Porsche to launch new Carrera GTS

Porsche will give a debut to its new Carerra GTS at the Paris Motor Show before the newcomer, which is powered by a 408bhp 3.8-litre flat six engine, arrives at UK showrooms in December, priced at £76,758. The latest member of the 911 family has plenty to make it stand out including widened rear body styling and a wider rear track.

Powered by a 3.8-litre direct injection flat six engine that has been tuned to produce 23bhp more than the 911 Carrera S, the GTS uses a special resonance intake manifold featuring six vacuum-controlled tuning flaps that switch between power and torque-optimised geometry, whereas in a Carrera S power unit there is only one tuning flap. Consequently, the maximum torque of 420Nm is available at 4200rpm, 200rpm earlier than the Carrera S for increased low rev response.

Added to this is a sports exhaust system with two dual tailpipes producing a unique sound. The outer shells of the exhaust pipes are painted in black and their inner tubes are polished on the outside and nano-coated.

As standard, the Carrera GTS has a six-speed manual gearbox while the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) is available as an option. The top speed of the GTS with the manual gearbox rises by 2mph to 190 mph while acceleration from 0 to 62mph improves by 0.1 seconds so the GTS Coupe fitted with PDK and a Sport Chrono Package Plus in Sport Plus mode, takes just 4.2 seconds.

Despite this extra performance, the new 911 Carrera GTS consumes no more fuel than the Carrera S with a claimed average consumption figure of 27.7 mpg (when fitted with the PDK gearbox) and CO2 emissions of 240g/km.

Unique within the 911 Carrera family, the GTS combines the 44mm wider body of the all-wheel drive Carrera 4 models - including a widened rear track - with a rear-wheel drive configuration. There are other changes including 19-inch centre-locking RS Spyder alloy wheels, painted in black with high-gloss finished rims, a SportDesign front apron with the spoiler edge painted in black, special side skirts and the Carrera GTS logo on the doors and rear lid, in black or silver depending on the body colour. The area between the two tailpipes on the rear apron is also finished in black.

In combination with the standard black interior colour, the centre sections of the driver and passenger sport seats are covered with black Alcantara. The sporty feeling is added to by the use of Alcantara wherever driver and passenger come into direct contact with the vehicle, such as on the rim of the new three-spoke SportDesign steering wheel and on the gear lever and handbrake.

The new Porsche 911 Carrera GTS goes on sale in the UK in December, priced from £76,758 for the Coupe and £83,493 for the Cabriolet.

Fitted to every 911 Carrera GTS is a Porsche Vehicle Tracking System (VTS), a sophisticated vehicle security package approved to Thatcham Category 5 standard, and customers will also be able to explore the potential of their new car by participating in a complimentary course at the Porsche Experience Centre, Silverstone.

Click here to read our 2010 Paris Motor Show A-Z guide.