Porsche's 911 Carrera T could be your perfect entry-level 911. Jonathan Crouch takes a look at the improved version.

Ten Second Review

You might wonder whether the sprawling Porsche 911 range really needs yet another derivative, but this improved 911 Carrera T turns out to offer everything you need from this model line and nothing you don't. Its lightweight approach is more focused, there's the novelty of manual-only transmission and you can now also have it in Cabriolet form. You don't even necessarily need a big lottery win to own one. What's not to like?

Background

Porsche hopes it's developed a 911 for almost every kind of customer, but it seems like there's always room for one more. And nice to see that in the case of the 911 Carrera T we look at here, it's been inserted into the slightly more affordable end of the range. It is, we're promised, a 911 for the purists. 'T' stands for 'Touring', which doesn't properly clue you into the more focused variant this is, with lightweight engineering, a manual gearbox and some key dynamic features you can't have on the entry-level 911 Carrera model this car is based on. It draws on a bit of 911 history too, though the original 911T sold from 1968-1973 wasn't reprised until 2017 when Porsche introduced a Carrera T version of this current model's 991-series predecessor. This 992-series model eventually arrived in early 2023, then was updated in Autumn 2024 to create the car we're going to look at here.

Driving Experience

The changes over the original version of this 992-series 911T model that we tried back in 2023 are quickly covered. It has the slightly uprated 394PS version of Porsche's flat six 3.0-litre rear-mounted engine fitted to the latest 992.2-era 911 Carrera. And gains a quicker steering rack, while four-wheel steering (previously optional) is now standard. You can't now have a PDK auto gearbox on a 911T, but you can now have a Cabriolet roof. And there's now even more of a weight saving over that usual auto-only Carrera model - a small but significant 40kgs (previously 35kgs) - which comes courtesy of thinner glass, a lighter battery and the deletion of the rear seats. There are now six, rather than seven, ratios from the manual stick shift but the gear spacing is still perfectly judged. Second gear runs to over 75mph and third will take you comfortably into three figures. If you're interested, 62mph from rest occupies just 4.5s - the same as before (though top speed has risen fractionally to 183mph). Another extra area of driver interaction over an ordinary Carrera is noise: the thinner glass, reduced soundproofing, less cluttered cabin and the standard sports exhaust simply mean you hear more of it. Which would normally be bad, but for an enthusiast, with a sonorous turbo flat six slung out back, can only be good. It doesn't get too tiresome on the commute (and nor does the stick shift), but even if it did, you'd forgive much for the way the car attacks each corner like a shark turning towards a meal. That light 1,478kg kerb weight helps here, as does the industry-leading level of immersive steering feel and the torque vectoring system. Obviously, the all-wheel steering system helps too and as you'd want, Porsche also includes its PASM adaptive sports suspension, lowered here by 10mm. As usual in a 911, there are 'Normal', 'Sport', 'Sport+' and 'Individual' drive modes accessible via a button on the steering wheel, plus a 'Wet' setting that primes the car for slippery surfaces. You'll probably be in 'Sport' most the time, which will see the sports suspension stay in its normal setting. You can stiffen it up either by using a dashboard button or by switching to the more focused 'Sport+' mode. But you don't have to in order to really enjoy what this 911 has to offer. It's an inherently complete sports car. And arguably, in the 911 Carrera T, that experience is as complete as it gets.

