911 Carrera T?

Porsche has a new 911 model called the Carrera T. I checked out the options and basically, it is bundling of options some not available on the base 911 , for folks too lazy to spend time building their own 911 . All for an extra 11k or so. Sport PASM is standard and so is the sport exhaust. SPASM is not available in the base 911 . Some dubious options like platinum-colored wheels are standard. The manual is the same. Colors are limited, both interior and exterior. Personally, I see this as a pointless exercise and basically along the lines of the GTS model. Sorry GTS lovers. Sure the GTS adds some power but the rest (to me) is meh! An appearance package prone to scraping, some black color accents that may or may not appeal, alcantara ( I hate alcantara), and again, bundling of options like sport PASM , SE etc. I see the value if you are going to buy these options anyway but otherwise, one of my less favorite 911 models. Well there are certainly enough of them, 911 models, to satisfy just about anyone who likes these cars. With sales down, maybe Porsche should think about this proliferation of 911 models that really are not that different.

Interesting that full bucket seats are an option. First time outside the GT cars afaik. If the weight reduction were more significant and if it had a 6 speed I'd be more interested.

Which as someone who couldn't get them on their Spyder due to the stop order at the time (was also in effect on the GT4 until late December 2015), annoys me. Want those buckets now? eBay or forums are the only reasonable options to pick them up post-delivery. "Can't you just buy them from the parts department, Goof?" You can. The seats are 31 separate parts (aren't shipped assembled) including all the foam, upholstery, etc. To put things into perspective, just the CF Shell -- 1 of 31 parts per seat -- has a list price of $8644 PER seat. Add in the rest and you MIGHT be able to convince your dealer to cut you a deal for around $25K for a pair, but they're more like $30K per pair at full price before labor and installation. Seriously, if you think you want those seats, CHECK THAT BOX.

I, too, don't get the "T". Power increase is nowhere the leve of gong ing to the S or the GTS ... the weight savings is pretty mild, to say the least. If Porsche really wanted a "light sport" model, I think they could have done a better options package. As a CGTS owener, let me defend the GTS "concept". It is designed as an upscale "touring" package... more HP, slightly different body accents and a nice set of options. I think the GTS is what the T is claiming to be. D

I don't see this one as a "parts bin" model. There's no option to get the lightweight glass and reduced sound deadening on any other Carrera ...nor the shorter rear axle ratio and mechanical rear differential lock...nor the short shifter. Perhaps the clincher though is the LWBs and rear seat delete that aren't an option on other non-GT Carreras. I see this as a highly desirable 911 variant.

^^ well put gcurnew. Maybe Porsche is actually delivering on their promise to make more enthusiast models.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/2018-porsche-911-carrera-t-photos-and-info-news I guess I am not a purist. A noisier cabin, higher effort shifter (guessing with the short shift kit), farting exhaust, harsher ride, all to save a few pounds. Porsche could just offer these as options in the base Carrrera rather than creating another 911 variant with special trim. For 103k it is not much of a bargain either.

The mod that I find hilarious is the use of straps instead of plastic door handles to save weight (done on other "special" cars as well). Cut out that piece of pie at dinner and you would save as much weight or more.

I appreciate that it's not everyone's cup-o-tea, but it does answer the criticism that 911s (other than the GTs ) are becoming too plush. I think the T is to other Carreras as the 987.2 R was to other Caymans of the day: just a bit more edge. Like the R, i expect the T will hold it's value pretty well so long as they don't sell a gazillion of them (which seems unlikely given the price premium and the niche character of the vehicle). If I were looking at purchasing a new 911 , the T would be at the top of my list.

The 991.2 911 T will be the Porsche 911 that people will drool over 20 years in the future! History is a good indicator. It is the answer to those purist wants all in one nice package with some exclusivity thrown in! If I didn’t use my 911 for Tollway and winter driving, it’s just the right package for an afternoon. HP is MORE than enough to get you thrown in jail! MT or PDK , chose your pick! Order a PTS color and it’s an instant classic! Sheer marketing genius on Porsche ’s part! The 911 T would even make a good Track car. -Richard

Agreed. Especially those with the LWBs and the lightweight glass.

I think the T would be a perfectly usable DD; even through a Canadian winter. While AWD is nice, it adds wight and complexity and isn't really necessary with good winter tires and all the weight over the rear axle in a 911 . Just as on My GTS , the spoiler lip would be a replaceable item once a year. I suspect there are a few folks on this forum who have been driving RWD high-performance vehicles in severe winter conditions most of their life and actually enjoy (as I do) a bit of controlled sliding. My GTS was the MOST fun in winter...and my two S2000s in winter were an absolute blast.

