Road Test: Porsche 911 GTS 2dr

Porsche isn't known for its cut-price deals, but this is as near as the company gets to discounting its wares. Carrying well over £20k worth of extras - plus some features that don't even appear on the options list - for around £7,500 more than the standard 911 Carrera S, the new GTS continues the trend set by the first 911 GTS, the 997-based version, back in 2011.

And that means it's not just noticeably good value, it also signals the sweet spot, the most fitting expression, of the entire 911 range in terms of performance and handling. The GTS isn't as outright fast as a Turbo S or as eel-like on a track as a GT3, but it is probably the most everyday satisfying Carrera you can buy.

Comprised of the Carrera 4's wide body - and rear track - plus a 30bhp stronger 424bhp motor, and a true enthusiast's pick of the Porsche parts bin, the new GTS has been designed and tuned to fit above the S and below the sold-out GT3 as a permanent fixture in the range from now on. So it's not signalling the end of the current range this time, but joining the party for good.

It's available in two-wheel or four-wheel drive, with or without a folding fabric roof, and with a choice of PDK or manual 'box. As tempting as it might be to go for the full-house C4 with PDK - don't even think about the GTS Cabriolet (buy a standard S cab if you have to have one, as it's a waste of a great car otherwise), that would be a mistake. The bullseye of the range is the base C2 GTS with the 7spd manual 'box.

Specced this way, the 911 GTS feels like a 911 of old - tons of steering feedback from the retuned electromechanical rack, almost to the point of being a bit fidgety on some broken surfaces. Loads of grip if you get on the throttle correctly, with just enough safety systems if you don't. And an overall lightness of being that has been missing a bit from the range until now.

Our U-turn on the PDK vs manual option is thanks to some watchbuilder-level work to the 7spd's shift action. It's actually shocking how good it is to use now. The weighting, springing, action and feeling are the best I can remember using. It really is that good. With manuals disappearing from supercars, it's great to see Porsche daring us not to choose this one.

Much like the rest of the GTS. We had to wait for the end of the range to get the best model last time. This time we don't.