Porsche have introduced the new 911 Carrera T – ‘T’ for Touring – a lighter hard-top coupé with 370 PS, a manual transmission, and more standard goodies than ever before.
If you missed the very limited 911R, fret not, for Porsche have the GT3 with a no-cost-option six-speed manual transmission. And, if you didn’t want to be obvious about having a mental 911 with a big wing on the back, there’s the new GT3 with Touring Package that’s just as mental, but doesn’t have a big wing on the back. And, now, if you can’t really stretch your budget to either of them, there’s this: the new 911 Carrera T.
It may not be a naturally-aspirated boxer six with 500 PS, but the Carrera T is still very 911 and still packs a 370-PS boxer-six with a six-speed manual transmission. However, there are a few changes: it’s got the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) sport chassis as standard, a weight-optimised Sport Chrono package that makes it 20 mm lower, and rear windows and rear side windows made from lightweight glass. The doors have loops for openers (Cayman R, remember?), too. Not enough for you? The rear seats have been eliminated as well, as has the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) module. Both of those can be had as a no-cost option. The result is that the 911 Carrera T is as much as 20 kg lighter than the ‘standard’ 911 Carrera.
Other styling changes include ‘Carrera T’ decals on the lower portion of the doors, and badging on the rear in Agate Grey. The lower lip spoiler at the front is more aerodynamic, and the wheels are 20-inch alloys in Titan Grey. The sports exhaust system is also standard.
What the new ‘T’ does share with the 911 Carrera is the engine: the 3.0-litre flat-six continues with 370 PS and 450 Nm. A six-speed manual drives the rear wheels, with a shorter final drive ratio and a mechanical differential lock. The weight of the car is now 1,425 kg, endowing it with a power-to-weight ratio of 260 PS/tonne. Porsche claim a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 4.5 seconds, with a top speed of 290 km/h. That’s a tenth quicker than the standard car. Before I forget, the Carrera T has an optional PDK, which reduces the sprint time to 4.2 seconds, with the same top speed capability.
The new Porsche 911 Carrera T will be available from January 2018 in Germany and other EU markets at €107,553 (Rs 81 lakh) before local taxes. Pre-orders are open now.
Story: Jim Gorde