Design and Build

You'd really need to know your 911s to recognise this one for what it is. Or at least you would do if it weren't for the badge work, which you might choose to do without. For those 911 enthusiasts prepared to sweat the details, we'll point out the 10mm-lower ride height and the lightweight Carrera S wheels (as usual with top 911s in this model line 20-inches in size at the front and 21-inches at the back). At the rear of the car, if you don't have badgework to guide you, it's possible to recognise a 'T' by its novel shift-pattern rear window stickers - plus there's a rear spoiler from the GTS. Step inside and the main 'T' feature is the walnut-trimmed short-throw manual gearstick. Other than that, the main thing you'll probably notice is that there are still no rear seats, which goes with the whole lightweight vibe. Otherwise, there's not much to set this cabin apart from the standard Carrera's. The four-way adjustable electric 'Sport Seat Plus' package is standard and the leather chairs grip you into place, though feel a little hard on longer trips. You can upgrade to 18-way adjustable sports seats - or lightweight bucket chairs. An owner of the earlier version of this 992-era 911T might note the major change made to the traditionally driver-focused cockpit; this model now has a fully digital instrument cluster, though the rev counter remains the central feature in the 12.6-inch curved driver's display, customisable with up to seven layouts; including a 'Classic' display inspired by the traditional five-tube Porsche dial design with a central tachometer. There's also now a start button rather than a twisting dial. As before, infotainment is still taken care of by a 10.9-inch Porsche Communications Management central screen. But this monitor now offers more customisation options for drive modes and driver assistance systems, plus there are lots of new connectivity features, including video streaming. As before, under the bonnet, there's 132-litres of storage space.

Market and Model

It seems a long time ago that the original version of this 992-series 911 was launched as an £83,000 car back in 2019. This 911 Carrera T arrived in 2022 with a price tag of £107,500 and in this improved form, Porsche wants £111,300 for the Coupe version of it. There's also now a 911 Carrera T Cabriolet, which costs £10,000 more (£121,300). As a potential customer, you can at least console yourself that most of the key things you'd want are included in that price - like a sports exhaust, torque vectoring and PASM lowered suspension. In addition, there's the brand's 'Sport Chrono Package' including the usual dash top-mounted stopwatch, a mode switch, the 'Porsche Track Precision' app and a tyre temperature display. Of course, you may well wish to add some further features by choosing from the optional design packages for the exterior and the interior. These come in the classic Porsche colour Gentian Blue to create a striking colour contrast. On the exterior of the car, the inlays in the rear lid, the Carrera T decals on the front and rear lids and doors, the MT stickers and the light alloy wheels with a gloss-lathed front face come in this colour. The upper shells of the exterior mirrors are in Black. Contrast stitching in Gentian Blue, instead of the standard black stitching, enhances the interior and the seats also come with Gentian Blue contrast stripes. The same colour also adorns the seat belts, the trim of the centre console and the door panels, as well as the contrast inlays and the stitched 911 logos on the headrests.

Cost of Ownership

As you'd expect, the efficiency figures of a 911 Carrera T aren't all that much different from those of an ordinary 911 Carrera. The Carrera T manual model we tried is WLTP-rated at up to 26.9mpg on the combined cycle and up to 238g/km of CO2. That's a little worse than the original version of this model managed (27.4mpg and 233g/km). For comparison, the ordinary Carrera records bests of 28mpg and 230g/km. What else? Well like all 911s, the Carrera T is covered by the brand's usual three-year unlimited mileage warranty package. And this 911 also has 12 years of corrosion cover and a three year paint guarantee. Residual value percentages are uber-high - think in the late fifties after three years of ownership - or better. Bear in mind that depreciation will take a hit if you load your car up with too many unnecessary pricey extras. There's a wider dealer network than many rivals can offer and you'll only need to visit your local Porsche centre every two years or every 20,000 miles, whichever comes first. There's no option to buy into a pre-paid servicing package at point of purchase, but the brand does provide a fixed price servicing approach that makes sure you'll know in advance exactly what work will be carried out and what it will cost.

Summary

Be honest. You really don't need any more 911 than this. At first glance, this 911 Carrera T model's weight savings and equipment upgrades might sound fairly insignificant, but the result is a car that feels light on its feet and that bit more engaging than the standard Carrera version. Yes, there's a price increase over the base Carrera, but you'd probably have had to pay much of that anyway for some of the near-essential dynamic extras this 'T' model includes as standard. If you want manual transmission in a 911, you'll have to have this Carrera T, a car that feels deliciously old school with the Zuffenhausen brand's latest 6-speed stick shift. Are there issues? Well, you might need to adjust to the manual's spaced-out gear ratios. And the fact that this so-called 'affordable' 911 has a six-figure price tag. But these things apart, this model is difficult to fault. And a near-perfect expression of a near-perfect sports car.

