PORSCHE 911 [992] CARRERA COUPE T 2dr [4 Seat]

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

Heated rear windscreen

Rain sensor

Windscreen washer system with aero wiper blades and washer jets

Windscreen with thermally insulating glass

Brakes

Brake system with brake calipers in black

Electric parking brake

Chassis/Suspension

PASM with 10mm lower sports suspension

Communication

Apple CarPlay

Navigation High

Smartphone compartment with wireless charging upto 25W

Driver Aids

Automatic start/stop system

Emergency call systems eCall and bCall

Voice control

Driver Convenience

Cruise control

Driver awareness detection

Lane change assist

Lane keep assist

Rear axle steering

Stationary management with HOLD function

Traffic sign recognition

Warning and brake assist

Driver Information

Gear indicator in rev counter

Smartphone integration

Driving Mirrors

Automatically dimming interior and exterior mirrors with integrated rain sensor

Electric folding door mirrors with courtesy lights

Embellishment Trims

Instrument dials in black

Engine

3.0 liters 6-cylinder boxer engine with twin-turbo

63 litre fuel tank

Two gasoline particulate filter

Entertainment

DAB Digital radio

Exterior Body Features

Door handles painted in exterior colour

Exclusive design light strip with porsche logo in black

Fuel cover

Rear boot

Rear diffusor in louvered design

Stone impact protection

Exterior Lights

3rd brake light

Automatic headlight activation including welcome home lighting

LED daytime running lights

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

Particle/pollen filter with active carbon filter

Two zone auto climate control

Interior Features

Aluminium pedals

Delete quilting

Leather door panel and central armrests

Lockable glove compartment

Steering wheel with manual fore/aft and height adjustment

USB-C fast charging

Interior Lights

LED footwell lights

LED glove compartment lighting

LED ignition light

LED luggage compartment lighting

LED orientation light

LED reading lights

Packs

Light design package - 911

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

Safety

3 point automatic seatbelts

Airbags

Passenger airbag deactivation

Pedestrian safety

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

Seatbelt pretensioners

Tyre pressure monitoring system

Seats

2 seat bench in 2nd row

Front head restraints

Headrests with stitched 911 logo

Heated front seats

ISOFIX fastening system

Single front passenger seat

Security

Alarm system with interior surveillance

Alcohol interlock preparation

Anti-theft wheel bolts

Comfort access system

Keyless drive

Porsche entry

Porsche vehicle tracking system (PVTS Plus)

Preparation for Porsche Dashcam

Transmission

6 Speed sports manual transmission

Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV)

Rear wheel drive

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

HC+NOx: N

Particles: N

Standard Emissions: EURO 6

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb: 237

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEH: 246

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEL: 237

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Extra High - TEH: 215

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

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - High - TEH: 206

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - High - TEL: 196

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Low - TEH: 434

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Low - TEL: 431

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Medium - TEH: 241

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Medium - TEL: 233

Engine and Drive Train

Camshaft: DOHC

Catalytic Convertor: No

CC: 2981

Cylinders: 6

Cylinders - Bore (mm): 91

Cylinders - Stroke (mm): 76.4

Engine Layout: REAR MOUNTED

Fuel Delivery: TWIN TURBO

Gears: 6 SPEED

Number of Valves: 24

Transmission: MANUAL

Fuel Consumption - ICE

EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: 0

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEH: 10.9

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEL: 10.5

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Extra High - TEH: 9.5

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

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

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - High - TEL: 8.7

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Low - TEH: 19.1

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

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

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Medium - TEL: 10.3

WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEH: 26

WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEL: 27

WLTP - MPG - Extra High - TEH: 29.8

WLTP - MPG - Extra High - TEL: 31.6

WLTP - MPG - Extra High - TEL: 31.7

WLTP - MPG - High - TEH: 31.1

WLTP - MPG - High - TEL: 32.6

WLTP - MPG - Low - TEH: 14.8

WLTP - MPG - Low - TEL: 14.9

WLTP - MPG - Medium - TEH: 26.6

WLTP - MPG - Medium - TEL: 27.4

General

Alternative Fuel Qualifying: 0

Badge Engine CC: 3.0

Badge Power: 394

Based On ID: N

Coin Description: N

Coin Series: T [4 Seat]

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

Generation Mark: 7

Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 50E

Special Edition: 0

Special Order: 0

Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 999999

Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 3

Vehicle Homologation Class: M1

Performance

0 to 60 mph (secs): 0

0 to 62 mph (secs): 4.5

Engine Power - BHP: 394

Engine Power - KW: 290

Engine Power - PS: No

Engine Power - RPM: 6500

Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 332

Engine Torque - MKG: 45.9

Engine Torque - NM: 450

Engine Torque - RPM: 2000

Top Speed: 183

Test Cycles

Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP

RDE Certification Level: RDE 2

Tyres

Alloys?: No

Space Saver?: 0

Tyre Size Front: 245/35 R20

Tyre Size Rear: 305/30 R21

Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT

Wheel Style: CARRERA S

Wheel Type: 21" ALLOY

Vehicle Dimensions

Height: 1302

Height (including roof rails): N

Length: 4542

Wheelbase: 2450

Width: 1852

Width (including mirrors): 2033

Weight and Capacities

Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): 63

Gross Vehicle Weight: 1830

Luggage Capacity (Seats Down): N

Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 373

Max. Loading Weight: 340

Max. Roof Load: 75

Max. Towing Weight - Braked: N

Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked: N

Minimum Kerbweight: 1490

No. of Seats: 4

Turning Circle - Kerb to Kerb: 10.9

Body Glass

Lightweight glass including privacy glass

Lightweight wiper arms in carbon

Protective foil front

Carpets/Rugs

Bespoke floor mats

Bespoke reversible luggage compartment mat

Floor mats in carbon with leather edging and coloured decorative stitching

Personalised floor mats

Chassis/Suspension

Front axle lift system

Driver Aids

Homelink (programmable garage door opener)

