– Los Angeles, California

There are 23 different versions of the Porsche 911 right now, and there isn’t a dud among them. From base 911 Carrera all the way up to holy-moly-that’s-good GT2 RS, there is a 911 for every kind of driver.

Smack dab in the middle of the 911 range lies the GTS series. A step up from base and S models, but not so powerful as to step on the Turbo’s toes, the 911 GTS is that sort of “just right” balance of all the things that make the 911 family so wonderful. This Targa 4 GTS is perhaps the best example of how Porsche’s iconic sports car can be so many things to so many people. It is the most versatile of all 911s – a proverbial Swiss Army Knife of utility, personality, and behind-the-wheel thrills.

Pros

The good stuff, standard. GTS models start by offering a bunch of otherwise optional 911 performance goodies as standard. For instance, while the GTS has the same 3.0-liter turbocharged flat-six as the Carrera S, it comes with the optional Powerkit, raising output to 450 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque (increases of 30 hp and 37 lb-ft over the S). The GTS also comes standard with the center-mounted sport exhaust, the wider body of the all-wheel-drive Carrera 4 models, and totally rad center-lock 20-inch wheels from the 911 Turbo S. Inside, you get the GT Sport steering wheel and leather/Alcantara-trimmed seats. Additional GTS-specific items include black badges, tinted lamps, and the SportDesign front fascia. All great things.

Good reasons to ...