Nick Jeffery
Surrey, UK
Model 991 GTSYear 2015Acquired AUGUST 2022
Model 997.1 GT3
Year 2007
Acquired NOVEMBER 2019
I bought my first Porsche in 2014. I’ve since purchased seven of Stuttgart’s finest in the past eight years. The first three were all 911s and four-wheel drive. A manual 996 Carrera 4S was quickly followed by a Tiptronic 996 Turbo, and then my 997 Carrera 4 GTS with the first-generation PDK gearbox.
What followed next, though, was a direct result of those previous purchases. A manual 997 GT3, a 981 Cayman S with the second-generation PDK and finally my 987 Boxster Spyder fitted with the first-generation PDK. All rear-wheel-drive Porsches, two of which were mid-engined and all with a much lighter kerb weight than those I’d experienced before.
Why is this significant? Well, it demonstrates the journey I’ve been on and how I feel about the only remaining 4WD car in my stable, the 997 GTS. Compared to the brace of 996s it was a huge step forward for me at the time, in terms of power, performance and refinement. However, the three RWD cars have all ‘started the rot’ in terms of my thinking around the 4WD cars. I prefer how the RWD cars feel with their lighter kerb weight, sharper steering and turn-in. They’re more nimble and alive.
The 981 with the later PDK transmission also highlighted the comparative shortcomings of the first-generation PDK fitted in my GTS. The subsequent PDK boxes are so much better than the earlier ones. They have a significantly crisper, sharper gear change (in all driving modes) and are more refined with a much more engaging, intuitive approach that leaves you in the right gear at all times.
Armed with those learnings, I made the decision to part company with the GTS and find a suitable replacement. I considered Cayman Rs, GT4s and later Spyders. I tried a 718 GT4 and found it a pleasure to drive and so much more civilised than my GT3. But it didn’t feel as special, and with second-hand values of well-specced cars some 15 per cent above list price, I chose to walk away.
I tried a 991.2 GTS, but didn’t like the turbocharged engine. Naturally, it was quick with plenty of power and torque on tap from low revs, but it didn’t stir my soul the way a naturally aspirated motor does. It felt somewhat soulless.
I then discovered a 991.1 GTS and, following a spirited test drive, a deal has been done. The 991.1 GTS addresses all of my criticisms of the 4WD 997 GTS with sharper steering and turn-in, the later PDK transmission and lighter kerb weight, even though it’s 5.6cm longer and the same width