Body Glass

Windscreen washer system with aero wiper blades and washer jets

Heated rear windscreen

Windscreen with grey top tint

Brakes

Brake system with brake calipers in black

Electric parking brake

Chassis/Suspension

PASM with 10mm lower sports suspension

Communication

Navigation High

Apple CarPlay

Driver Aids

Cruise control

Driver awareness detection

Warn and brake assist including pedestrian protection

Stationary management with HOLD function

Rear axle steering

Traffic sign recognition

Lane keep assist

Driver Convenience

Automatic start/stop system

Emergency call systems eCall and bCall

Voice control

Driver Information

Smartphone compartment with wireless charging up to 15 W

Gear indicator in rev counter

Driving Mirrors

Automatically dimming interior and exterior mirrors with integrated rain sensor

Electric folding door mirrors with courtesy lights

Exterior mirror upper trims including lower trims painted in vanadium grey metallic

Engine

63 litre fuel tank

Two gasoline particulate filter

3.0 liters 6-cylinder boxer engine with twin-turbo

Entertainment

DAB Digital radio

Exterior Body Features

Model designation '911 Carrera T' in vanadium grey metallic

Rear diffusor in louvered design

Rear boot

Fuel/charging cover

Trim on side skirts in black

Rear lid grille with vertical slats painted in vanadium grey metallic (high-gloss)

Door handles painted in exterior colour

Exterior Lights

3rd brake light

LED daytime running lights

Automatic headlight activation including welcome home lighting

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

Particle/pollen filter with active carbon filter

Two zone auto climate control

Interior Features

Hood lining in black fabric

Aluminium pedals

Steering wheel with manual fore/aft and height adjustment

Lockable glove compartment

Leather door panel and central armrests

USB-C fast charging

Delete quilting

Interior Lights

LED reading lights

LED footwell lights

LED luggage compartment lighting

LED orientation light

LED ignition light

LED glove compartment lighting

Packs

Sound pack plus - 911

Light design package - 911

Sport chrono package - 911 with porsche track precision app and tyre temperature display

Safety

Seat belt warning system for driver and front passenger and rear seat system

3 point automatic seatbelts

Tyre pressure monitoring system

Airbags

Seatbelt pretensioners

Warning triangle

Pedestrian safety

Seats

Headrests with stitched model designation

Heated front seats

ISOFIX fastening system

2 seat bench in 2nd row

Single front passenger seat

Front and rear head restraints

Security

Alcohol interlock preparation

Preparation for Porsche Dashcam

Porsche vehicle tracking system (PVTS Plus)

Alarm system with interior surveillance

Keyless drive

Comfort access system

Anti-theft wheel bolts

Transmission

Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) including mechanical rear differential lock with asymmetrical lock factor

