New £111k Porsche 911 Carrera T blasts in with 389bhp
The 911 Carrera T remains our pick of the range, with appeal boosted with more power and a Cabriolet version...
On sale now Price from £111,300
How do you bring the driver of a Porsche 911 Carrera T even closer to the action? You take the roof off, of course. That’s exactly what Porsche has done with the new Carrera T, which is available as a convertible for the first time.
Buyers of the new Carrera T are able to choose between two versions: a coupé, and a brand new cabriolet version – and both are exclusively fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox.
Under the (rear) bonnet sits the same 3.0-litre six-cylinder twin-turbocharged engine as the base model 911 Carrera, albeit with a small bump in power. The Carrera T is rear-wheel drive only, and sends its power to the rear wheels via that manual gearbox – which is able to blip the throttle when shifting down to better match engine and road speeds.
The Porsche’s 389bhp engine is less powerful than the four-cylinder engine from the Mercedes-AMG GT 43, but the 911’s 0-62mph times of 4.5sec (coupé), and 4.7sec (cabriolet) are roughly in line with the GT.
Both the coupé and cabriolet feature Porsche’s coveted Sports Chrono Package as standard, which includes features such as selectable driving modes and a dash-mounted stopwatch. Other features include more powerful brakes than before and a louder sports exhaust.
Key to the 911 T’s driver appeal is its weight. At 1478kg, it’s 40kg lighter than the current 911 Carrera, thanks to some weight-saving measures such as reduced sound insulation and lightweight windows.
Where four-wheel-steering was previously an option, it now comes as standard which, in conjunction with more direct steering, is designed to deliver more responsive handling. It also carries over its standard adaptive sports suspension from the previous model that has the car riding 10mm lower than the standard springs, giving it that unmistakable sporty feel.
Not too much has changed outwardly, but the new Carrera T is fitted with the rear spoiler from the Carrera GTS, as well as Carrera S lightweight wheels. There’s a huge range of colour options, too, and an extra three roof colours to pick from on the Cabriolet.
Inside, there’s a heated GT sports steering wheel, four-way adjustable leather seats and a walnut-trimmed gear knob as standard.
The new Porsche 911 Carrera T is on sale now, with prices for the coupé starting at £111,300. The Cabriolet is £10,000 more expensive, starting at £121,300. This puts it at the more affordable end of what you’d pay for other 911 models, and is much cheaper than the rival Aston Martin Vantage, but it’s still significantly pricier than the soon-to-be-discontinued Jaguar F-Type.
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