Basic version with a touch of purism
The Porsche 911 Carrera T has been quietly added to the unprecedentedly large 911 range. According to a known recipe, it concerns the basic version, the Carrera, which is lighter and louder. Enough reason to celebrate his silent entrance with a test.
Isn’t the 911 Carrera T just a marketing ploy?
A Carrera T weighs 35 kilos less and most things can also be ticked separately on the normal Carrera, but Porsche just knows how to bring it fun under the name Carrera T. About fifty years ago, the Carrera T was an implementation of the 911, and that gave Porsche the idea in the previous decade to dust off that name for the fruited basic versions of various models. Even the Macan now has a T.
Not so special, such a T?
Anyway. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken the Porsche 911 Carrera T to explore the Bridgestone test track. That crosses my mind when I drive the second car of this AutoBild Test the Best day, the BMW M2, which is not exactly nauseating but requires a bit more getting used to. Because what a fruited, lighter version of the basic Elfer is a car that quickly grows around you! That means it will do what you want it to do right away, react how you expect it to react, and do so without hurtling into the next corner so fast that your senses can’t keep up.
How did they adapt the T compared to the 911 Carrera?
By omitting insulation material, the mighty sounds of the singing six-cylinder boxer come in nice and loud. A sound that you never get enough of and over which you have full control in the case of the test car. It is one with a manual gearbox, a seven-speed gearbox. Gears five, six and seven do not come into action on this circuit, with a nice winding asphalt ribbon in the inner area and a real bank around it. The omission of soundproofing material increases the fun and reduces the weight, although that is even more due to the omission of a rear seat. If you can at least call the two small seats that have to pass for that in a 911.
Does the T also have more power and does it drive differently?
No, it has the same 385 hp boxer six-cylinder with turbos. The communicative, direct steering and direct response of the car make the Carrera T wonderfully predictable. There is so much balance and tranquility in this version that it shows once again that you really do not need 600 or 700 hp to enjoy yourself in a sports car. Of course, the GT3 RS that I drive a little later is of a completely different order, with a downforce as if it were a cup car, but you just expect the most intense sensations from that 911. The standard limited slip differential makes the T feel so good on the track. This Carrera T is just an even nicer version of the already very fine, normal 911 Carrera.
How do you recognize the 911 Carrera T?
There are some external details that make the T look different. Gray mirror caps, stripes and wheels. In addition, the T is always equipped with the sports exhaust, so with two oval tailpipes. And of course there are special designations with classic-looking striping.
Is the 911 Carrera T fast?
The straight-line performance isn’t really impressive by today’s standards. From 0 to 100 goes in 4.0 seconds if you take the version with PDK (dual-clutch automatic transmission). If you want to stir yourself with the poker, in this Porsche a true pleasure where you can also make that special movement from 6 to 7, it will take half a beat longer. On the sprint from 0 to 200, the difference increases to 0.9 seconds, because the Carrera T with PDK does that in 14.2 seconds, the manual gearbox needs 15.1 seconds. Who cares, this is a typical car with which you can still enjoy the real, old-school sporty driving. With a raw, grating petrol engine, a precise shifting manual gearbox and fantastic driving characteristics.
Who is the 911 Carrera T for?
A Carrera T is for the purist who does not want or cannot go as extreme as the GT3 or GT3 RS or who does not have the budget for a 911 GTS. You can also order the normal Carrera with four-wheel drive, as a Cabriolet or in a combination of both, the Carrera T is only available as a 2WD version. Speaking of budget, a Carrera T is available for less than €200,000, for the more heavily motorized and even sportier Carrera S-based GTS versions, prices start at €210,000, to enjoy the highest possible sporty 911 enjoyment (GT3s). to enjoy, the amounts are already shooting towards 3 tons. Then we haven’t even mentioned the Turbo and the Turbo S yet.
Is the 911 model line finally complete?
Well, no, because Porsche is working on a 911 ST, which is another GT3 Touring that has been stripped of some things and will therefore also be high on the sporting ladder. The number of 911 variants is growing further and further, but now that we have driven the Carrera T, we know that you can have enough fun with a copy at the bottom of the range.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl