You can make a good case that the Porsche 911 family already has enough models. Then again, it’s the Porsche 911, arguably the most iconic model in the entire auto industry and considering its status in the business, there really aren’t enough 911 versions to go around. Good news then for 911 aficionados because the updated version of the 911 GTS, and all of its subsequent variants, finally arrived at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show.

The big news with the new range of 911 GTS models comes in two fronts. The first is the car’s styling, which benefits from the aesthetic updates that was first introduced in the facelifted 911. The updated headlights and taillights are the most prominent of these upgrades, but they’re not the only ones either. The new 911 GTS also features a new SportDesign front splitter, a larger rear spoiler, smoked headlight lenses, a cosmetic stripes between the taillights, and a new set of 20-inch, center-locking black wheels for rear-wheel drive versions of the car. Likewise, the interior also gets a serving of tweaks, including four-way electrically adjustable seats and splashes of Alcantara spread throughout the cabin’s surface.

A new engine with a pair of turbochargers is the other notable update for the new 911 GTS. Whereas pre-facelifted versions of the car came with naturally-aspirated 3.8-liter flat-six engine that produced 420 horsepower and 324 pound-feet of torque, Porsche ditched the whole engine entirely and replacing it with a smaller, albeit turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six that packs a total output of 450 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. That not only represents power gains amounting to 20 ponies and 62 pound-feet of twist, it also helps round out Porsche’s 911 range with a family of variants that can now sit between the Carrera 4 lineup and the range-topping 911 Turbos.

That’s the obvious appeal of having updated versions of the 911 GTS. The fact that the model is also getting an updated design and a new turbocharged engine is proof enough that there really can’t be too much 911s in the market today.

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Say goodbye to that natural engine roar

There are probably some people out there who don’t share in my sentiment, but I’m going to hold firm on it. The Porsche 911 has a lot of versions to it and the addition of the new range of 911 GTS models only adds to that total. But it’s the 911, which can make a case as the most famous and appreciated model in the entire industry today.

The updated 911 GTS provides plenty of opportunities for Porsche to prove the popularity of the nameplate and with all these additions to the model, I’m confident that it can do just that without even breaking a sweat.

That said, there are some downsides to the new model, particularly to Porsche’s decision to replace the naturally aspirated engine with a turbocharged one. The benefits of turbochargers shouldn’t be discounted – the extra power being one of them – but if you’re the type who appreciates the natural noise of a naturally aspirated engine, those turbochargers are unlikely to replicate the authenticity of that engine roar that only an unblown engine can provide.

Then again, small turbos like the turbocharged flat-six do come with their advantages, including the fact that they’re lighter and more compact and thus provide better overall handling to the car.

So take what you will out of the new Porsche 911 GTS. It’s got a lot of appeal to it and the number of variants that are a part of the whole range – the standard Carrera GTS, the Carrera 4 GTS, Carrera GTS Cabriolet, Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet and the Targa 4 GTS – provides would-be customers plenty of options to choose from.

But it is sad to see it go turbocharged, even though it’s probably in Porsche’s best interest to go that route.

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