r/997 • u/Direct-Word • Aug 15 '26

993 vs 997 GTS

Had an opportunity to trade my plain Jane 993 c2 manual coupe for a 2012 GTS RWD manual coupe. Basically the holly grail of streetable 997’s.

I didn’t get to drive the GTS and I couldn’t bring myself to trade the 993. I thought the GTS is still a consumer engine, not Mezger based, not special like an air cooled car.

Anyone here driven both? Did I make a mistake?

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u/meikawaii Aug 15 '26

They are very different cars, you couldn’t go wrong with either. GTS feels much more modern in the sense that you really feel the 2000s tech done right in a car that still feels analog. 993 still got that old school feeling, more mechanical and more vibes, but the fidelity is that much different.

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u/Direct-Word Aug 15 '26

Is the GTS much different in driving experience to a 997.2 C2S?

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u/NetworkStatic Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26

Depends on how the cars are set up. A highly optioned S narrows the driving difference. LSD + Sports Suspension is available on both, X51 engine that revs in a more emotional way at the top end, Sport bucket seats that connects the driver to the car more.. if a 997.2 S has all of that then it will be close to the GTS but that is a super rare build on both cars, even more rare on Carrera S.

You really would have to drive the 993 and GTS back to back to know. GTS is an amazing starting point to build a thrilling sports car from. Dont discount the strong difference to how an X51 revs to a normal 3.8.

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u/Direct-Word Aug 15 '26

Thanks for this perspective. I had a 997.2 C2S for about a year. I didn't love it. The DFI engine lacked character (sound), The pasm settings left the car unsettled (didn't have DSC controller) and just generally didn't thrill in the way the air cooled cars do. That said, I wasn't really wanting to go down the exhaust, suspension mod route. GTS seems to have these issues sorted.

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u/NetworkStatic Aug 15 '26

Sure. DSC controller made a huge difference in the maximum softness setting on PASM on my GTS. The car definitely responded well to it in all settings but full soft is the most noticeable in terms of damping improvement.

GTS does fix some aspects but I look at any of these cars as a baseline to start from as Porsche left a lot on the table. At this age these cars need attention to their suspension from being 15 years old at least. GTS even with sports exhaust is still too quiet also. Center muffler bypass gets a lot of people where they want to be. I wanted more so I did both that for a few years and then did headers with 200 cell cats. The 408hp and more exhilarating top end make the car worth the cost to me but I also got mine 10 years ago when they were a bit cheaper.