- The T’s one of many few manual-shift vehicles left, even at Porsche
- No automated, no rear seats, no sunroof—no drawback
- 911 T is priced from $135,995 for the coupe, $149,295 for the cabrio
The Porsche 911 entered the hybrid period for the 2025 mannequin yr, nevertheless it hasn’t given up the keys to its previous place within the gas-powered period. In reality, the most recent 911 within the household appears to be like on to that previous for inspiration.
It’s that time within the lifecycle for the 2025 911 Carrera T, which turns again the clock ever so barely on the 911’s relentless technological evolution. Priced from $135,995 for the coupe and $149,295 for the Cabriolet, the Carrera T pitches a extra fundamental 911 expertise to these drivers who need that style of nostalgia—however don’t actually wish to quit a lot in the way in which of modernity.
The Carrera T (for “Touring”) identify dates to the thirty seventh Monte Carlo rally, which Porsche received in 1968 with a stripped-down version of its archetypal sports activities automotive. Right now’s rendition slots in as regular between the Carrera and GTS 911s, the place it places its marker down on lighter weight and sensory pleasure.
Porsche pitches it to drivers who won’t drive it daily, however will take it to a membership occasion once they do, earlier than recycling their Blue Bottle cup and heading house to observe motorsports on the 85-inch flat display screen within the nice room.
The T will get an asterisk, although. These homeowners wish to really feel the fantasy of a light-weight sports activities automotive—however additionally they need a 911 with an even bigger gasoline tank, rear seats, a front-axle carry, and 18-way energy entrance seats, most of the time. All of these options could be ticked again into the T on the order sheet. It loses weight earlier than the vacations, solely to pack a few of it again on.
Nonetheless, the Carrera T’s the only real handbook Carrera, for now, till an S arrives. It’s one of many few handbook convertibles of any model left, Wrangler and Mustang included. It’s a automotive that evokes Porsche’s previous, with out upsetting the gods—gods like Porsche’s personal 911 GT3.
2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T take a look at drive assessment
Porsche 911 Carrera T: The way it works
More often than not I spend driving new vehicles now focuses on measuring miles per kilowatt hour. The Carrera T presents a wholly totally different expertise. If not fairly analog, it’s actually, undoubtedly not purely digital.
Right now it’s additionally an edge case in traction. I’m north of Atlanta, on roads with virtually no runoff, scattered with gravel from potholes lengthy since fallen into disrepair, the place the final little bit of fall leaves have been pulverized right into a high-quality crimson miasma. The irony: October was Atlanta’s first month with out measurable rainfall in additional than a century, and now, rain kilos on the windshield, forcing me to give attention to the sensory pleasures that do not contain the tires slowly giving up grip. The automotive is aware of it: it instructs me to change into moist mode as soon as it slips a wheel for the primary of a thousand occasions, so I do.
Behind the place the place a again seat usually would match, Porsche’s Carrera engine sits and sings. The dual-turbo 3.0-liter flat-6 flouts its energy card, placing out 388 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque, which sends the T to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds (or 4.5 seconds for the thicc-er Cabrio).
Even at decrease speeds, I pull larger revs by some early esses. The whammering of the engine enchants me to the purpose the place I can ignore the hole patriotism of the crimson, white, and blue indicators nonetheless posted on flanking hillsides. The Carrera T has much less sound insulation and thinner glass than different fashions, so extra engine noise needles into the cabin. I’m grateful for it, although it retains me from dictating notes by wi-fi CarPlay at occasions. “Siri, write a observe” will get me a half-dozen reminders and a calendar date for a gathering that by no means will occur.
A shorter-throw 6-speed handbook coordinates the comms between the engine and the drive wheels. The stiff, springy clutch travels up and excessive earlier than it engages—one other state of tune that instructions the driving force to concentrate to the act of driving as an alternative of the radio. And but, its rev-matching software program ensures each shift throw’s sweetly executed. Porsche wraps the lever’s cap in open-pore walnut. Your fingertips perceive the retro cue earlier than your mind does.
This 6-speed is definitely the opposite Carreras’ 7-speed, minus the highest gear. It doesn’t use the 6-speed GT3 transmission, which might be unsuited: the GT3’s a rev-happy maniac all the way in which to 9,000 rpm, whereas the Carrera’s torque-focused out of the gate, down low.
