MANY READERS WILL REMEMBER the badging that used to appear on earlier versions of the 911. Way back, the sporting model wore an “S”; a 911 wearing an “E” suffix was fuel injected; and the 911 T was the touring model.
Now, one of those letters is being reinstated.
Porsche is adding to the 911 family with the lightweight sports car, the 911 Carrera T. The letter “T” stands for touring and describes models that offer a purist driving experience with exceptionally sporty equipment. The standard 911 T features a seven-speed manual gearbox. An eight-speed PDK (an acronym for the German translation of double-clutch transmission) is also available at no cost and the rear seats can be omitted. Featuring a PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) sports suspension with 10mm-lowering and reduced insulation, the new 911 Carrera T is the epitome of purism and exhilarating driving pleasure. You can feel it – and you can hear it too. The sound of the six-cylinder boxer engine is now an even more striking presence in the interior.
Standard with PASM sports suspension and Sport Chrono package
The new 911 Carrera T slots in between the 911 Carrera and the 911 Carrera S. The Carrera T takes its biturbo engine with 283kW and 450Nm of torque, and which accelerates the sports car from zero to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 291 km/h on the track, from the entry-level 911.
The standard equipment from the Carrera S with a manual transmission is augmented by Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) with a mechanical rear differential lock. The 911 Carrera T also comes standard with the Sport Chrono package and the PASM sports suspension (-10mm) – features that only the Carrera T offers in combination with the 283kW engine and are options on the 911 Carrera S. On request, the Carrera T can also be ordered with the optional rear-axle steering, which is also normally reserved for models from the Carrera S and up.
T-specific equipment features include 20- and 21-inch Titanium Grey Carrera S wheels in front and back, respectively, with 245/35 (front) and 305/30 (rear) sized tyres. The 911 Carrera T also comes standard with the GT sports steering wheel, sports exhaust system and Sports seats Plus (four-way, electric). Weighing just 1470kg, the 911 Carrera T with a manual transmission is the lightest series 911 with the entry-level engine, coming in much lighter than the 911 Carrera with a standard eight-speed PDK. Beyond the reduced insulation, the lightweight glass and a lightweight battery shave off even more weight.
Exclusive details inside and out
On the exterior, the Porsche 911 Carrera T stands out from the rest of the model line with Dark Grey accentuating details. Contrasting elements such as the top and bot-tom trim on the exterior mirrors, the new door logos and the rear logos, and the trim strips on the rear lid grille feature Agate Grey. The windscreen also features a grey top tint. The tailpipes of the sports exhaust system are in high-gloss black. It all gives the new 911 Carrera T an even more extroverted and dynamic look.
The car’s sportiness is underscored in the interior by the standard four-way Sports seats Plus. Decorative trim in matte black and decorative inlays in high-gloss black round off the T interior. Customers seeking even more distinctiveness can choose the optional Carrera T interior package. In this case, they receive seat belts in the contrasting colours Slate Grey or Lizard Green. The same goes for the decorative stitching, the 911 logo embossed in the headrests and the stripes down the seat centres. The floor mats also offer the logo and stitching in the contrasting colours of Lizard Green and Slate Grey as an option.
Small but exquisite selection of options and colours
The 911 Carrera T offers optional Adaptive Sports seats Plus (18-way, electric) as well as the even sportier and exceptionally lightweight full bucket seats featuring Race Tex seat centres. The Carrera T interior package is offered with an optional extended leather interior. The armrests on the door panels and centre console are also in leather, along with the upper parts of the dashboard and door panel trim.
The new 911 Carrera T is available in the four solid colours Black, White, Guards Red and Racing Yellow as well as in the four metallic finishes Jet Black, Gentian Blue, Ice Grey (available from November) and GT Silver. Available optional special colours are Crayon, Ruby Star Neo (available from November), Carmine Red, Shark Blue and Python Green. Buyers of the 911 Carrera T also have the option of using the Paint to Sample program, which offers paintwork in over 110 available colour tones.
In Australia, the new 911 Carrera T will additionally be equipped with LED matrix main headlights including Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus, automatically dimming mirrors including rain sensor, electrically folding exterior mirrors, metallic paint, ParkAssist (front and rear), including Surround View, Lane Change Assist, Power steering Plus (no-cost option), Adaptive Cruise Control (no-cost option), heated GT sport steering wheel, seat heating, Comfort Access, tyre fit set (sealant), BOSE Surround Sound System and digital radio.
The new Porsche 911 Carrera T is available to order now and starts at $280,600 (plus on road costs).