► New two-seater 911 Touring model
► Focused on the driving experience
► Adds kit you can’t get on a standard Carrera
Just when you thought you were safe from new 911 editions, along comes Porsche with the new Carrera T. This latest version of the Type 992 is a lightweight special that combines the most basic 911 Carrera engine with a host of dynamic upgrades that aren’t otherwise available – including a manual gearbox.
For the privilege of saving 35kg (and losing the rear seats) you’ll be paying nearly £9,000 more, while at the same time, the new 911 Carrera T’s £98,500 asking price is just £4,300 shy of an unadorned Carrera S. This won’t have the T’s chassis trickery, but it will have an extra 64bhp and a 0-62mph time nearly a second faster.
So, exactly how much of a dedicated driving enthusiast are you?
New Porsche 911 Carrera T: what’s in a name?
The T in Carrera T stands for Touring, and harks back to 1968, when Porsche wanted to homologate that era’s 911 as a competitive touring car. This model lasted until 1973, when the designation disappeared until it was resurrected for the Type 991 Carrera T in 2017.
Now there are T versions other Porsche models as well: the 718 Cayman T, 718 Boxster T and Macan T.
You’ve already mentioned what’s lost – but what do you gain by opting for a 992 Carrera T?
All joking aside, Porsche has chucked a lot of dynamic kit at this car.
Standard equipment includes the Sport Chrono Package and 10mm lower PASM sports suspension, something you can’t get on any other model that uses the entry-level 380bhp biturbo flat-six. The seven-speed manual gearbox – which again, is only paired with this engine for the Carrera T – is combined with Porsche Torque Vectoring and a mechanical limited-slip differential.
Rear-wheels steering is optional. But yet again, only available on the Carrera T and not the regular 380bhp Carrera.
Other bits and bobs include 20-inch front wheels paired with 21-inch rear wheels, finished in Titanium Grey and borrowed from the Carrera S – giving the 911 T a substantial 305mm-wide contact patch at the back – plus a new lightweight battery, lightweight glass and a sports exhaust.
Meanwhile, alongside the rear seats, the T also loses some of its sound-deadening, making the six-pot even more present in the cabin.
Will the new 911 Carrera T be easy to spot?
As with the wheels – which might easily be found on a Carrera anyway – the exterior visuals are relatively subtle. Agate Grey is used for the door mirrors, rear grille trimming and new logos, including the ones on the doors that add to the GT3 Lite vibes. The tailpipes are finished in gloss black.
Paint choice is four absolute classic standard colours (Black, White, Guards Red and Speed Yellow), four metallic finishes (Deep Black, Gentian Blue, Ice Grey and GT Silver), and four special options (Crayon, Carmine Red, Shark Blue and Python Green). Plus Paint to Sample, if you can get a slot.
On the inside there are just the two seats: four-way adjustable Sport Seats Plus items as standard, upgradeable to 16-way Adaptive Sports Seats Plus (these have electric adjustment, and selecting them would make us doubt your commitment to the Carrera T ethos) or lightweight buckets (much better).
An extended leather package is standard, while the standard colourway is a mix of matte black and gloss black. There is a special Carrera T interior package available at extra cost, which adds decorative stitching, 911-embossed headrests and centre stripes for the seats – available in Lizard Green or Slate Grey, with matching logoed floor mats.
That 380bhp engine also produces 331lb ft, provides a top speed of 181mph and promises 0-62mph in 4.5sec. Although achieving that last routinely will be less straightforward with the seven-speed manual than the standard Carrera’s eight-speed PDK dispatches its 4.2sec 0-62mph claim.
So as you can tell, the 992 Carrera T is intended to be all about the experience, rather than the outright speed. We can’t wait to give it a go.
