The letter “T” stands for Touring and is a throwback to the 911 T of 1968
Ladies and gentlemen, there's a new letter in the Porsche 911 alphabet, and it doesn't stand for turbo — because the 911 Carrera already comes with a turbocharged engine as standard.
The "T" in the new 911 Carrera T is Porsche's way of reminding people of the 911 T of 1968, which favored a pure driving experience above everything else. The recipe apparently works in 2017 as well, which is why the T version is slightly lighter and offers shorter ratios for the manual transmission as well as a mechanical rear differential lock.
The 911 Carrera T is 20 kg lighter than the 911 Carrera, tipping the scales at 1,425 kg (3,141 lb). Weight-saving measures include the rear window and rear side windows made of lightweight glass, as well as the removal of the rear seats and the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) — even though both are available on request at no additional cost.
Furthermore, the sound absorption has been significantly reduced, and the door trims feature opening loops. In addition, the 911 Carrera T comes with features that are not available for the base 911 Carrera, including the 20-mm lower PASM sports chassis, the weight-optimized Sport Chrono Package, as well as a shortened shift lever. That's not all: rear-axle steering, which can't be had on the 911 Carrera, is available as an option on the 911 Carrera T.
No changes have been made to the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six gasoline engine which delivers 370 metric horsepower and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque from 1,750 to 5,000 rpm. However, thanks to the improved weight-to-power ratio (3.85 kg/hp), the shorter rear axle ratio, and mechanical differential lock, the 911 Carrera T is 0.1 seconds quicker from 0 to 100 km/h, covering the sprint in 4.5 seconds. It's also capable of going from zero to 200 km/h in 15.1 seconds.
If the buyer decides to fit it with the optional PDK, the Carrera T goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds and reaches the 200 km/h mark in 14.5 seconds. Regardless of the transmission choice, top speed exceeds 290 km/h (180 mph).
Styling-wise, the 911 Carrera T can be recognized thanks to subtle details such as the aero-optimized front spoiler lip, Sport Design mirror caps in Agate Grey, and 20-inch Carrera S wheels in Titan Grey. "911 Carrera T" logos are also present, as are the slats in the rear lid grille and the standard sports exhaust system. Inside, the sports seats get a Sport-Tex fabric center area and "911" logos stitched in the headrests. Finally, the GT sports steering wheel, red shift pattern for the shortened shift lever of the seven-speed manual gearbox, and black trim complete the package.
Deliveries of the 911 Carrera T will begin in January 2018 in Europe and March 2018 in the U.S., with prices starting from €107,553 in Germany and $102,100 in the United States (plus $1,050 destination).
If you like the idea of a "Touring" Porsche 911 but want more power, then the 911 GT3 with Touring Package must be the one for you.