{"id":7511,"date":"2025-12-29T11:52:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T03:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/168.107.17.222\/?p=7511"},"modified":"2026-06-26T23:25:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T15:25:14","slug":"porsche-911-c4-gts-cabriolet-992-2-a-new-era-for-carrera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ayoyo.com.cn\/index.php\/2025\/12\/29\/porsche-911-c4-gts-cabriolet-992-2-a-new-era-for-carrera\/","title":{"rendered":"Porsche 911 C4 GTS Cabriolet 992.2: A New Era for Carrera"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The world is a better place with Porsche 911s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a very powerful way of essentially saying that the Porsche 911 is a benchmark sports car, ironic since it\u2019s counter to the \u201cSports Car Formula\u201d \u2013 mid-engined, rear wheel drive. For decades, the 911 has however stuck to its guns with the rear-engined RWD format and through evolution produced arguably the most coveted car on the road. The key aspect of that claim though is \u201cevolution\u201d \u2013 it took decades of engineering, design, and marketing for the Porsche flagship vehicle to reach the coveted status it has today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest Porsche 911 \u2013 generation 992.2 \u2013 maintains the core characteristics of the car with changes that some would argue are dramatic. After our review time, we came to the conclusion that it was less dramatic and more linear, adding new technologies which to those unfamiliar with the 911 history would seem monumental. But the Porsche 911 has gone through these updates before, with each generation either adding advancements or replacing with innovation. Engine updates, new transmissions, driver aids, quality of life improvements \u2013 these have all been prevalent between model generations, and the 992.2 is another example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With experience driving \u2013 and owning \u2013 past Porsche 911s, we objectively arrived at a positive review of the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet to the best of our ability. But be warned; if you\u2019ve ever sat behind the wheel of the Stuttgart crest, it\u2019ll be difficult for you to not be biased towards the previous gen models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Design<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is something Porsche has been stubborn about since the 911\u2019s inception in the early 60s: short wheelbase, bulbous rear end, exaggerated fender arches. Thankfully, this hasn\u2019t changed much in the 992 generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our review loaner arrived in the guise of a 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet \u2013 we\u2019ll address the \u201c4\u201d later and focus more on the lattermost. Obviously, the drop-top nature of the car gives both positive and negative characteristics for any sports car owner. On one hand, there\u2019s nothing like the infinite sky above you, the feeling of wind in your hair, and the noises you hear from both the car and the road. To some, this is a must. To others, it\u2019s a flaw in the overall shape, and a huge disruption to the flow of the roof. We\u2019re in the latter camp. The saving grace however is modern 911s \u2013 since the 991 in fact \u2013 has had lightweight panel bows that stretch the roof so tightly that they follow the contours of the car. In pitch blackness, the silhouette of the coupe and the cabriolet with the top up is nearly indistinguishable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we must admit the 992.2 has dropped a few points from our favorite generation \u2013 the 993 \u2013 and even from the 997, the \u201cmodern classic\u201d favorite now for enthusiasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historically, the Porsche 911 had body variations between \u201cnarrow\u201d and \u201cwide,\u201d with Carrera S cars during the 993 air-cooled generations and the four-wheel drive (the \u201c4\u201ds) editions adopting bigger hips. Since the 992 however, everything is now \u201cwide.\u201d Owners were divided by this decision a bit, since the distinction between narrow and wide was often a topic of conversation, pride and, of course, personal taste. While we found ourselves pleased with the curves of the 992.2, it was unsatisfying to know that \u201cthey all look like this now,\u201d with only roof choice \u2013 cab, coupe, or targa \u2013 and color being your options for differentiating body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 992.2, specifically the GTS, has more divisive design elements. PDLS \u2013 Porsche\u2019s \u201cDynamic Lighting System\u201d \u2013 gives the headlights the \u201cX\u201d factor, literally. They\u2019re bright and the best option for lighting up the street, but our opinion is that they are less elegant of a set of eyes than just standard LED lights that fill the iconic round headlights, so we\u2019d opt away from them. The GTS also features active aero flaps embedded into the front bumper, that open and close to optimize aero, or airflow under demanding conditions. Again, while functional, they are quite an eyesore. Match them with a gaping black \u201cmouth\u201d and the 992.2 GTS is the least sleek and sexy 911 of all its previous generations. The suspension \u2013 even with GTS\u2019s lower height \u2013 still isn\u2019t low enough, with a very unflattering wheel gap at the front even on its lowest setting. The saving grace however are the 20\u201d + 21\u201d staggered wheels, with carbon fiber blades between the spokes that gave it a really distinctive look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we must admit the 992.2 has dropped a few points from our favorite generation \u2013 the 993 \u2013 and even from the 997, the \u201cmodern classic\u201d favorite for enthusiasts. It\u2019s not the ugly duckling for sure, but looks alone are no longer a defining reason for buying a Porsche 911.