Now that Porsche has thoroughly fleshed out the top end of its performance 911 range, it’s giving some love back to the bottom. The Carrera T is returning for the 2023 model year, and it follows the same pattern as before. It takes a base 911 Carrera, removes some weight and adds a bunch of performance parts that are normally reserved for the more powerful Carrera S.
The Carrera T has a bonus perk for budget-oriented 911 buyers, too (if that’s a thing). The standard Carrera is only available with the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The T comes standard with the seven-speed manual. It naturally offers more driving engagement, but it also is lighter than the dual-clutch transmission. And weight-savings is a big part of the Carrera T package. It has less sound insulation, thinner glass, a smaller battery and no rear seat as standard. That brings the curb weight down to 3,254 pounds, which is 100 less than a base Carrera and 44 less than a base, manual Carrera S. Porsche does let you add back the rear seat and dual-clutch transmission at no extra cost if you like, but odds are it will weigh close to the standard Carrera.
The performance upgrades go beyond the weight reduction measures. It picks up the mechanical limited-slip differential and torque-vectoring from the Carrera S and the lower adaptive sport suspension. Neither of these features are available on the regular Carrera, and the latter is an option on the S. Also standard on the T are the Sport Chrono package as standard, four-way adjustable Sport Seats Plus and Sport exhaust with black tips, all of which are, again, options on S as well as the regular Carrera. If that’s not enough, more adjustable seats, lightweight full bucket seats, rear-wheel steering and additional interior trimmings with leather are all available options on the T.
While the Carrera T does get loads of performance upgrades from the S, it sticks with the regular Carrera’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-six. It still makes a healthy 379 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque. With the manual transmission, the T will hit 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, and the dual-clutch transmission drops the time to 3.8 seconds. That’s not especially far behind the 443-horsepower Carrera S’s times of 4 seconds with the manual and 3.3 seconds with the dual-clutch (both with the Sport Chrono package). The T’s 181-mph top speed is also just 10 mph off of the S’s top speed.
Porsche also gives the Carrera T a little visual flair. It gets the S’s staggered 20-inch and 21-inch wheels, but painted in gray, which is matched on the mirror covers and the model name side stripes. The interior is gray, but gets the aforementioned sport seats and sport steering wheel. It can be spruced up further with an interior package that can add gray or green seat belts and seat stripes, or leather upholstery, as well as the 911 logo stitched into the seat backs.
As for the cost of the Carrera T, it starts at $118,050. That price fits neatly between the base 911 Carrera and a Carrera S that’s been optioned up with the T’s standard equipment. The difference is about $11,000 more than a base Carrera (which can’t be optioned like a T), and about $13,000 less than that similarly equipped Carrera S. Granted, the Carrera S is getting more power, but the practical differences aren’t enormous. As such, it seems like a pretty appealing package to us.
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