Rear wheel drive

6 Speed sports manual transmission

Vanity Mirrors

Driver and front passenger illuminated vanity mirrors

Wheels

TPM valve in black

Wheels - Spare

Tyre sealing compound and electric air compressor kit

Emissions - ICE

Particles: N

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEL: 243

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEH: 245

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Extra High - TEH: 212

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Extra High - TEL: 209

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - High - TEH: 205

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - High - TEL: 202

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Medium - TEH: 243

HC+NOx: N

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb: 243

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Low - TEL: 430

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Low - TEH: 430

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Medium - TEL: 240

Standard Euro Emissions: EURO 6

Engine and Drive Train

Cylinders - Stroke (mm): 76.4

Cylinders: 6

Number of Valves: 24

Camshaft: DOHC

Fuel Delivery: TWIN TURBO

Catalytic Convertor: No

Engine Layout: REAR MOUNTED

CC: 2981

Transmission: MANUAL

Gears: 6 SPEED

Cylinders - Bore (mm): 91

Fuel Consumption - ICE

WLTP - MPG - Low - TEH: 14.9

WLTP - MPG - Low - TEL: 14.9

EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: 0

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEH: 10.8

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEL: 10.7

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Extra High - TEH: 9.4

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Extra High - TEL: 9.2

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - High - TEH: 9.1

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - High - TEL: 8.9

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Medium - TEH: 10.7

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Medium - TEL: 10.6

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Low - TEH: 19

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Low - TEL: 19

WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEH: 26.1

WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEL: 26.4

WLTP - MPG - Extra High - TEH: 30.2

WLTP - MPG - Extra High - TEL: 30.7

WLTP - MPG - High - TEH: 31.2

WLTP - MPG - High - TEL: 31.7

WLTP - MPG - Medium - TEH: 26.4

WLTP - MPG - Medium - TEL: 26.7

General

Did at least one aspect of this vehicle's safety give cause for concern?: 0

Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 50E

Badge Power: 394

Based On ID: N

Badge Engine CC: 3.0

Vehicle Homologation Class: M1

Generation Mark: 7

Alternative Fuel Qualifying: 0

Special Edition: 0

Special Order: 0

Coin Description: N

Coin Series: N

Performance

Engine Torque - NM: 450

0 to 60 mph (secs): 0

Engine Power - PS: No

Engine Power - BHP: 394

Top Speed: 182

Engine Power - KW: 290

Engine Power - RPM: 6500

Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 332

Engine Torque - RPM: 2000

0 to 62 mph (secs): 4.7

Engine Torque - MKG: 45.9

Test Cycles

RDE Certification Level: RDE 2

Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP

Tyres

Tyre Size Rear: 305/30 R21

Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT

Wheel Type: 21" ALLOY

Wheel Style: N

Alloys?: No

Space Saver?: 0

Tyre Size Front: 245/35 R20

Vehicle Dimensions

Length: 4542

Wheelbase: 2450

Width: 1852

Width (including mirrors): 2033

Height: 1301

Height (including roof rails): N

Weight and Capacities

Max. Towing Weight - Braked: N

Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): 63

Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked: N

Max. Loading Weight: 405

Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 163

Gross Vehicle Weight: 1985

No. of Seats: 4

Luggage Capacity (Seats Down): N

Turning Circle - Kerb to Kerb: 10.9

Minimum Kerbweight: 1580

Body Glass

Protective foil front

Carpets/Rugs

Bespoke floor mats

Floor mats in carbon with leather edging

Personalised floor mats

Chassis/Suspension

Front axle lift system

Driver Aids

Night view assist

Power steering plus

Lane change assist

ParkAssist including surround view

Driver Convenience

Homelink (programmable garage door opener)

Embellishment Trims

Porsche crest on storage compartment lid

Sport chrono stopwatch instrument dial and digital rev counter in guards red

Sport chrono stopwatch instrument dial and digital rev counter in racing yellow

Sport chrono stopwatch instrument dial and digital rev counter in arctic blue

Sport chrono stopwatch instrument dial and digital rev counter in white

Entertainment

BOSE surround sound system

Burmester high end surround sound system

Exterior Body Features

Model designation deletion

Sport design front apron

Porsche metallic paint

Porsche special metallic paint

Engine compartment lid painted in titanium grey

Exclusive design fuel filler cap

Sport Design sideskirts

911 logo - 2RA

Paint to sample colour

Carbon window triangle trims

Porsche additional special metallic paint

Titanium sports tailpipes

Decorative sticker set in Gentian blue including luggage compartment lid and decorative side logo - 'Carrera T'