I think the market has already spoken about the R...

The listed weight difference between the 911 T and a base Carrera is 11 lbs. I could buy a base Carrera with SC, MT and 8- way sports seats for 95k. No noisy exhaust and same performance. A very basic car. I could always buy the short shift kit if I so desired. I don’t know. I suspect the market will be very limited for this car. I can easily see someone spending another 2k to get the S model.

Yes, the market is small, which will be good for the few buyers come resale time. The weight reduction isn't meaningful, but the shorter gear ratios and diff are a big deal (well, to those who think such things are a big deal lol)...and the LWBs and no rear seats makes this a 911 anomoly. For folks like me, the ONLY seats I'd ever want in any Porsche are the 4-way Sport Plus seats or the LWBs ; all the other seats on offer are overweight, over-gizmoed Barclay loungers. With the 991.2, the S no longer makes any sense to me; the base at 370 hp and 331 lb-ft torque is already more power than can actually be used by anyone on the street (and more than almost all people who DE or otherwise track their cars can effectively utilize), and the other stuff that comes on the S (even the Big Reds) is of marginal value and interest. From my admittedly narrow perspective, the Base Carrera is now the best of the non-GT bunch, and the T is all that 911 sweet goodness with an enthusiast cherry on top. Porsche not only gets "it"...it gets me.

FWIW, the 718 Boxster GTS has better power/weight ratio than the Carrera T, and that is with the Boxster being open and the T not even available as a convertible. According to the tech specs right in the builder. This might be slightly worse in the US where Porsche cannot delete PCM . As far as the buckets go, the US are the only suckers that have difficulty getting them. Most other countries have a choice of folding and non-folding buckets in many Porsche sports cars. That is significant since you can only have the folding ones with seat heating, which can be a big deal for convertible drivers.

Weights in the German builder, where Porsche can delete PCM : 911 T : Leergewicht nach DIN 1.425 kg Leergewicht nach EU-Richtlinie 1.500 kg Boxster GTS : Leergewicht nach DIN 1.375 kg Leergewicht nach EU-Richtlinie 1.450 kg ETA: base model carrera : Leergewicht nach DIN 1.430 kg Leergewicht nach EU-Richtlinie 1.505 kg Power is 272 kW for the T/carrerabase and 269 kW for the Boxster GTS . That of course is a jerk move in its own right, holding all Boxsters below all 911 cars. Not for technical reasons but for market reasons.

The 911 T is not a parts bin special and here is why. You get Sport Chrono without the "wart" if you want it. Options previously not available are now available on the base: 1. SPASM 2. Rear Wheel Steering 3. PTV 4. LWB seats. Also, my understanding is that the transmission is not the same gearbox. It has shorter gearing which is what the enthusiast wanted and asked for. It's going to be a big seller. Demand is going to be huge. Watch. It's a dream 911 for the country roads.

If the T was available 1 month ago I might well have ordered it rather than the 911 GTS coupe. It makes a lot of sense if you want--like I do--20" wheels, SE SC, SPASM, PTV/LSD, MT. It's a good deal if those are the options you want, forget about the 11 pounds. But I'm not going to loose sleep over it, my GTS coupe is "only" about $10K more than a comparable build of the T. And I want to be blown away by the performance compared to the Cayman GTS , not sure the base engine will do that. Also: I got an allocation with discount for GTS , who knows how easy it will be to get an allocation for the T? I can already hear the dealer saying how much in demand they are, don't expect a discount, blah blah blah. PS I get that the buckets are cool, but 5 grand cool?!??! I really like the 4 way sports plus seats...

There are a few things on the Carrera T that should have been available as options on the base Carrera from the get go. The ones I would have liked and ordered are the limited slip differential (should have been standard really) and the shorter gear ratio and **** action. The fact that Porsche withheld them and now make them available near the end of the 991.2 life-cycle is likely an attempt to boost sales and is somewhat disingenuous. An Akrapovic exhaust and rear seat removal could easily get an 11 lbs weight saving and probably under USD 11k. I could also lose 10 lbs or so lol. Still, I'm happy with what I have.

I deleted my earlier post. No point. Some folks love it and I don't. Enough said on this car on my part. Gracias amigos. There are enough 911 variants to satisfy everyone.