Driver Convenience

Night view assist

ParkAssist including surround view

Power steering plus

Driving Mirrors

Exterior mirror painted in deviating exterior colour

Exterior mirror painted in deviating paint to sample colours

Embellishment Trims

Porsche crest on storage compartment lid

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

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

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

Entertainment

BOSE surround sound system

Burmester high end surround sound system

Exterior Body Features

911 logo - 2RA

Bespoke sticker set

Carbon window triangle trims

Coloured side logo porsche in different styles

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

Deletion of '911 Carrera T' decorative side logo

Electric slide and tilt sunroof

Electric tilt/slide glass sunroof

Engine compartment lid painted in titanium grey

Exclusive design fuel filler cap

Exclusive design fuel filler cap in turbonite

Light weight carbon roof

Model designation deletion

Model designation painted in different exterior colour

Paint to sample colour

Personalised sticker set

Porsche additional special metallic paint

Porsche metallic paint

Porsche special metallic paint

Preparation for roof transport system

Rear lid slat inlays painted in deviating colour

Side window trims in high gloss black

Sport design front apron

Sport Design sideskirts

Titanium sports tailpipes

Window triangle trims front in carbon with side window trims painted in high gloss black

Exterior Lights

911 Carrera T LED door courtesy lights

Exclusive design taillights

HD-Matrix LED main headlights

Personalised logo LED door courtesy lights

Tinted HD-Matrix LED main headlights

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

Air Ioniser

Interior Features

Air vents leather with slats leather and coloured decorative stitching

Air vents leather with slats painted and coloured decorative stitching

Bespoke documentation folder

Bespoke embossing on centre console storage compartment lid

Bespoke vehicle keys leather with case

Bespoke vehicle keys painted with case

Extended package decorative sticker set

Heated GT sports steering wheel in Race tex

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

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

Illuminated bespoke door sill guards brushed aluminium in black

Illuminated bespoke door sill guards in matt carbon

Illuminated door sill guards in brushed aluminium in black

Illuminated door sill guards in matt carbon

Interior mirror panel in Race-Tex with coloured decorative stitching

Leather cupholder trim

Personalised documentation folder

Personalised vehicle keys leather with case

Personalised vehicle keys painted with case

Porsche design subsecond clock

Roof lining in Race tex

Storage compartment lid in Race tex with Porsche crest

Storage compartment lid in race tex with Porsche logo

Storage compartment lid with model logo

Storage net in passenger footwell

Packs

Aerokit pack - 911

Aerokit Painted in high gloss black-911

Carbon matt interior package with accent in black - 911

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

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

Dashboard and door trim package leather - 911

Dashboard trim package leather - 911

Door trim leather package - 911

Extended package leather with coloured decorative stitching - 911

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

Interior trim package with decorative stitching in contrasting colour - 911

Smoking package - 911

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

SportDesign Package - 911

SportDesign Package painted in high gloss black - 911

Paint - Metallic

Porsche metallic - GT silver

Porsche metallic - Ice grey

Porsche metallic - Jet Black

Porsche metallic - Vanadium Grey

Paint - Solid

Porsche solid - Black

Porsche solid - White

Paint - Special

Paint to sample colour - Custom

Porsche additional special metallic - Aventurine green

Porsche additional special metallic - Crayon

Porsche additional special metallic - Oak green neo

Porsche additional special metallic - Shade green

Porsche additional special metallic - Slate grey neo

Porsche special metallic - Cartagena Yellow

Porsche special metallic - Gentian Blue

Porsche special metallic - Guards Red

Porsche special metallic - Lugano Blue

Porsche special metallic - Provence

Safety

Fire extinguisher

First aid kit and warning triangle

Seat Belts arctic blue

Seat Belts crayon

Seat Belts guards red

Seat Belts racing yellow

Seat Belts silver grey

Seats

18 way electric adaptive sports seats plus with memory pack

Belt outlets trimmed in Race tex

Front seat ventilation

Lightweight foldable sports bucket seat

Seat consoles in leather with coloured decorative stitching

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

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

Trim - Leather

Carrera T Leather interior - Black with contrast Gentian blue

Leather - Black

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

Vanity Mirrors

Leather sunvisors

Race tex sunvisors

Wheels

Carbon wheel centres

Wheel centre caps with full colour Porsche crest

Wheels painted in high gloss black

Wheels painted in high gloss black with highly polished surfaces

Wheels painted in satin gloss black

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