Deletion of '911 Carrera T' decorative side logo

Exterior Lights

HD-Matrix LED main headlights

Tinted HD-Matrix LED main headlights

Exclusive design taillights

911 Carrera T LED door courtesy lights

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

Air Ioniser

Hoods

Convertible top - Brown

Convertible top - Blue

Convertible top - Red

Interior Features

Luggage net in passenger footwell

Leather cupholder cover

Storage compartment lid with model logo

Illuminated door sill guards in matt carbon

Steering column casing in leather

Storage compartment lid in Race tex with Porsche crest

Storage compartment lid in race tex with Porsche logo

Bespoke embossing on centre console storage compartment lid

Heated GT sports steering wheel in Race tex

Porsche design subsecond clock

Illuminated bespoke door sill guards in matt carbon

Illuminated bespoke door sill guards brushed aluminium in black

Bespoke vehicle key in leather with leather key pouch

Bespoke vehicle key painted with key pouch in leather

Personalised vehicle key leather with key pouch leather

Personalised vehicle key painted with key pouch leather

Personalised documentation folder

Bespoke documentation folder

Heated GT sports steering wheel leather with steering wheel panel carbon matt

Illuminated door sill guards in brushed aluminium in black

Heated GT Sports steering wheel in Race-Tex with steering wheel panel carbon matt

Air vents leather with slats leather and coloured decorative stitching

Air vents leather with slats painted and coloured decorative stitching

Extended package decorative sticker set

Packs

Steering column casing leather in conjunction with memory package - 911

SportDesign Package - 911

SportDesign Package painted in high gloss black - 911

Interior trim package with decorative stitching in contrasting colour - 911

Carbon matt interior package with accent in black - 911

Dashboard trim package leather - 911

Dashboard and door trim package leather - 911

Door trim leather package - 911

Interior Package painted in Exterior Colour with accent in Black - 911

Smoking package - 911

Rear compartment leather trim Pack - 911

Carrera T exterior package with contrasting colour in Gentian blue - 911

Extended package leather with coloured decorative stitching - 911

Sport-Tex Plaid interior package with extensive items in leather - 911

Carrera T interior package with extensive items in black leather, contrasting colour Gentian Blue - 911

Paint - Metallic

Porsche metallic - GT silver

Porsche metallic - Jet Black

Porsche metallic - Ice grey

Porsche metallic - Vanadium Grey

Paint - Solid

Porsche solid - Black

Porsche solid - White

Paint - Special

Porsche special metallic - Gentian Blue

Paint to sample colour - Custom

Porsche special metallic - Provence

Porsche special metallic - Guards Red

Porsche special metallic - Cartagena Yellow

Porsche special metallic - Lugano Blue

Porsche additional special metallic - Shade green

Porsche additional special metallic - Slate grey neo

Porsche additional special metallic - Crayon

Porsche additional special metallic - Oak green neo

Safety

Fire extinguisher

Seat Belts racing yellow

Seat Belts guards red

Seat Belts arctic blue

Seat Belts silver grey

Seat Belts crayon

Seats

Front seat ventilation

18 way electric adaptive sports seats plus with memory pack

Sports seat plus backrests in leather with decorative inlay in leather

Sports seat plus backrests in leather with decorative inlay in matt carbon

Sports seat Plus backrests in leather with decorative inlay painted in exterior colour

18 way electric adaptive sports seats plus with memory pack in combination with Leather interior

Seat consoles in leather with coloured decorative stitching

18 way electric adaptive sports seats plus with memory pack in combination with Sport-Tex Plaid Interior Pack with extensive items in leather

Sports seat Plus backrests in leather with decorative inlay painted in satin gentian blue

Trim - Leather

Leather - Black

Carrera T Leather interior - Black with contrast Gentian blue

Vanity Mirrors

Leather sunvisors

Race tex sunvisors

Wheels

Wheel centres with full colour Porsche crest

Wheels painted in high gloss black

Wheels painted in satin black

Wheels painted in high gloss black with highly polished surfaces

Wheels - Alloy

20"/21" Carrera Exclusive design wheels

20"/21" Carrera Exclusive design wheels with carbon blades

20"/21" RS Spyder wheels in Vanadium high gloss grey metallic