Less Can Be More

With the 911 Carrera T, Porsche is reviving the purist concept behind the 911 T of 1968: Less weight, shorter transmission ratios from the manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive with mechanical rear differential lock for enhanced performance and driving thrill.

- Robert Stedman

It’s difficult to shop for a Porsche. Why? Because there are just so many variants it gets confusing. Just for the 911 alone there are currently 23 available, and now it’s 24 with the introduction of the 911 Carrera T. Still, it’s a bold move from Porsche who want, it seems, for all their customers to be happy. The new Porsche 911 Carrera T’s unique appearance is based on the 911 Carrera. The 911 Carrera T – at Porsche, ‘T’ stands for Touring – also boasts several other equipment features that are not available for the 911 Carrera, including the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) sports chassis as standard. Porsche has also lowered, by 20mm, the weight-optimised Sport Chrono Package, a shortened shift lever with red shift pattern and SportTex seat centres. In addition, the rear-axle steering system, which was not available for the 911 Carrera, is provided as an option for the 911 Carrera T.

Every aspect of the equipment in the 911 Carrera T is designed to optimize sportiness and reduce weight: The rear window and rear side windows are made from lightweight glass, and the door trims feature opening loops, not door handles. (In fact, when our reviewer needed open the door he panicked, but after careful analysis managed to figure out how to open the doors to get out.)

The sound absorption has been reduced to a minimum. The rear seats have been omitted, as has Porsche Communication Management system (PCM). Our test car did have ‘seats’ but no normal sized human could sit in them. Even Bilbo Baggins would find it tough sitting down. What is the result of these weight reduction measures? The car has unladen kerb weight of 1,425 kilograms, the two-seater is 20 kilograms lighter than a 911 Carrera with similar equipment.