Porsche 911 Carrera GTS And Speedster, Fine Tuning Improves Power And Torque

Porsche has filled one more small gap in the 911 range with the introduction of the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, which slots between the Carrera and the GT3. Whereas the GT3 is aimed more at the track, the Carrera GTA is aimed at people who want rear-wheel drive combined with the rear-engine layout, but for fast road use.

Then, to attract some more buyers for what is reckoned to be the last year of the existing 911, along comes the 911 Speedster. The Speedster is similar to the GTS except that it has a special soft top, designed to have similarities with the Porsche 356 Speedster of yesteryear.

The Speedster shares the mechanical of the GTS, but has a raked windscreen, which is 2.3 in (60 mm) than on the GTS. Also, at the back, it has the twin bubble headrests in the engine cover.

Now 408 bhp available

The power output of the superb flat-six 3.8 liter engine has been raised from 385 to 408 bhp for both the GTS and Speedster. Although the torque is unchanged at 310 lb ft (420 Nm) it is produced at 4,200 rpm instead of at 4,400 rpm in the 911 Carrera.

However, it is not just the engine that has been changed. To suit the extra power, the wider body of the four-wheel drive Carrera 4 models has been adopted for both models so that wider wheels and tires can be fitted. 

Multiple flaps in intake manifold

To increase the power output to give 107 bhp per liter, while improving mid-range torque slightly, Porsche has developed an intake manifold that has multiple flaps. These flaps can be opened or closed to alter the effective length of the manifold in steps, and thus maintain a high ram effect over a wide speed range. Normally, this type of manifold had one flap, which blanks off an extra part of the manifold to make it shorter for high engine speeds.

On the new engine, there are no less than six flaps which can be opened and closed as necessary to maintain high ram effect, and therefore more power over a wide range of engine speeds. There is also a slightly different exhaust system, which also looks and sounds different.

The engine is coupled to either a six-speed manual gearbox or Porsche's seven-speed twin-clutch sequential automatic, which gives increased efficiency and very high shift speeds compared with normal automatics.

Wider body, wider wheels and tires

Tires of the GTS are 235/35 ZR on the front 305/30 ZR section on the rear, mounted on 19-inch center-locking RS Spyder alloy wheels, painted in black with high-gloss finished rims. There is also a different front apron, special side skirts.

Among the equipment is the Sport Chrono Package Plus, which in Sport Plus mode accelerates the car from rest faster than can be done manually, sprinting from zero to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. Maximum speed is increased to 190 mph (306 km/h), just 2 mph faster than the 911 Carrera. Not much of an improvement, perhaps, but it joins the exclusive band of cars that can hit 190 mph.

The 911 Speedster has just about every optional extra as standard, which is why it is so much more expensive than other 911s, and only 356 are being built.