Quick spin: The 2015 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, for those bored with the regular 911

Sixty-one years. That's how long Willow Springs International Motorsports Park has been around. It's a tough, hilly circuit about an hour from Los Angeles. And it is as good a place as any to test the new 2015 Porsche911 Carrera GTS.

I've spent a big chunk of the day doing hot laps and enjoying the sunshine. The 911 GTS, as all Porschphiles will know, sits right between the 400-horsepower 911 Carrera S and the ferocious 911 GT3 (475 hp, $148,800). Right. The GTS is rated at 430 hp.

The 911 GTS is a delightful compromise for any driver who is a a little bored by the regular old 911 but does not want to blow out the brains with the GT3. It's fast (0-100 km/h in 4 seconds with the PDK gearbox), plants nicely in a corner with almost no drama, and gets a combined 8.7 litres/100 km with that PDK.

This is a comfy high-zoot ride. The run to the track was a roundabout route that took about two hours, but it was all normal, almost relaxing. One of the smartest things Porsche does is to make sports cars that don't punish. The 911 GT3 can eat up the track, but it could be your everyday driver.

That is, if you can afford it. Porsche says the 911 Carrera GTS and 911 Carrera 4 GTS will hit showrooms by Christmas or so. Do you have someone special in your life willing put this ride under the tree? It'll cost at least $130,300 for the Carrera GTS, and $137,900 for the Carrera 4 GTS.

Those numbers are just the jumping off point. Once you add a few extras, the price jumps like this Porsche off the line. And you will be able to get the 911 GTS as coupe or cabriolet, with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

That's 19 different versions of the 911 for sale now. How smart is Porsche to take one basic bit of 911 engineering and spin it into 19 models, and counting?

Like us on Facebook

Add us to your circles

Sign up for our weekly newsletter