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The 996 GT3 RS was a sharpened version of the Mk.2 GT3, built for track use and it was the homologation model for the GT3 race-car. It was the forbidden fruit for the U.S. and Canadian customers. It was available in a limited number and it was a true track-oriented vehicle. It was based on the GT3 version, but with fewer comfort features and even stiffer suspension. It was the kind of car which could have been taken from the shop and dive into the first race-track. The GT3 was available in white color only, with red or blue inscriptions on its sides. The adjustable rear wing and the “duck-tail” were mounted in the back, to provide better traction on higher speeds. It was fitted with the same engine as the GT3.
Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS (991.2)
The 911 Targa 4 GTS isn't the fastest or best performing 911. It is heavier, softer and not as fast as every other GTS model. But we still love it. The Targa 4 GTS has amazing performance coupled with the sexiest body in the business. In GTS trim the Targa body looks even better. This is the car you get when you can only choose one 911 and you need it for fun weekends, daily driving and taking the wife out to a fancy restaurant. With 450 hp and 405 lb-ft from 2150 to 5000 rpm, it also has more than enough street performance than you could ever need. Buy one.
The engine is the same 3.0-litre, twin-turbocharged flat-six petrol engine as in the 911 Carrera S, but it has been fettled to produce 473 bhp. The GTS also has a bespoke suspension set-up that sits 10mm lower than the standard 911, and that's true no matter whether you choose two- or four-wheel drive. Most of the time, there's absolutely no difference between the standard GTS and the all-wheel-drive version. But when you need it, the AWD Carrera 4 GTS will save you.
With all-wheel drive and all the GTS goodies, the Carrera 4 GTS sits in a very practical place in the Porsche 911 lineup. The 4 GTS is a Carrera 4S with all the items Porsche thinks you should have at a price that is less than choosing them yourself. Standard equipment on the GTS that is normally optional on the Carrera S includes the Sport Chrono Package, Sport Exhaust, bi-xenon lights with PDLS (Porsche Dynamic Lighting System) and PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management). Inside, four-way adjustable sport seats are standard.
In 1974, Porsche's performance version of the 911 was simply known as the 911 Carrera. It had new bumpers that complied to American regulations and the 2.7-liter engine from the Carrera RS 2.7. Other new features for 1974 included new seats, a full-width rear taillight. The Carrera deleted all the chrome off the car in favor of black window frames, wipers, doorhandles, but chrome could be ordered as an option. In 1976 Porsche replaced the Carrera with a new 3.0 liter variant.
Porsche purists might moan that the flat-six engine in the rear is no longer naturally aspirated, but with more power and torque, improved efficiency and some advanced interior tech giving this 911 an even bigger breadth of ability than before, this facelifted 991-generation model carries on where the old car left off. Sure, it’s lost a touch of that high rev zing from the old car, but if you add the sports exhaust, the bark from the engine inside and out is still intoxicating. And so is the speed. The 991.2 Carrera S is absolutely amazing on both road and track and still the best sports car around.
To the untrained eye, the Carrera T may appear to be a bare-bones and sparingly equipped 911 at first glance. The purpose of the T is to create a driver-focused 911, equipped with only the necessities required to appeal to those of a purist’s ilk. The Carrera T employs the same power plant used in the current base Carrera - a twin-turbocharged 3.0L flat-six with 370 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque. A 7-speed manual transmission comes standard with the T, along with a shorter final-drive ratio and the limited-slip differential. Porsche Sport Exhaust (PSE) is also standard. PASM sport suspension comes standard in the T, which lowers the chassis by 0.4 inches relative to the base Carrera and allows for two modes of dampening.