The Porsche Carrera T Unlocks What You Want in a 911

Porsche really feels the need to fill every niche, not only across the entire spectrum of cars, with two SUVs, two sedans, wagon versions of the sedans and coupe versions of the SUVs, and two sports cars, each of which comes in half a dozen flavors or more. But to label a 911 as “T” is nothing new. The moniker goes back to 1969, when a 911T was simply the entry model, below the 911E and top-performing 911S. For 2018, the letter T was revived and applied to the 911, and other models shortly thereafter.

The new 992 Carrera T, follows the same formula as the previous generation and other T variants across Porsche’s wide spread of offerings. It combines the base-model engine with a host of handling-focused chassis options tailored to driving enthusiasts. In order to drive traffic to the T section on the order form, Porsche has rather intelligently removed certain options from the standard Carrera, which even at its most basic, costs $106,100. In order to get them back, one must choose the T.

For instance, you can no longer get a 7-speed manual transmission with the Carrera. Same goes for the limited-slip differential, rear-steering, and the PASM sport suspension. You can’t get optional lightweight glass, rear seat delete, or carbon bucket seats, either. While even the most basic 911 Carrera is certainly a nice, sporty car when compared against the spectrum of all cars in production, in a 992 you’d have to spend the extra $17,000 for the Carrera S just to have access to these sporty features - forget them coming standard.

I loved the previous, 991.2 generation Carrera T. It felt lively, energetic, and special compared to the standard Carrera model, and was my second-favorite variant following the epically fizzy GT3 Touring. It was a shockingly good value as well, considering the level of engagement and fun. That experience set me up for high expectations with this generation’s version, despite the fact that I have openly preferred every variant of the older car to what’s being sold now. To me, all 992s have finally gotten too big, wide, and too complicated.

Driver-oriented setups typically involve weight reduction, which the Carrera T accomplishes with a standard manual transmission, saving 84 lbs, deleting the rear seat, using thinner window glass, and removing some sound deadening. With the manual and no rear seats, it’s 128 lbs lighter than the base Carrera at the curb, which is good. One could go further with optional carbon bucket seats (for $5,900) or the optional carbon roof (for $3,800). Conversely, with 18-way power seats, extended leather, and no-cost PDK or rear-seat, you could get 90% of the way back to the weight of a Carrera. So the T, itself, may or may not mean much, depending on how you choose to build your own personal car.

This Carrera T starts at $116,000, roughly splitting the difference between the Carrera and Carrera S, and $12,000 more than the last-generation car - a big jump, but consistent across the model range.

My tester, splashed with Python Green ($3,270) and loaded up with both functional and cosmetic options, would go out the door for $147,000 - an eye-watering number for a 911 with the lowest of seven possible power output levels. Suffice to say, I would make different decisions in order to maximize value, but one can’t blame the Porsche press office for including a ridiculous amount of options on their demonstrators. It’s what they do.

The numbers aren’t particularly impressive for something so expensive: Porsche says the 379 HP twin-turbo 3.0L six will push the T to sixty in 4.1 seconds with a manual, or 3.8 with the PDK, en route to a top speed of 181 MPH. For less money, you can go way quicker in a Corvette Z06, if you can get one. Our manual-equipped test car got the power down well but otherwise delivered a rather unimpressive launch, again, for a very expensive car. In the real world, a four-second sixty run is still very quick.