PORSCHE’S 911 T A PRICEY SWEETHEART
With spring arriving, the past few months of shovelling snow, scraping windshields, dressing in multiple layers and hibernating indoors away from the cold fade into memory, replaced by thoughts of dry, unsalted roads, and watching the sun set after the slog home from work. For long-suffering motor heads out there, spring means it’s time to think about cars that put zip into the drive and plaster a smile on the face.
For me, Porsche’s evergreen 911 is a favoured expression of individual mobility: pricey yet not stratospheric, available and prolific (there are 24 versions listed on the Porsche Canada website).
The newest 911 model to hit showrooms is the Carrera T, one of the least expensive and least powerful (a mere 370 horsepower) of the current crop of iconic sports cars, yet one of the most entertaining (with a couple of major-league caveats). According to Porsche, it is “reinvigorating the concept of the ‘puristic’ 911 T model from 1968” with the light and sporty 2018 Carrera T (the T stands for Touring, says the company). Think of it as the base rear-wheel-drive Carrera on a diet, thanks to lightweight glass used for the rear window and rear side windows, door opener loops on the inside instead the conventional handles and a reduction in sound insulation. Weighing 1,424 kilograms, the Carrera T is the lightest model in the 911 range.
The standard seven-speed manual transmission has been tweaked with a shorter constant transaxle ratio, effectively shortening the gearing for quicker acceleration, and there’s a standard mechanical rear differential lock. It is fitted with several performanceenhancing features not offered on the base 911 Carrera, which include the PASM sport suspension with a 10-millimetre lower ride height, a shortened gear lever with an embossed shift pattern in red, and seat centres made of Sport-Tex material. Without any options, the Carrera T comes in at $116,500, a $12,500 uptick on the base 911.
Of course, you would have better luck winning the lottery than finding a 911 without any options. In the case of the tester, there’s some $25,000 worth of upgrades, some beneficial and some that left me scratching my head.
Though a dedicated three pedal guy myself — and that’s how I’d equip the 911 T — there’s no denying the efficiency of the seven-speed dual-clutch PDK, especially if one’s commute includes traffic and road construction. And the ceramic brakes are absolutely fabulous, the slightest brush of the brake pedal scrubbing off speed in a big hurry. But nearly 10 grand buys a lot of steel rotors. Unless you’re planning to keep the Porsche for 20 years or are a dedicated track fiend, I’d think twice. Ditto the rear-axle steering. The 911 T tracks beautifully and is completely flat in the corners, and the ride, while definitely firm, is not harsh. Do you really need the added agility at lower speeds and increased stability at higher ones? That one’s a maybe. But forget about the carbon-fibre bucket seats unless you’re on the slim side or are planning to go racing. Oh, they’re lovely once you’ve plopped your butt into them, hugging like a lover’s embrace. There’s no seatback adjustment, though, just height and fore and aft adjustments. Worse, the side bolsters are so high and hard that getting in and out of them borders on painful.
Really, keeping the 911 T as close to box stock as possible is no hardship. After all, you’re buying this car for its performance, not its luxury quotient. Get on the gas and the car squats and then launches forward with neck-snapping enthusiasm, the twin-turbo 3.0 flat-six engine developing 339 pound-feet of torque at a low 1,750 rpm and holding onto it until 5,000 rpm. Leave the PDK transmission in drive or bang away on the paddle shifters (or column gear shift) if that’s your thing. Switch from Normal to Sport or Sport+ modes. However you configure it, the Carrera T responds to commands with gleeful abandon. Set up for maximum launch, the car will hit 100 km/ h in about 4.2 seconds.
Inside, the cosy cabin has all the necessities — dual-zone climate control, navigation system, 150-watt audio system, rear-view camera, etc. — yet feels rather austere. Opting for the carbonfibre front buckets comes with a rear-seat delete, in their place a couple of bin-like depressions for storing things. Also, the seat upgrade means no heat function for colder mornings. I also discovered that the Carrera T’s efforts to reduce weight include no window heat elements.
So, what’s the uptake here? The obvious is that the 911 T is a sweetheart to drive and will gladden the heart of anybody with a sporting bone in his or her body. Yet the same will be said of the base Carrera, which has the same engine and horsepower, is only a couple of tenths slower to 100 km/ h, only about six or so kilograms heavier and is a significant $12,500 less expensive. As much as I appreciate Porsche’s attempt to look to its past to re-create a purer, sportier version, I’m not convinced the additions — and deletions — to the T make it that much better a 911.