Porsche 911 Carrera GTS article highlights:

• The Porsche 911 Carrera GTS returns as the middle trim in the 2022 911 lineup
• It doesn’t have the GT3’s naturally-aspirated engine, but the 2022 GTS is closer to it than ever thanks to some Turbo hardware
• The 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS is expensive, but it offers more value than the Carrera S and more real-world usability than the even-pricier GT3

For many Porsche 911 fans, the GT3 is the rear-engine sports car’s pinnacle. But while the naturally-aspirated GT3 is increasingly special in today’s forced-induction world, it’s not the only beloved three-character Porsche code. Whether you’re buying a 911, Cayman, Macan, or even a Taycan, the GTS trim is held in high regard. And for 2022, the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS gets even better with help from the 911 Turbo.

The ‘sweet spot’ Porsche 911 Carrera GTS gets sweeter in 2022 with some 911 Turbo goodies

Since its 2011 introduction on the Porsche 911, the GTS trim has become a sort of ‘golden middle child’ for the automaker’s products. Cheaper and less extreme than a Turbo but with more features than a base model, they’re often the sweet spots of their respective lineups. For example, the Cayenne GTS offers near-Turbo performance but a better experience at a significant discount. And the 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS carries on this tradition, albeit with a special twist.

In years past, the 911 GTS offered a bit more power than a base Carrera along with several bundled performance options. That’s still the case with the 2022 model. Compared to a 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera S (base Carreras don’t have manuals), the GTS has 30 more horsepower and lb-ft of torque. Hence why manual models—a no-cost option—have stronger flywheels, MotorTrend notes

In addition, the 2022 911 GTS comes standard with the lower-riding Sport versions of Porsche’s adaptive PASM dampers. And if you get a Carrera or Carrera 4 GTS, you get stiffer rear helper springs. All 2022 911 GTS models have standard active exhausts and less sound-deadening material, though. And they come standard with Sport Chrono Package, which includes dynamic engine mounts and more driving modes.

However, where the 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS differs is how much equipment it borrows from the current Turbo and Turbo S. It has the 911 Turbo’s larger brake rotors and upgraded calipers, for example, and the Turbo S’s lighter center-lock wheels. Carbon-ceramic brakes are still optional, though.

Speaking of options, the 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS has a trim-specific Lightweight Package, Car and Driver notes. It comes with a rear-seat delete, thinner glass, even less sound-deadening material, additional underbody aero features, and rear-wheel steering. That last feature is available as a standalone option, though, Roadshow says.

It comes at a price, but the 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS is “arguably the best 911 you can get,” Roadshow says

Adding features does mean the 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS’s sticker stretches into GT3 territory, Car and Driver says. Carbon-fiber bucket seats? $5900. A bigger fuel tank? $230. And even with the $8690 Lightweight Package, the GTS is still heavier, slightly slower, and less powerful than the GT3. At least the blacked-out trim pieces are standard.

However, as special as the 911 GT3 feels, it’s too fast for normal roads. But that’s the beauty of the 2022 911 GTS. It still offers “supercar-rivaling performance,” but it’s wrapped in a far more usable package, Roadshow explains. And while it’s not a ‘true’ Porsche GT car, all the 2022-MY upgrades make it the next best thing, Car and Driver says.

For one, the 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS takes all the Carrera S’s excellent traits and amplifies them, MotorTrend reports. It turns into corners with more front-end bite and response then rockets out of them even faster. The steering is immediate and full of feedback, but it never feels twitchy or overly-sensitive. Also, for the first time, you can disable automatic rev-matching on downshifts independently of the driving mode.

Furthermore, you don’t need carbon-ceramic brakes when the standard ones are this good. But if you do tick the box, know that they’re surprisingly easy to modulate and impressively quiet, even when cold, Roadshow says. And even with the ‘standard’ amount of sound-deadening material, the sports exhaust makes the GTS “a raucous beast at idle,” Car and Driver notes.

Is it worth buying over a GT3 or ‘lesser’ 911 Carrera?

In short, the 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS offers all the livability of the Carrera S with just enough GT3-like spice. And this balance of “blitzkrieg performance” with “exceptional daily” capabilities makes it arguably the “golden ticket” of the 2022 Porsche 911 family, MotorTrend muses.

Still, at almost $137K in base form, it’s almost $20,000 more than a 2022 911 Carrera S. Yes, it’s about $24,000 cheaper than a 2022 GT3, but as noted, a few options can eat up that difference. So, why get it?

For one, the 2022 911 Carrera GTS is technically a bargain, even at that price. It would cost you more than $20,000 to equip a Carrera S to the GTS’s level. Secondly, you can’t get a manual Carrera S with the independent-adjusting rev-matching, because it requires hardware changes, MT says. In addition, even with less weight and more horsepower, the 2022 911 GT3 is only 0.1 seconds quicker to 60 mph.

Basically, the 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS offers near-GT3 performance at a discount price. The sweet spot, indeed.

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