Is the 40th AE the equivalent of a 996 GTS?

Just read the latest Panorama covering the 991 GTS, and it struck me how close in intent and spec the AE is to the GTS, as a car sitting between a Carrera and GT3. Both cars had the power kit as standard and the GTS (both 997 and 991) had a few more styling embellishments. Although one could argue the AE had the same with full leather, external styling and wheels, I'd even go as far as saying the AE went a little further to the GT3 than a Carrera with the M030 suspension and LSD. Just an observation, I don't see much love for the AE, yet people rave about the GTS, other than the 996 baggage I don't see the disconnect. I have an AE and would love a GTS for all the same reasons I bought my AE, more sporting than the standard Carrera and easier to live with than. GT3. Maybe if they had named our cars 996 GTS we would see pricing closer to GT3's like the 997.

The GTS is a wide body, that makes a difference.

Good point, that for many adds to the appeal

Aren't GTS's all automatic? As far as 40th AE, i think it's the best 996 C2 Carrera made. I think it's package goes beyond the GTS aditional otpions over the regular Carrera.

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I Agree 110% I have a 40 AE and I love it...... #678

It seems like a good question to ask here would be: How does the 50th anniversary 911 differ from the GTS? I realize that I'm asking the question about 991 series cars, but that comparison might give you some idea of how the Porsche marketing department tries to differentiate the cars. My guess would be that the GTS cars are slightly more performance oriented in terms of options while the AE cars are slightly more luxury and specialty trim oriented. In the AE cars, you see things like custom luggage and special trim options. The GTS cars tend to be optioned with alcantara seats, center lock wheels, etc. There was obviously not a GTS variant of the 996 offered, so the AE seems to bridge the gap between the current AE and GTS cars. Ultimately, it all comes down to marketing. Porsche tends to release special edition cars and anniversary edition cars as they approach the end of their model cycle. This helps them drive sales and keep interest high so people will still buy new 911s instead of waiting for the next iteration.

As part of Porsche’s massive range expansion 997 and I think 991 GTS’s were offered with manual, PDK, coupe, cabriolet, 2WD & 4WD….the combinations of which are pretty endless once you throw in a few options. Makes our AE’s seem pretty simple in comparison

Agreed... Porsche's current 911 model lineup is somewhat confusing. There's something for everybody!

40th AE also had the performance upgrades, power pack (25HP+), Sport Suspension, and the LSD stock, so it wasn't all just luxury. I do agree that GTS is there just to bump the sales of the current model that has been there for a few years already. But whether it's an anniversary or a GTS model, there is only so many things you can do to a car to make it different than the base model, regardless of what you end up calling it at the end. What did the 30th AE have as standard options?

From www.philipraby.co.uk: Back in 1993, Porsche gave us the 964 Anniversary. Boasting the wide Turbo bodywork with Carrera 4 running gear, most were painted in Viola Metallic with Rubicon Grey leather interiors. Badging on the rear read “30 Jahre 911″. The plan was to build 911 examples of the Anniversary but it seems that Porsche struggled to sell them during the early 1990s recession and so some were badged as standard Carrera 4s. Today, the 964 Anniversary is becoming more and more sought after, with prices on the rise. All 964s are desirable now, with buyers appreciating the cars’ looks, performance and relative rarity. The 964 Anniversary is a surefire investment, if you can find one.

Here is the website for the 30 Jahre 911 Registry in case you want to learn more about these cars. As for our 40ths, I agree with the observation that our cars are essentially what a 996 GTS would've been, if not more so. http://jubi.pocg.de/pages/de/start.php