Porsche rekindles spirit of 968 Club Sport
Sharper, lighter new Carrera T could be the pick of the regular 911 range
PORSCHE IS INTRODUCING A trio of new, driver-focused models in a move designed to sprinkle some of the credibility and fanatical interest that continue to surround its GTseries cars across the rest of its range.
Of most interest is the appearance of the 911 Carrera T, a car that’s been rumoured for some time and which appears to aim to do for the second-gen 991 what the Club Sport did for the 968 back in the mid-1990s.
It’s based on the entry-level 911 Carrera and mixes a healthy amount of extra equipment with some unique features. Usually, ‘T’ stands for ‘Touring’ in Porsche-speak and it’s been associated most notably with fully trimmed versions of the 2.7 Carrera RS and subsequent RS models, although it was also used for the downgraded, entry-level 911 between 1968 and 1973. Neither usage, however, seems to quite fit the ethos of the new car.
Weight loss was at the head of the agenda for the T. The regular 911’s rear seats have been omitted, and the side windows are made from thinner – and hence lighter – glass, while the doorcards feature fabric ‘pulls’ and soundabsorption material is said to be ‘largely reduced’. Porsche’s PCM infotainment system becomes a no-cost option. Even so, it’s disappointing that, while Porsche claims a 20kg saving against a Carrera with a ‘comparable spec’, next to an option-free Carrera the T is only 5kg lighter, tipping the scales at 1425kg.
Unfortunately, Porsche hasn’t been able to integrate the excellent six-speed manual from the 911 R and latest GT3 models, so the seven-speed manual remains, but crucially the gear ratios are shorter courtesy of a lower final drive. We’ve found the ratios unnecessarily long in all of the current Porsche sports cars, so this one tweak alone may turn out to be the most significant feature of the T, improving real-world acceleration and driver interaction. The actual gearlever has been shortened in the T as well, with the shift pattern now portrayed in red. In fact, there are a number of changes to the cabin that create a sportier vibe compared with the standard car, with the electrically adjustable seats (pity they’re not lighter manual versions, although expensive bucket seats are now an option) featuring a retro-look Sport-tex fabric on their centres. There’s also a smaller steering wheel and the option of bringing some bright colours into the cabin.
The twin-turbo 3-litre flat-six is unchanged over the standard Carrera, with 365bhp and 332lb ft of torque, but exhales through a standard sports exhaust. The slightly lower kerb weight and shorter ratios mean that a tenth has been sliced off the 0-62mph time at 4.5sec, with Pdk-equipped Carrera Ts able to cover the same sprint in 4.2sec. The PASM Sport variable damping with a 10mm ride height drop, Sport Chrono package (but without the dashboardmounted clock) and a mechanical limitedslip differential (but not on Pdk-equipped cars) are all standard equipment on the T. These are not even available as options on the base Carrera, only on the S model. Similarly, Porsche’s rear-wheel steering set-up is also an option for the T – another box not tickable with the regular Carrera.
From the outside, you’ll be able to tell a T from its new front lip spoiler, grey mirrors and 20-inch Carrera S rims in titanium grey. Oh, and the black ‘911 Carrera T’ script on the doors. The colour palette has been reduced to the punchier options, too – again, very much as it was with the 968 CS.
Sadly, unlike with the 968 CS, Porsche is charging more for the T – considerably more at £85,576 versus £77,891 for the standard Carrera, with the Carrera S just above at £87,335. Then again, the T is about having a higher specification as well as having less, and, with its blend of attributes and particular character, it might just be the best 991 on sale when deliveries begin in January 2018.
The other two new model variants are the Gts-spec 718 Boxster and Cayman, which follow the now well-established blueprint for Porsches wearing that particular badge. Both cars receive a modest 15bhp increase thanks to a revised air intake and new ECU map, but otherwise their individuality extends only to their cosmetics, with a revised front bumper, rear apron and black detailing, and on the inside plenty of Alcantara.
Sport Chrono, a torque-vectoring limited-slip diff and PASM suspension are all standard, with a list price of £59,866 for the Cayman GTS and £61,727 for the Boxster version. They will surely drive as well as ever, but an extra 15bhp will do nothing to challenge our major reservation about the 718s – namely, their coarse, tuneless flat-four engines.
Crucially, the gear ratios are shorter. This may turn out to be the most significant feature of the T