I had the good fortune to have the GTS over a cottage weekend, so this meant I had to drive the GTS 200-odd km each way to the cottage through some of the best roads in Ontario up in the Muskoka area (life can be so hard sometimes). Traffic was light so I was able to play around with the PASM and SCP settings at different speeds and scenarios. With the exhaust set to quiet mode, PASM set all the way to soft and the Sport modes of the SCP disengaged, you’re still unmistakably driving a highly capable rear-drive sports car. The exhaust was quiet enough to carry on a conversation with my passenger at left-lane highway speeds without raising our voices. The suspension was compliant but still firm enough to remind you that you’re alive. The steering and throttle feel were as you would expect from a Porsche — crisp, quick and gratifying.

As an old-school gearhead that’s slowly coming to grips with modern cars and all the toys the future has brought, being able to select drive modes is still something of a novelty to me. Switching from all the modes set to soft to full boogie mode is like going from DEFCON 5 to DEFCON 1 – i.e., switching from the lowest state of readiness to imminent nuclear war. With the exhaust ‘turnt up’, Sport Plus engaged and PASM set to sport, the GTS bares its claws. A small blip of the throttle rewards the driver with instantaneous response. Engine braking is also enhanced and when you back off the throttle for the incoming corner, you get the gratifying snap, crackle and pop from the exhaust combined with predictable engine braking to put you in good shape to set your corner up perfectly.

Getting back on the throttle of the relatively light GTS invokes a gratifying rush that rewards you with an extra boost of fun once the needle climbs past the 5,000 rpm mark on the tachometer. At no point did I ever wish for more power from the GTS. It has the perfect hp-to-weight ratio for maximum fun without any intimidation like some higher-hp cars. The combination of the snarling exhaust and slightly peaky power band makes for some very fond memories and good times.

The PASM system is made up of an electronic system that regulates the behavior of your dampers. When set to Sport mode, the dampers stiffen up and the GTS becomes that much sharper. Steering inputs mid-corner – due to the the PASM and SCP set to Sport Plus – are more precise. Rebound and compression are also affected and it quickly becomes apparent the GTS is track-ready. When set to soft, the dampers soak up the bumps relatively well, in Sport mode, you feel every bump and change in road surface through the wheel, but the GTS also takes a firmer set once you’re mid corner. The GTS, true to its RWD, mid-engine layout, enables the driver to enter a corner fast and exit even faster. The weight balance and amount of traction is communicated plainly and at any time, the driver is aware of just how much traction is available. This is true for whatever mode you are in, the difference once you go to DEFCON 1, is that everything is enhanced and sharper.

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