The driver’s-choice 911 of its generation, black on black.

The 991.2 Carrera GTS is the connoisseur’s 911 — the variant Porsche builds for people who have driven all the others. It revives a badge first worn by the 1963 904 Carrera GTS, and it earns it: slotting between the Carrera S and the Turbo, the GTS gathers nearly every desirable option into a single, cohesive car. For 2017 the 3.8-litre naturally-aspirated flat-six gave way to a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre, tuned here to 450 horsepower and 406 lb-ft — 30 hp more than the Carrera S — which is enough for 0–60 mph in roughly 3.5 seconds with PDK and a 194 mph top speed. Crucially, it rides on the wider Carrera 4 body shell, so even this rear-wheel-drive coupe carries the broad-hipped, planted stance usually reserved for the all-wheel-drive and Turbo cars.

What makes the GTS special is how much comes as standard. The Sport Chrono package, PASM Sport suspension lowered 10 mm, the Porsche Sport Exhaust, dynamic engine mounts and the staggered 20-inch satin-black centre-lock wheels are all fitted from the factory, along with the GTS signatures: blacked-out brightwork, tinted LED lamps, smoked badging and an Alcantara-trimmed interior. The result is a 911 that needs no options list — purposeful and understated rather than shouty. Finished in black over a dark cabin, this example is widely regarded as the sweet spot of the entire 991 range: very nearly the Turbo’s pace, with the lightness, balance and involvement that enthusiasts prize most.