PORSCHE NEWS
Porsche respins the basic 911 Carrera with shorter gearing and lightweight features
All the latest Porsche news...
Porsche's latest 911-based special has been revealed. The Carrera T sports shorter gearing, lightweight components and several features not available on the standard 911 Carrera. However, the new T's engine output has been pegged at precisely the same 370hp figure as the basic91 1 Carrera.
At a glance, the new model looks a little like a cut-price 911 R. As standard, there are no aerodynamic-extras, just the standard Carrera coupé body with its relatively narrow hips and simple silhouette. Inside, the Carrera T also mirrors the last-generation R with features like fabric door-release handles, rear seat delete (though these can be added for no cost) and a standard spec that discards the PCM multimedia system in favour of a distinctly bare bones pair of storage bins. Again, the PCM system can be optioned back in for no additional cost.
The T also gets its own seat design based on the Carrera's sport seats but with centre panels in Sport-tex fabric. Unlike the standard Carrera, Porsche is also offering full bucket seats as an option on the Carrera T. Mechanically, however, the Carrera T is a very different proposition from the hardcore R. For starters, it uses the same engine as the latest base model 911 Carrera. In other words, it's a 3.0-litre twin turbo motor as opposed to a naturally aspirated screamer. That said, Porsche has taken the unusual step of tweaking the T's gearing for both manual and PDK options courtesy of a lower final drive.
The seven-speed manual and PDK gearboxes are fundamentally the same transmissions as the standard Carrera's. However, the shorter final drive effectively lowers the gearing across the ratios. Our understanding is that the T in fact uses the gearbox specification from the Carrera S. That means a shorter 3.59:1 ratio final drive for both gearbox options compared to the 3.44:1 final drive of the basiccarrera.
Next up on the T's specroster are
several weight-saving features. For starters, the rear and rear side windows are thinner gauge glass. Sound deadening has also been reduced and the aforementioned standard deletion ofboth rear seats and the PCM system all contribute to what Porsche claims is a total weight reduction of20kg versus a base Carrera with comparable equipment.
All told, Porsche says the impact ofthose detail changes amount to a marginal 0.1 second improvement to 4.5 seconds in the T's zero to 62mph sprint time compared to the Carrera. The T reaches 125mph 0.2 seconds sooner than the Carrera. The shorter gearing also has an impact on efficiency and emissions. Combined fuel consumption for the manual model drops from 34mpg to 29.7mpg, while CO2 emissions increase from 190g/km to 215g/km.
Another special feature for the Carrera T involves its chassis specification. As standard, the T boasts Porsche's Sport PASM suspension, an option that's not available on the standard Carrera. It runs 20mm lower than the Carrera's standard passive suspension and 10mm lower than the non-sport PASM option. The T is also available with Porsche's rear-wheel steering option. Once again, that's a technology not available with the base Carrera.
Further distinguishing items include interior accoutrements such as a smaller diameter GT steering wheel, a short shift manual gearbox mechanism and the T interior package which involves contrasting leather stitching and coloured seat belts. And the price for all this driver-focused spec tweakery? The T slots into the 911 range at £85,576. That puts it neatly in between the base Carrera and Carrera S on the price list. The Carrera T is available to order now from your local Porsche Centre.