It's kinda like all the different options to pick from. We are all different. I love the fact that we can customize our cars to our individual tastes.....including the model to pick from.

The news release from Porsche specifically says the T has a mechanical rear differential lock, rather than PTV. The new 2018 Porsche 911 Carrera T If it really is just a mechanical LSD rather than PTV which also includes automatic rear braking. this would be a big differentiator. I would reluctantly order PTV on a new Porsche to get the LSD but don't care for the auto braking "feature"; I would order an old-school mechanical locking diff with no reservations. I got all worked up thinking the T ditched PTV, but it's likely it's there but presented with a marketing spin to resonate with the target market for a pared back performance model.

The Carrera T does have PTV. Go to the configurator as if you are going to build the car, and hit the "standard features" tab. Under "Chassis and Suspension" is " Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV)" So looks like it is paired with the mechanical diff just like the GTS coupe.

Seems to be same in all cars with this feature but with braking. Seems like no auto braking with the PTV in the new CT but the GT3 has the standard PTV with braking and rear wheel steer. And that is much more of a performance car than the Carrera Touring. My friend bought a Civic R which has the bucket-type lightweight seats. And limited slip diff with no auto braking. Nice driving car, a little coarse and good value if one can overcome the nausea when you first look at it. At less than one-third the price, maybe tolerable if the rear wing can be hacked off and the car painted all black. It may be easier on the eyes and avoid embarrassment.

another man's opinion

I follow Nick on his youtube channel. I agree with almost everything he said about the car.

Agreed...ALMOST everything. Porsche has done a good job convincing its target market that they need the Big Reds. The T four-piston alumininum monobloc fixed calipers at 330mm all around are more than enough for a street car weighing around 3100 pounds, and with track compounds will suffice for almost all DE situations. If you're actually racing...well, a T wouldn't be the ideal starting point.

I found it quite difficult, actually impossible, to order a base carrera . I wanted a C4 and called all the local dealers in the Boston area and not one could get an allocation. Most never even returned my calls. My sales guy told me that it was very hard to even find allocations for the RWD Carrera . I had to buy what was on the dealer's lot. No orders. Porsche may well make excellent base Carreras but what is the point if you can't order one. They like selling their more expensive S models as do dealers obviously. I have to disagree with Nick (I do like his videos though) that the S engine is laggy. Back to back drives, I couldn't really tell that there was a substantial difference between the 370 and 420 hp cars. These were MT cars that I drove. Maybe the S felt a little punchier but the difference was small. I could have saved 12k but none to be had. Very dirty tricks by Porsche and the damn dealers.

I recall you really did want a C4. Maybe because there are so few dealers in Canada, they will sometimes trade allocations if someone really wants to do a custom order on a particular model.

I didn't find the S laggy at all but then again, I had it on a track where rpms were kept fairly high and the turbos were spooled already. As for the engine, I am a big fan of the base engine. HP has gotten out of control. You need HP for the track, drag racing or getting the car to it's top speed. On back roads, I much prefer lower HP and shorter gears in a manual. I think the 911T does this to some degree. The Base 911 in pdk form is faster than the fastest production car made in the 1980s ( Porsche 959). What more does anyone need? My Base 991.2 C4 is even a bit much for the back roads. The huge low end torque just accelerates you so fast that you really can't enjoy the S turns as much. My Boxster S is just about perfect for these roads. I can remmber my first real sports car: A 2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder . 138 HP, 5 speed manual, manual convertible top, red. When I lived in Hawaii, I would take it up into the mountains in Oahu and just have a blast. There is a lot to be said for lower HP, manuals.

“ HP has gotten out of control” I have to agree with you! I ordered a 991.2 C4 just after they were announced, An S came with electronic diff versus mechanical for a non S. The Configurator made it cheaper to purchase the new Sport wheels with an S and so my Sales guy and I both came to the same conclusion that the S was a better buy for me. Turns out that Porsche later changed the Configurator and the wheels were less. But the die was cast. I just did not realize how much the AWD system with PDK improved the acceleration until I read the specs after I ordered the vehicle! 0-60 3.7 sec, quoted by Porsche, measured faster later by the trade. Turns out the C4S is the sweet spot for acceleration of the 991.2 until eclipsed by the GTS! But, the positive side was changing from my Boxster to the C4S for DE events. No longer did I get passed on the straights. But if I was only going to drive on the street in summer weather, a C2 would be more than enough car for me.-Richard