CHASSIS

 

 

The chassis is new in the 991 and that is very apparent. One of the differences is the 10mm increased wheelbase which moves the engine slightly forward, and makes the 991 56mm longer overall in spite of the decrease overhang of the front and rear bumpers.



 

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One of the most noticeable changes in my opinion is the increased front track, something that worked well in the 997GT2RS & GT3 4.0 and they decided to incorporate on the whole 991 lineup. This gives the front end more stability compared to the 997 and inspires even more confidence going into corners and direction changes.





 

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The GTS comes also with the widebody of the AWD and GT3 models which not only makes the outside  body 44mm wider on the hips but also makes the rear track wider by 26mm too.

 

In general the chassis of 991 is more rigid and sways less in the corners than the 997 (probably in part due to the wider front and rear track) but at the same time it's also more comfortable.

 

And that more comfort is significant but on the other hand the GTS does not sacrifice any of its sporty behaviour to obtain that increased comfort. Used to be a dichotomy that the harsher the ride the better the car handled but not anymore. My ex-997S had the -20mm sport suspension but the GTS is dynamically superior in everything (handling in the turns, stability under braking, high speed stability, overall grip, weight transfer stability, etc). I suppose the dynamic engine mounts on the GTS also plays a role in the this comfort at no cost thing compared to the 997.




 

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The handling is still the typical “911” handling, precise steering with great feedback, excellent traction under acceleration, neutral handling setup, etc Only that the 991 takes it all one step further than the 997 (save for the steering), and the GTS one step further than the regular 991 CarreraS, the GTS feeling a bit sportier, a bit more precise in the steering than the CarreraS.

 

The 991 incorporates not an electromechanical steering in place of the traditional hydraulic powersteering, something which at first really worried me since the steering is one of the things I love most about the 911 and which is hard to match on other cars. After testing the 991 when it was introduced I came out not totally convinced that it was  a step in the right direction in terms of feel and feedback (aside from being lighter and more fuel efficient), not after being used too the Mk-1 997S-20mm which had in my opinion the best steering setups of any 996/997 Carrera.

 

In its defense I have to mention that that first 991 I tested had the Power Steering Plus option which is supposed to soften the steering at lower speed to make maneuvering like parking more comfortable, but what it did is soften the steering in general, not only when parking, and made it too light and detached. This is an option that I completely advise not to get, especially on a 911.

 

I don’t know if the GTS has a different steering setup than the regulñar CarreraS or it's because of the changes in iits geometries but its more direct and precise, with a good weight to it. In the GTS I  don’t miss the 997-20mm’s steering so much its almost as good… almost.




 

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Sport Chrono package is standard on the GTS, something that I consider one of those absolute must option on the 991 anyways, since the Sport and Sport-Plus modes allow you to extract a sportiveness the 911 can give in certain moments than would otherwise go unused. It should be standard equipment on all 991’s, it’s like buying a 911 with a factory rev limiter at 4000rpm and you need to get an option to remove the limiter.

 

And the Sport Chrono is even more important in the 991 generation since it also includes the Dynamic Engine Mounts, something that appeared first on the 997 GT3. These engine mounts are not fixed anymore but are controlled electronically so that during sporty driving or at high speeds they are stiffened and therefore reduce the swaying movement of the engine mass increasing stability during weight transfers. this is something I noticed right away as soon as I took to the highway on the first 991 I tested.

 

At lower speeds however, the mounts soften and allow more cushioning of the engine within the chassis and increase comfort not allowing to it transmit the vibrations and movements of the engines to the chassis as much, and therefore the passengers.

 

Since this GTS has PDK, the rear differential is an electronic one called PTV Plus, as opposed to the manual versions which have a less sophisticated mechanical one called, PTV.


 

In regards to RWD vs AWD, after having driven and compared both versions of the last generations (and having owned both versions) you can see that with each generation of 911 the differences between RWD and AWD are becoming smaller and smaller.

 

On one hand the AWD versions in sporty driving handle more and more like RWD, they have less understeer and the steering does not lose as much feedback when the torque is diverted to the front axle in times of greater rear slip angle. And on the other hand the RWDs with the improvements in stability technologies, improvements in grip and chassis, the improvement of tire compounds and construction, etc there are less situations where an AWD would take advantage of its extra FWD traction.




 

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In my opinion, only if I were to use the 991 under snow conditions with snow tires or very rainy with very cold temperatures I would go for the AWD version. But under moderate climate conditions (ex: hot summers & rainy winters) the RWD has the same level of tracción and safety at the limit. And there are still some drawbacks to AWD like the heavier kerb weight so only makes sense if you are not really going to take advantage of it. There are other reasons however, some people like the AWD just to have it there because they are new to the 911, others because of the wider rear which makes it look better, however the latter won’t apply to the already widebody GTS.




 

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I have always opted for the sport suspension option, in my 996 I had the M030 -10mm, on my 997 the P17 -20mm, but on the GTS I opted for the -10mm PASM that comes standard and not the -20mm S-PASM. The reason being that the front bumper of the GTS is not only reaches lower and more forward than the standard bumper but it also comes painted down to the bottom lip which is part of the bumper, it’s not a removable unpainted black lip. I have already scratched the lip the first day I had the car, if I would have opted for the -20mm S-PASM it would have been a problem for me for everyday usability. So its something to consider first before getting the -20mm in the GTS.



 

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The weight in general has not increased in the 991 in spite of being a new generation, in fact it's a few kilos lighter than the 997 thanks to greater use of aluminum. And the GTS is only 10Kg heavier than the CarreraS even though it has the widebody.

 

In regard to brakes, the GTS has the same brakes as the CarreraS, 340mm diameter and 34mm width in front and 330mm & 28mm rear. Compared to other brands Porsche does not disappoint in the brakes category, the feeling of the pedal is very good and progressive as usual but haven’t tested them hard yet in terms of fading. They do tend to look a bit small inside the big 20” wheels though. The PCCB’s offer a bit better pedal feel and produce less brake dust so the wheels don’t get as dirty, but in my opinion they just don’t justify the price, not by a long shot.




 

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The GTS comes with 305/30/ZR20 tires on front and 245/35/Zr20 on front, the same as the CarreraS but the GTS comes with 1” wider wheels for more support for the tire’s lateral walls (9J x 20 front and 11,5J x 20 rear).

This GTS came with Pzero and I’m not a fan of Pirelli though it’s been a long time since I have used Pirellis and they seem to have improved, but when it comes time to change them I will go for the Michelin PSS.




 

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