First test drive of the Porsche 911 Carrera T 2023 | Road tests | car123

• Auto123 carried out a first test drive of the 2023 Porsche 911 Carrera T.

• This model, yet another variant of the 911, is a lighter and sportier version.

Los Angeles California – While the recent announcement of the off-road racing-inspired Porsche 911 Dakar has the sports car world in turmoil these days, there’s a revamped Porsche at the other end of the 911 lineup that shouldn’t go unnoticed. This is the 911 Carrera T, a lightweight and sporty version that takes its inspiration from the classic racing cars that made their mark not on the rugged tracks of the Sahara desert in the 1980s, but on the touring circuit of the 1980s. 1960 and 1970. .

Today, the conversion to “T” specification offers standard Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), Sport Chrono package, four-way sports seats, reduced windows and removal of the standard rear seat, as well as an optional fixed backrest. carbon fiber seats.

inside

My test vehicle didn’t have these seats, which I didn’t care for; I had tried them before and found them too stiff and narrow. It’s possible to add optional rear seats at no cost, but you’d be fine without them, as they’re pretty useless and the extra weight they bring defeats the purpose of the T.

Other interesting interior items include a choice of bright green seatbelts with matching stitching, a jewel-shaped graphic on the gear shift knob, and T racing running board. Oh, and don’t forget the subtle but yet subtle lettering. cool “911” on the headrest Only “911”. Not “911 Carrera T”, not “Carrera”, just “911” (also in a great vintage typeface). Because at its core, that’s what the T is: the purest 911 there is.

Abroad

I mean, look at it: all green, with dark rims, all thick and beautiful, with great graphics on the doors, dark badging and smoked exhaust tips in the style of the 911 GTS. It’s a car that doesn’t try to hide its intentions because they’re meant to be celebrated, and you’re not supposed to walk away from the car without looking over your shoulder. As I did. Each. Unique. Weather. Spectacular is not enough, spectacularly sublime.

If there’s one thing I’d ask for, it’s an option to ditch the self-tightening rear wing in favor of a classic 911 dovetail-style wing. It doesn’t get any purer than that, and you’d think it would save even more weight.

the drive train

The inclusion of Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM, a $1,170 option on the Carrera S) is what the T is all about, to get you through corners quickly and steadily and make you feel like an ace behind the wheel.

However, there is no more power here than in a standard Carrera. That’s 379 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque transmitted to the rear wheels alone. I understand the T is more of a behavior change, but I admit I’d like to see how all that weight reduction along with more horsepower would play out.

But then again, ask Porsche and they’ll probably tell you that if you want the power of the Carrera S, you have to go for the Carrera S. And one of the best things about the T is that even with all that standard equipment, it costs less, at $136,600. , than a Carrera S ($150,060), let alone if you choose PASM for your S. After all, the original 911 T was a bit of a bargain, and it seems Porsche wanted to make sure that was the case. the case with the new car too.

On the road

Also, it’s not that the T is slow; The twin-turbocharged boxer’s throttle response is immediate and satisfying, giving you peak torque at just 1,950rpm, after which the engine’s propensity to rev takes over as you approach the maximum power limit at 6,500 rpm.

Although you can get the T with a seven-speed manual or an eight-speed PDK automatic for about the same price, mine came with the former. Which is important, because you can’t even get a manual transmission with the Carrera ‘without the T’.

In fact, I’m almost surprised that the T is available with the PDK; in my opinion, this affects the “purity” of the car. Sure, gear changes will be quicker with the PDK, but speed and trail performance aren’t what counts on the T. For me, it’s all about having fun riding on the road. For me, it’s all about having as much fun as possible on a ride, even if it’s not necessarily top gear, and a big part of that fun is being able to shift my own gears.

As soon as you start doing it, you will understand why the manual transmission is the best solution. The incredibly fast action of the short shifter and near perfect clutch make for a very interesting ride.

After pulling out of the downtown Los Angeles parking lot, it didn’t take me long to find my way onto the sunny back roads along the driving utopia that is the Angeles Crest Freeway, just outside of the city. Very quickly, the T’s mantra took hold: it’s a car that’s as in tune with its driver as you can ask for, a car that lets you feel the road with your fingertips and buttocks as much as you can see the scenery. pass or hear the revs go up.

One of my favorite Porsche rides was not in a 911, but in a base Cayman, because it was so fearless, so precise and perfect. The 911 T, with its PASM and modifiable driving modes, is a bit of the same, but with more power. And it gives you that unique feeling that only a rear-engined car can. The instantaneous turnaround prize is accompanied by an irreproachable car control, luckily you never happened to climb a roulis de caisse qui vous fait perdre de l’énergie et vous donne la nausée pour accompagner les chicanes rapides gauche -right left.

Of course, the T, like any other Porsche, any other car, for that matter, is not without its faults. My main problem was that the thinned glass and exhaust note meant more decibels in the cabin. Fortunately, you can adjust the exhaust note by pressing a toggle switch located just below the infotainment screen.

This infotainment is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, if that’s important to you in this context.

Whichever way you tune the shocks, the T is a sure-driving car, such is its attitude.

the last word

However, that’s about all you’ll hear from me on that front. If the GT3 Touring, the very rare 911 Sport Classic or the 911R didn’t exist, the T might be my favorite modern 911.

It arguably loses purity to the GT3/GT3 Touring, with its track-ready chassis and the fact that it’s the only naturally aspirated Porsche you can still buy. It could be said that it is very expensive. But while I haven’t had a chance to test drive the GT3 Touring, I’d bet a few bucks that the T is still the better-handling car when it comes to everyday use.

Plus, I know there’s not a time when I think of Porsche without thinking of the brand’s immense legacy, and the T strikes a nerve in that mantra.

We love

ultra focused driving

Stunning style, inside and out.

You can have it with manual gearbox.

we love less

Lack of power compared to the Carrera S

She is loud

the main competition

BMW M4 CSL

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