Flip by the 911’s drive modes—Sport Chrono bundle comes normal—and the rev-matching could be disabled and launch management enabled. That’s not possible to take pleasure in right now, although, because the rain goes from regular to swole. I fiddle with the game exhaust as an alternative, and rattle the cage of a heavy-duty truck driver who thinks his rolling coal’s going to be probably the most bratty indulgence on the road right now. (Charlie Murphy voice: “Flawed!)
2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T take a look at drive assessment
Porsche 911 Carrera T: The way it twerks
The state roads downconvert into county roads because the tripometer flicks by its digits. The rain tapers off some, so the 911 Carrera T’s chassis will get to point out off extra of its vary. With rather less weight on board—I’ll get to that in a minute—the T packs on the burden of adaptive dampers, rear-wheel steering, and a 0.4-inch lowered suspension to brighten up its responses.
It really works. Although it nonetheless weighs 3,316 kilos in base spec as a coupe (3,283 with out there carbon-fiber seats, 3,505 kilos as a Cabrio), the T twerks across the slim connecting trails that hyperlink the house of the Cabbage Patch doll with the house of our Finest Automobile To Purchase testing—due to course it does. The negligible weight variations matter rather less than the optimized dealing with content material stuffed into the T, which additionally will get 20-inch entrance and 21-inch rear wheels with 245/35 tires up entrance and 305/30s in again, in addition to a mechanical differential lock and 6-piston entrance, 4-piston rear brakes. Porsche will set up carbon-ceramic brakes, for an upcharge.
The digital doesn’t intrude with the analog vibe the T conjures. Though it has rear-wheel steering, it dials in diploma by diploma of fastidiously positioned and weighted steering—it doesn’t simply free-associate a course whereas the driving force wrestles it down. The experience’s basic 911 agency—and likewise comes on this automotive with lively anti-roll tech that cuts physique lean much more than the inventory setup. Yep, extra weight, but additionally a extra assured, planted really feel because it arrows by quickly switching esses.
I flick off a few of the traction and stability controls on a secure stretch, to see if the drying roads have any extra grip to present. It’s higher, which eggs me to place a T foot on the centerline right here and there. Lively lane management warns me to not, with a low whub-whub voice that appears like a sidekick robotic from a Seventies TV drama. Or R2D2 as soon as puberty settled in.
2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T take a look at drive assessment
2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T take a look at drive assessment
2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T take a look at drive assessment
2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T take a look at drive assessment
Porsche 911 Carrera T: A lot of the perks
The 911 Carrera T makes few different concessions to consolation. This copy has a metal roof, however you’ll be able to go with no roof totally—and Cabriolets do pack on the kilos. Inside, the wall of digital shows challenges the throwback aesthetic from door to door, however most of its capabilities could be set and forgotten. Skip utilizing the cupholder, too: it’s mounted straight in step with that sweetly tuned 6-speed shift lever. Even espresso doesn’t outrank its crisp snicks.
Elsewhere contained in the Carrera T wears black artificial leather-based with black-on-black plaid textile seating—however you’ll need the out there blue trim bundle, which renders the seats in grey and blue like a high-quality windowpane swimsuit. Blue rims the console, the outside, the Sport Chrono block, and the seat belts. By the point you configure a Carrera T with a customized matrix of choices, it’d weigh simply as a lot as an ordinary Carrera.
The shifter makes the distinction. Porsche has gathered up the manual-trans followers who’ve been left behind by the likes of Jaguar and Chevrolet, and funnels them right here. Whereas it launches a new hybrid powertrainin different Carreras and plots updates for the 911 GT3 RS and 911 Turbo, the Carrera T offers these orphans a house.
It’s only one manner during which the 911 pulls off its time-honored celebration trick: fixed progress cloaked in acquainted bits of the previous. Right now’s 911 Carrera T could have a transmission proper out of the twentieth century—nevertheless it groups up masterfully with all of the digital bits that make it faster, sooner, safer, and extra assured at its driving limits.
It’s nowhere close to as costly or as demanding to drive because the gorgeous GT3, both. The 911 Carrera T compels your palms and your ft to behave—and, it seems, that’s all of the compelling it wants.
Porsche offered a resort room and quite a lot of rain to make this take a look at drive assessment a actuality.