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Drive<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, the 992.2 drove exactly how we\u2019d expect it: like every other 911 before it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naturally the rear-engine design gave the Carrera GTS 992.2 its characteristic lightweight front end and immense traction at the rear, rewarding the driver with the best handling you can ever ask for in a sports car. Our example came equipped with rear-wheel steering \u2013 standard on the GTS \u2013 and really helped make the car feel much nimbler and agile, especially at lower corner speeds. The suspension felt compromised, but in the best way \u2013 sporty during spirited driving and fairly compliant around town and on bumpy highway roads. Besides a few confusing elements with the interior functions which we\u2019ll get to later, the cabin felt very straight forward and had everything that grants a fantastic drive while staying comfortable and properly entertained. And one of our favorite characteristics of a Porsche 911 that\u2019s often overlooked \u2013 visibility \u2013 is still excellent. Porsche bestows upon the driver ultimate confidence when driving a 911, and that philosophy remains in the 992.2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All positives aside, there were a few things that left us wanting with the current 911, or for the first example, not wanting. We\u2019ll address the size first. The Porsche 911 992.2 is fairly large, mostly in overall length. On paper, it comes in at 178.8\u201d inches in length, more than 3.3\u201d inches from a 2005 997.1 (175.5\u201d) and nearly a full foot more than the classic 993 (167.7\u201d). Girth as well is something you\u2019ll immediately notice if you have ever owned a previous generation \u2013 the body is simply\u2026 bigger. Window structures, rooflines, hoods, front and rear fenders \u2013 everything is enlarged. While a 911 is still unmistakeable in a parking lot, a key charm it had was its compact size and modest appearance \u2013 this simply isn\u2019t the case anymore and it\u2019s sadly a byproduct of automotive regulation and safety measures that\u2019s just unavoidable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, we wanted to remark on the power. The GTS utilizes Porsche\u2019s latest T-hybrid system, which uses an electric motor within the PDK transmission to aid in the transition of power from the 3.6L flat-six\u2019s revs and the turbochargers. There\u2019s also an electric motor within the turbochargers themselves, assisting in turbo spool and alleviating turbo lag. The system worked well for us, making the car feel very much like a supercar GT. Acceleration also felt very much instantaneous, and linear across the rev band. If you\u2019re concerned about exhilaration, you won\u2019t be disappointed with the new 911.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem however, lies in the not what you feel, but what you hear. One of the definitive aspects of the Porsche 911 was the flat-six baritone, something classic in the air-cooled days and still prevalent in the water-cooled era as well. There was always an inherent metallic tone to the revs, most notable in the 5k to 7\/8\/9k range, depending on your model 911. The 992.2 GTS for however, as strange as this may seem, sounded more like a V8. It was deep and growl-esque, with a higher pitch as the RPMs climbed. And while we might be ok with this at the end of the day \u2013 V8s can sound great \u2013 it definitely didn\u2019t fit the tone of the car. Perhaps it\u2019s more because we\u2019re so used to the higher pitched howl of the older models, but this was our least favorite aspect of our 911 loan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other minor let downs include: Auto Start\/Stop can\u2019t be defeated, so your only choice is to assign it to the steering wheel\u2019s \u201c\u2662\u201d hotkey; same with A\/C off, which was only accessible through the touch screen HVAC menus; we did receive \u201cSmart Lift\u201d errors where the car wouldn\u2019t automatically lower after axle lifting, possibly due to obstructed GPS signals. Nevertheless, these didn\u2019t deter us from agreeing that how it drove is our defining takeaway from the Porsche 911 992.2, and we\u2019re perfectly ok with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Luxury and Image<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our GTS came with a fairly classic color combo of Gentian Blue Metallic