Instrumented Test
Ordering a Porsche can be a time-consuming affair. There are options on top of options and enough abbreviations to stymie a B-school graduate. In the interest of keeping it simple, stupid, Porsche streamlines the ordering process with the Boxster GTS. GTS, of course, is also an abbreviation; it stands for Gran Turismo Sport.
Going for the GTS ups the standard equipment, and the base price rises to $75,595 with a six-speed manual. But the included abbreviations are things that you should order anyway, like PASM and PDLS. PDLS stands for Porsche Dynamic Light System, and it turns the headlights with the steering wheel. PASM, which drops the Boxster’s suspension nearly a half inch, is Porsche Active Suspension Management; it brings electronically adjustable shocks that provide an excellent ride in the softer setting and stiffen considerably in Sport mode.
Some of the GTS price also goes toward the slightly more powerful 3.4-liter flat-six engine that plays a ripping tune through the standard two-mode sport exhaust system. Porsche now makes five versions of its 3.4-liter engine, and they vary in power from 315 horsepower in the Boxster S to 350 horsepower in the 911 Carrera. In the GTS, the engine makes 330 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. With the two-mode exhaust, the engine sounds mellow in normal mode and barking, spitting mad in sport mode. Popular opinion has it that vintage air-cooled Porsches sound better than modern water-cooled ones. Don’t believe it. No air-cooled, U.S.-legal 911 came from the factory sounding as good as the Boxster GTS.
The GTS’s 15 extra horsepower are no doubt better than no increase, but a five-percent power bump doesn’t amount to much of a difference and the GTS is barely quicker than the last Boxster S we tested. Equipped with the $3960 PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission, the GTS scrambled from zero to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and passed the quarter-mile mark in 12.6 seconds at 112 mph. A PDK-equipped Boxster S hit 60 in 4.2 and covered the quarter in 12.7 at 111. But to get those numbers, the Boxster S requires not only PDK but also Sport Chrono—currently an $1850 option that includes launch control and is standard on the GTS. Launch control is repeatable and easy. When activated, it revs the GTS engine to 6600 rpm before engaging the clutch and bolting for the horizon.
So more than the extra power, it’s the standard performance goodies that make the GTS more compelling than the S. And that’s before considering the value of the GTS’s cosmetics. In the interest of looking good, the GTS sports unique front and rear bumpers, blacked-out headlight surrounds, and 20-inch wheels. Inside, the GTS gets leather spread across the instrument panel, the doors, and the seat bolsters. And if it’s not wrapped in leather, there’s a good chance it’s wrapped in microsuede: The seat cushions, steering-wheel rim, shifter, lower part of the instrument panel, door handles, and armrests are all done in the soft material.
A Boxster S with the same chassis options would go down the road just like a GTS. There’s no big difference, because there are no big differences. The GTS, like all Boxsters, is graced with delightful, accurate steering that delivers excellent feedback. The structure is solid and free from any shakes, and the chassis is taut without being abusive, even when fitted with our test car’s no-cost Sport suspension option—we’d probably keep the more comfortable and adjustable PASM shocks for street use. On the skidpad, the GTS gripped tenaciously and returned a 1.05-g figure. Brake-pedal feel is nearly perfect, and the GTS stops reliably and repeatedly from 70 mph in 152 feet. It’s no wonder the Boxster and the Cayman are perennial 10Best winners.
Total up the standard gear on the GTS and it would add $11,305 to the $64,895 Boxster S, and that’s not considering the exterior and interior upgrades and the extra 15 horsepower. It occurs to us that the GTS is an easy way to make sure that the Boxster at the dealer has exactly the options that you want, and that’s the way we Americans generally buy cars: right out of the dealer’s inventory. So don’t feel too bad about not poring over pages upon pages of the order guide—just ignore the plethora of nonessential price-bloating options on our $100,445 test car, check the basic “GTS” box, and enjoy.
