992 Carrera T FIRST DRIVE

Porsche’s second iteration of the 911 Carrera T has arrived in the UK at long last, so does it improve on the original?

- Kyle Fortune

There are 25 differing choices on the Porsche configurator for the 911. Sitting here in front of the online tool is like being a kid marvelling at the contents of a pick ’n’ mix cabinet. There are the Carrera models, be it regular or Carrera S, and these are the foundation mainstays in the line-up. Think of them as the Cola bottles: the Carrera is regular sized and non-fizzy; the Carrera S adds some fizzy coating to that; and the GTS throws in some size variations in combination with the S’s fizz.

Those Turbos are the Sherbet Lemons: familiar shaped and a solid performer, with a wild buzz inside when you crunch through that fine, tasty exterior. The GT3 and RS? They’re Flying Saucers: a lightweight package that once inside mainlines the intense hit you’re really after. The Dakar’s unquestionably a Refresher. It’s tough as hell, but a fabulous all-rounder that’s worth the effort.

All of which leaves me pondering what the Carrera T is. Sitting between the Carrera and Carrera S, it gains some of the S’s equipment possibilities, as well as option combinations unavailable elsewhere with the Carreras. It does without the bigger output of the Carrera S engine and there’s only one body here – a Coupe – although it brings with it the option of either PDK or manual transmissions. This makes the car the only ‘low’-powered Carrera to be offered with a stick and three pedals. The Carrera T, then, is a pick ’n’ mix within a pick ’n’ mix, with an eye on the scales as well as the price.