COVER Porsche 911 Carrera T
FIRST DRIVE New, lighter spec brings something extra to sports car range
Sports car cuts some weight to deliver a more focused drive
PORSCHE is aiming to put the sparkle back into its regular 911 range with this, the Carrera T. While the model offers no more power than standard, it instead achieves greater performance through weight reduction and an enhanced specification. It’s a classic recipe Porsche has used many times over the years, so expectations are naturally high.
Based on the standard, entry-level Carrera rather than the more powerful Carrera S, the new T features the same 365bhp, 3.0-litre flat-six engine. It is available with either a seven-speed manual or seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic gearbox, and all cars are rear-wheel drive.
Unsurprisingly, the automatic is quicker over the benchmark 0-62mph sprint, recording a 4.2-second time against the manual car’s 4.5 seconds. However, the ethos and lower weight of the latter option seem more in line with the T’s brief, and it also gets the traction-enhancing limited-slip differential, which unfortunately isn’t available on cars with the PDK set-up.
Porsche is a little coy about the T’s exact weight saving. It simply says that compared with a Carrera “of similar specification” the newcomer is 20kg lighter – although the actual quoted figures are only 5kg apart. That doesn’t sound like a great deal – and removed from a car that weighs nearly 1,500kg, it isn’t.
The reduction is due to lighter glass for the back window and rear side glass, the removal of the back seats (although you can put them back at no extra cost) and the absence of some of the sound-proofing material. You can also choose to have no radio or infotainment at all, if you’d rather simply listen to the engine.
The other element of the T’s appeal is the way Porsche has manipulated the spec sheet. As well as the differential, the car has the 20mm-lower variable suspension set-up (PASM Sport). Neither of these can be specced on a Carrera, only the pricier Carrera S.
There is also the choice of active rearwheel steering, which is usually available only on the S, while the otherwise optional sports exhaust is standard on the T. It’s all a bit confusing, but the result is loosely how a driving enthusiast might spec a Carrera if given free rein with the options list.
The Carrera T certainly looks the part, with a subtly more aggressive front bumper, 20-inch wheels from the Carrera S, in grey, and mirrors to match. You’ll also find ‘Carrera T’ script on the doors and even on the engine cover. Inside, there are unique fabric inserts for the seats, a shorter
Newcars “It’s loosely how a driving enthusiast might spec a Carrera if given free rein with the options list”
gearlever with red shift diagram and various other Carrera T-specific detailing.
The T’s cabin is slightly noisier than that of the standard car, particularly with the exhaust in its loudest setting, but the differences aren’t that great. Neither, in all honesty, is that weight reduction particularly noticeable. And while Porsche has shortened the gearing slightly, in reality it’s not drastically different. What you’re left with, then, is a 911 Carrera that’s been sharpened to a finer point via the options list – meaning it’s very enjoyable indeed to drive.
The turbo engine has more than enough performance for the road, and the 911 still feels just about small enough to be classed as a sports car, not a GT. This natural wieldiness is complemented by a chassis that’s unflappable, whatever the surface or corner in your path, with precise steering and very strong grip. The T is set up to look after you, and thanks to the electronic stability systems, it’s possible to take real liberties without fearing any loss of control.
While the seven-speed manual may not be one of Porsche’s finest boxes, it still has a reasonably direct shift mechanism, and such is the engine’s character that it can be run to its red line despite being turbocharged.
The T is usable, practical (for two) and even comfortable on a long journey. But there’s just something missing that would turn a good car into a truly great one.
At £85,576 the T costs considerably more than a basic Carrera (£77,891), and it’s only slightly short of the more powerful, 414bhp, £87,335 Carrera S. The latter would require a little more spent on it to bring its chassis into line with the focus of the T, but it’s an appealing alternative. The Carrera T certainly has a unique look, but it’s worth noting that this is a regular production model, not one built in limited numbers.