the GT3 special with a more subtle aesthetic. Indeed, the Touring Package helps the wildest 911 money can buy look, at first glance, like a nicely specc’d Carrera S.
The 503bhp naturally-aspirated flat-six stays (choose from sport manual or twin-clutch PDK gearbox options), as does the race-inspired chassis, with its exotic double-wishbone front suspension.
But the aero elements at the front of the car are body-coloured, helping them blend in, the trim strips to the side windows and the exhaust tailpipes are finished in timeless silver (or satin black, if you tick the no-cost option) and the huge, fixed rear wing is deleted. To match, the interior is a restrained space of mostly black finishes with glints of brushes aluminium.
For the discerning road racer, this is as good as it gets.
Porsche 911 GTS
Positioned with surgical precision by Porsche to sit between the Carrera S and the GT3, the Carrera GTS offers something of the GT3’s speed, poise and high-performance vibe at a more affordable price point.
The familiar twin-turbo flat-six is turned up to 473bhp (from 444bhp in the Carrera S), knocking a tenth from the 0-62mph time and making an already quick car feel rapid. You also get a bespoke GTS chassis tune to Porsche’s low-riding PASM suspension, for a driving experience that promises to be more direct and engaging than the already accomplished Carrera S.
GTS cars also get an upgraded braking system, with parts pinched from the mighty 911 Turbo, a sports exhaust with black tailpipes, GTS badging and classy exterior design tweaks that include a unique GTS front bumper/splitter, tinted headlights and a bespoke rear light design.
The GTS range starts at £108,920 for the Carrera GTS, and buyers can choose coupe, Cabriolet or Targa bodystyles, and rear- or four-wheel drive (the Targa GTS remains four-wheel drive only).
If you’ve always promised yourself a 911, the GTS remains the sweetest of sweet spots.
Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Package: £127,820, 503bhp flat-six, 3.4sec 0-62mph (PDK), 199mph
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS: £108,920, 473bhp flat-six, 3.4sec 0-62mph (PDK), 193mph