over Truffle Brown full leather interior. The deep blue paint was flawless, irregardless of the car\u2019s credential as the press car and its numerous test drives from other publications. Brown isn\u2019t the first choice for a lot of people but Porsche has always embraced the shade, not only as a color choice for specific paint jobs, but in our opinion a nod to their past \u2013 something Porsche obvious does a lot throughout the 911\u2019s life. Switches and buttons, and the haptics and clicks all feel exceptionally solid and well made which actually is an improvement over previous generations \u2013 996 and 997 specifically. We still feel like a million bucks driving this down the road, and with the top down it\u2019s only compounded exponentially. Nothing from the car feels \u201ccheap\u201d or \u201ccorner-cut.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So is this new for a Porsche 911? Not quite. The 911 has had a personality change halfway through its upbringing, with the earliest examples dating back to the \u201c901\u201d era to the 993 as a purpose-built sports car for the discerning individual. The 996 was the catalyst for the shift, as Porsche was undergoing a downturn in the business. The radical design (mostly focused on the now infamous \u201crunny egg\u201d headlights), the corner cutting of sharing Boxster parts, and the switch to more efficient water-cooled engines gave devoted fans some things to turn their noses up to. This would be followed by incremental \u201cimprovements\u201d that the community once again scorned as departures from purity: direct fuel injection in the 997.2, electronic power steering in the 991.1, and ultimately turbocharging in the 991.2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While all of these affect drive, visceral feel, and emotional engagement with the driver, none of it ever drew away from the luxury image that remained across all Porsche 911s. Perhaps the only feeling that has changed over the generations is a realignment towards functionality, and a more forgiving nature towards \u201cinnovation\u201d against tradition. There\u2019s a lot of regulatory changes within the automotive industry that every automaker must eventually abide by, and Porsche is no different, with pushback, reportedly. But the 911 has found ways of lessening those demands by finding minimal ways of disruption \u2013 using hybrid technology to aid performance and rather tuning the engine more so for fuel efficiency, for example. This methodology has kept the image of the 911 intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 911 has found ways of lessening [industry] demands by finding minimal ways of disruption. This methodology has kept the image of the 911 intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an owner of a few Porsches, this review was a bit hard to write. It\u2019s difficult to separate biases and comparisons, largely because those cars made such an impact as an owner and enthusiast. It was tricky to try to disregard the steering feel, since the 997.2\u2019s steering rack returned so much more feedback through our fingers. It was a true challenge to put aside the small size of the 996 Turbo. And, while technically a different beast, it was a hurdle to hold back on comparing the weight difference alongside a sub-3,000 lb. 981 GT4. But alas, we were focused on the task at hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we were to summarize the 992.2 in one word, it would be \u201cincremental.\u201d The improvements are linear with the ones we saw with the 997, 991, and 992.1 \u2013 there and noticeable, but just one step above its predecessor. Sure, if you\u2019re jumping generations and comparing a 992.2 to a 997.1 or even 993s and 964s, it\u2019s apples and oranges. And that\u2019s the only headwind in our opinion of Porsche\u2019s competitor to the current 911 \u2013 the older 911s. If you\u2019ve ever owned one before, the latest probably isn\u2019t to your liking. But objectively, the 992.2 is an incredible car that\u2019s fast, fashionable, and forever \u201cPorsche 911.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The world is a better place with Porsche 911s. It\u2019s a v […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[223],"tags":[13,8],"class_list":["post-7511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-car","tag-13","tag-porsche"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ayoyo.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ayoyo.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ayoyo.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ayoyo.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ayoyo.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7511"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.ayoyo.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7511\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7537,"href":"http:\/\/www.ayoyo.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7511\/revisions\/7537"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ayoyo.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ayoyo.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ayoyo.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ayoyo.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}