PORSCHE INTRODUCES EMPHATICALLY SPORTY 408-HP 911 CARRERA GTS

Flagship Carrera model features wide body, additional power, rear-wheel drive

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Sept. 15 /CNW/ - With a power output of 408 hp, enhanced vehicle dynamics and sporty design accents and standard equipment, the new 911 Carrera GTS is the new pinnacle of the Carrera model series. It will make its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in early October.

An exclusive power upgrade of 23 hp over the 911 Carrera S on which it is based enables the 3.8-litre GTS - available as a coupé and cabriolet - to bridge the gap between the standard Carrera models and the racetrack-oriented 911 GT3. Impressively, the Carrera GTS's additional sportiness comes at no extra environmental cost: following the Porsche Intelligent Performance development philosophy, the sports car consumes no more fuel than the Carrera S in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC).

Unique within the Carrera family, the 911 Carrera GTS combines the 44-mm wider body of the all-wheel drive Carrera models with classic rear-wheel drive. It is also visually distinguishable by its SportDesign front apron with black spoiler edge, special black side skirts and a black finishing panel between the rear tailipipes. Centre-locking 19-inch RS Spyder design wheels, painted in high-gloss black with polished lips and 305/30 R 19 rear tires provide an even sportier stance. A final visual flourish is the Carrera GTS logotype on the doors and rear lid; it comes in black or silver, depending on the body colour.

Inside, black is also the dominant colour, with the standard interior featuring black Alcantara on the centre sections of the driver and passenger sport seats. Black Alcantara is also used wherever driver and passenger come into direct contact with the vehicle - like on the rim of the new three-spoke SportDesign steering wheel and on the gear and handbrake levers.

The 3.8-litre flat-six engine delivers its 408 hp thanks to a number of internal changes, not least a special resonance intake manifold in which six vacuum-controlled tuning flaps switch between power- and torque-optimized geometry (the standard Carrera S engine features only one such flap). Thus, maximum torque is already available at 4,200 rpm, 200 rpm earlier compared with the Carrera S. The extra power is enhanced aurally and visually by a sports exhaust system whose distinctive, hard-edged sound emanates from four tailpipes, finished with black outer shells and polished, nano-coated inner shells.

As a standard, the Carrera GTS has a six-speed manual transmission, with a seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) available as an option. In comparison with the Carrera S, top speed of the manual-transmission model rises by four km/h to 306 km/h. In all forms, acceleration from zero to 100 km/h improves by 0.1 seconds, dropping to just 4.2 seconds for a GTS coupé with PDK and Sport Chrono Package Plus.

The extra performance, visual dynamism and standard equipment of the Carrera GTS comes at an attractive price. Starting in early 2010, the Carrera GTS coupe will be available in Canada at a base price of $124,600, while the Carrera GTS cabriolet will be priced at $136,100.

Note: Photos of the new 911 Carrera GTS are available to accredited journalists in the Porsche Press Database at http://presse.porsche.de. Footage material is available to registered users at http://www.thenewsmarket.com/porsche.

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information:

Laurance Yap
416-450-4399
[email protected]