Performance, thy enemy is weight. The more stuff you pack into a sports car, the heavier it gets, and the more power it needs in order to justify its inflated price tag.
This is why Porsche periodically offers lightweight versions of its 718 and 911 models. Stripped down to the essentials in order to deliver maximum performance, the new 2018 Porsche 911 Carrera T might cost $11,000 more than a base Carrera, but it shaves a whopping 11 pounds off the car.
Porsche shaves 11 pounds from the 911 Carrera with the new 911 Carrera T. But this new model is about more than just performance.
(Porsche)
Umm, say what now? Eleven grand for 11 pounds?
We all know that it takes effort to lose weight, and Porsche expects to be compensated for it. Thus, a standard Carrera costs $92,150 while the new Carrera T opens at $103,150 when it hits showrooms in March of 2018.
The “T” on this 911 Carrera’s rear end signals something special.
(Porsche)
Last offered in 1968 as a purist alternative to other 911 models, the Carrera Touring amounts to more than the subtraction of its parts. You get hardware on this model that is optional or unavailable on the base Carrera.
Motivated by its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter 6-cylinder engine, the new 911 Carrera T shares its powerplant with the standard Carrera. It generates 370 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 339 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,750 rpm to 5,000 rpm. Carrera T buyers choose between a 6-speed manual gearbox and a 7-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission (PDK).
A mechanical rear differential lock is standard for the Carrera T, and the manual gearbox has a shorter constant transaxle ratio as well as a shortened gear lever stamped with a red shift pattern. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) is also standard, dropping the ride height and firming up the tuning. As an option, the Carrera T is fitted with rear-axle steering, something you can’t get on a standard Carrera. The car breathes through a standard sport exhaust system.
According to Porsche, 60 mph arrives in 4.3 seconds, a tick quicker than a standard Carrera, which requires 4.4 seconds. With the PDK transmission and the Sport Chrono Package, the cars run neck-and-neck, at four seconds flat.
Lighter glass, less sound insulation, and fabric loops for door openers make the 911 Carrera T palatable only to purists, which is as it should be.
(Porsche)
Given the cars’ near identical performance attributes, Porsche tweaks the more expensive Carrera T’s exterior styling to ensure that enthusiasts can convey with no more than a glance that they own the lightest 911 in the gated community.
Up front, a different front spoiler lip signals the special nature of this model, while door stripes and a large “T” on the engine cover make sure Porschephiles know this is the lightest one of them all. Black exhaust outlets, Titanium Gray 20-inch wheels. and an Agate Gray finish for the SportDesign mirror caps, rear decklid grille, and nomenclature complete the Carrera T’s special appearance. Porsche offers the car in nine exterior colors, almost half of them also suitable for Jelly Bellies.
Inside, the Carrera T’s upgraded sport seats feature inserts made of Sport-Tex rather than leather, and include head restraints embroidered with “911.” They face a GT Sport steering wheel with a driving mode selection switch. Everything inside is black, unless you specify the Carrera T Interior Package, which adds contrast-color seat belts, stitching, embroidery, and more.
Buyers can select full bucket seats, which deletes the car’s rear seat. The rear window and rear quarter glass is lighter than a standard Carrera, conventional door openers are replaced with fabric loops, and there is less sound insulation material. You’d better love the sonorous song of a flat-six engine, because you’ll hear plenty of it.
Porsche buyers seeking performance over status will find the new 911 Carrera T especially compelling.
(Porsche)
Porsche adds to the blizzard of 911 models with the new Carrera T, giving enthusiasts something special to own at what is a relative bargain.
Actual performance gains are nearly imperceptible, but that’s beside the point. Poseurs won’t put up with the stripped-down interior and extra cabin noise, virtually ensuring that few people aside from Porsche purists will jump at the chance to own a Carrera T.
And that, in turn, signals pride of membership in a special club. With a 2018 Porsche 911 Carrera T sitting in your assigned parking space, you make it clear that you’ve chosen the car for how it performs more so than what it tells the world about your wallet or stature.
