Back with the 991 generation of 911 nearly a decade ago, Porsche introduced the 911 Carrera T, a lightweight driver-focused version of the base Carrera with all the performance goodies you’d want, and the 992.1 generation got a Carrera T variant as well. Now after a brief hiatus Porsche is bringing the Carrera T back for the 992.2 facelift, and unlike previous Carrera T models, it will only be offered with a manual transmission, and it can now be had in convertible form for the first time.
When the 992.2 was unveiled earlier this year, people were shocked to see that the base Carrera wasn’t offered with a manual transmission, despite the base Carrera not being offered with a manual in the 992.1 before, either. Instead of the seven-speed manual that was used by the 992.1 Carrera T and Carrera S, the new Carrera T has a six-speed manual that uses the first six ratios of the old seven-speed unit. An auto rev-matching feature is standard and can be turned off, but more importantly the shift knob is made from walnut wood. It looks incredible. (The yet-to-be-revealed Carrera S will probably have a manual option too, though it’ll likely be that existing seven-speed one.)
The Carrera T matches the base Carrera in terms of power, with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six making 388 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque. Porsche says the Carrera T coupe will hit 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, four tenths slower than the PDK-only base model. The Sport Chrono package is standard, which gets you four drive modes, a tire-temperature display and theTrack Precision app. Also standard is the sport exhaust system, and less sound deadening and lightweight glass will help you hear that improved engine note.
Other standard features on the Carrera T include 0.4-inch-lower suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management and staggered-width 20-inch front wheels and 21-inch rear wheels. Rear-axle steering and Porsche Torque Vectoring are also standard, neither of which are available on the base Carrera. Porsche says the front and rear anti-roll bars have unique tuning for the Carrera T to increase stability and agility, the steering ratio is quicker, and there are unspecified aerodynamic enhancements to improve the car’s balance. All of that adds up to make the Carrera T “an excellent dance partner for winding roads,” according to Porsche.
Visually distinguishing the Carrera T from its sibling are Vanadium Grey accents on the wheels, mirrors, side decals and rear badge; twelve paint colors are offered with these accents, and the wheels have a two-tone look with a machined face. It also gets the front lip from the Carrera GTS, the exhaust tips are made from black stainless steel, and the rear side windows have a sticker showing the manual shift pattern, which is a bit too corny for me. The puddle lights project the same graphic, which is less corny to me though I don’t know why. You can also spec an exterior package that adds Gentian Blue hood and door graphics and matching accents to the wheels, engine cover slats and badges, with black mirrors instead of the grey ones.
Vanadium Grey is found on the dashboard and center console trim, the door panels have black anodized aluminum bits and the passenger side of the dashboard also gets that shift pattern. The coupe is a two-seater as standard while the convertible comes with a back seat, which is a no-cost option on the coupe. Four-way powered Sport Seats Plus are standard, but you can opt for 18-way Sport Seats Plus or get fixed-back carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic bucket seats. Though you can opt for leather, you shouldn’t, as the standard Race-Tex setup has a black plaid pattern for the Sport-Tex centers, and an interior package replaces all the black stitching with Gentian Blue, also adding the blue to the plaid seats, Sport Chrono dial and other trim pieces.
The 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T is available to order now ahead of deliveries commencing next summer, with the coupe starting at $135,995 and the convertible costing $149,295, both including destination. That’s $13,900 more than the base Carreras, but you’re getting more than that much in added value. Add on the bigger wheels, Sport Chrono pack, Sport Exhaust, Sport Seats Plus and lightweight glass to a base Carrera coupe and and you’re already looking at a $131,295 pricetag, and the other visual tweaks and performance upgrades you get with the Carrera T makes it even more of a bargain.
