Every so often, a new car comes along to remind me why I got into the automotive industry. The 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T is such a vehicle. The Carrera T, at least the modern incarnation of it, was released back in 2017 during the 991.2 generation as a lighter, more enthusiast-focused version of the base Carrera. Some heralded it as a “budget” GT3 for “regular” people, and that level of praise was well-deserved at the time. But I recently had an opportunity to try the latest 992.2 Carrera T, and for the first time in a long time, I desire a 911 over a Boxster.
It’s flawless. No notes – still, you want to carry on reading.
Porsche has made some controversial changes to the latest 911, including deleting the analog tachometer in favor of a digital cluster and replacing the key-like twist starter with a conventional start/stop button. Cue the gasps of Porsche fanatics; it’s the water-cooled 996 controversy all over again! After spending some time with the Carrera T, I’m here to tell those die-hards to put down their pitchforks, pick up their checkbooks, and run to their local dealer to nab an allocation.
What Is A Carrera T?
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past eight years or are simply a bit confused by Porsche’s admittedly complicated model lineup, the Carrera T is the second least expensive 911 variant, positioned just above the base Carrera. It features the same 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six engine as the base Carrera, producing 388 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque, but it adds some notable performance features as standard equipment.
T stands for Touring, and the point of this trim is to be a lighter, more driver-focused car at a reasonable (for Porsche) price. The alterations include thinner side and rear glass, reduced sound deadening, larger brakes (350 mm front and rear), model-specific visual cues and aerodynamic adjustments, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), Porsche Torque Vectoring, GT Sport steering wheel with drive-mode selector, Sport Chrono Package, Track Precision app, rear-wheel steering, and an available rear seat delete on the coupe. Speaking of which, the 2025 Carrera T is now available as a Cabriolet for the first time. Why would you opt for the heavier convertible in a lightweight-focused car? Don’t worry, we will get there.
These modifications are similar to the previous 992.1 generation Carrera T and the 991.2 that came before it. But there’s one major distinction in this new car that helps it stand out from its predecessors and the rest of the current 911 lineup. This is now the only Carrera model to offer a manual transmission. And it’s not that awkward seven-speed box from the 992.2; this is a new six-speed unit (using the first six ratios from the old seven-speed) sent straight from the heavens.
The Manual Is Everything
I’ve driven modern 911s with manual transmissions before, all with the seven-speed, and every time I’ve come away liking but not loving it. Porsche clearly read the words of journalists and enthusiasts like me, because this new six-speed box seems catered specifically to shut up all the critics. It all starts with the shifter, which is made from real walnut wood on every Carrera T. You can actually purchase this shifter from Porsche for $2,495 to put in your 911. Not only does it look like a moving art piece sticking out of your center console, it feels like it was ripped straight from a GT3… because it kind of is.
Porsche says this shifter and its linkage are identical to the GT3, though it’s a bit different from the setup in the 911 S/T. The best manual transmissions glide into gear in a cliché “bolt action” fashion, but the Carrera T’s wood nob appears to fire in an out of gears as if it’s being propelled by a miniature explosion. Each gear change delivers a satisfying metal-on-metal bang to your hand, giving the driver an impression of driving a proper enthusiast-focused machine. This is the closest thing I’ve felt to the shifter in the seven-figure Gunther Werks Speedster, and it now lets Carrera owners have their own GT3 experience with each gear change.
Power You Can Enjoy
The 911 may have started its life as a sports car, but it has slowly evolved into a low-key supercar. With the Sport Chrono Package, the Carrera S will hit 60 mph in a ridiculous 3.1 seconds. Put in more matter-of-fact terms, you can get sent to jail in less time than it takes bacteria to materialize on your food when it hits the floor. It’s just not necessary. We wouldn’t call the Carrera T sluggish by any means, but its 388-hp twin-turbo engine propels the car in a more reasonable 4.3 seconds (4.5 in the Cabriolet), which is actually four-tenths slower than the PDK-equipped base Carrera. You may come second in a drag race, but your smile will be bigger at the finish line. And if you do feel compelled to brag about something, you can taunt other 911 owners for their weight, because the Carrera T Coupe is the lightest variant at 3,316 pounds.
I’ve already described how spectacular this transmission feels, but it’s made better by the latest iteration of the 3.0-liter flat-six. The previous 992.1 Carrera models all felt like they were turbocharged. You might be thinking “duh, that’s because they are turbocharged,” but the updates to this engine for the 992.2 cars drastically change their personality. There’s still a ton of torque across the rev range, as you’d expect, but it doesn’t trail off as quickly when you approach the redline. The horsepower curve is similarly inflated, hitting its peak at 6,050 rpm before petering off slightly.
To mitigate the sensation of the power and torque dipping, Porsche calibrated the engine to reach a new frequency that penetrates your ears like a ferocious wasp. From about 6,050 rpm to the 7,500 rpm fuel cutoff, you will swear you are driving a naturally aspirated GT3. Porsche says some of this sound is “enhanced” using the speakers, but it’s so good, we promise you won’t be able to tell. If you get the Cabriolet, you’ll even hear some of the blow-off valve noise as you let off the throttle, accompanied by cracks and pops from the exhaust. The previous 992.1 Carrera models didn’t sound this impressive when they approached redline, meaning they lacked the theatrics of the earlier non-boosted cars or the GT3. Now, you get the torque advantage of a turbocharged engine with the sound of a GT3 and the manual shifter to match.
The T Has The Rizz
Porsche has a habit of being tastefully constrained, but it likes to get whimsical every once in a while. The Carrera T stands out with a side decal on the lower door to designate the model and a sticker on the rear window that displays the six-speed manual transmission pattern, which is also shown in the puddle lights. This can all be deleted if you want, but why not advertise that you bought the coolest 911 Carrera variant? For even more flare, a Carrera T Gentian Blue Exterior Package ($2,130) finishes the side decals in blue, puts a two-tone blue finish on the wheels, and adds a blue racing stripe on the hood for a mini-GT3 effect.
Inside, the Carrera T gets standard Sport-Text cloth seats instead of heavier leather. The inner portion features a subtle plaid pattern, which can be optioned in Gentian Blue to match the exterior as part of a $3,030 package that also gets blue stitching, blue accents on the dash, steering wheel, seatbacks, and door handles, and blue seatbelts. Porsche also programs the digital tachometer to be blue and throws in a blue clock for the Sport Chrono dial. Four-way Sport Seats Plus come standard with 18-way Adaptive Sport Seats Plus with Memory Package available for $3,030, an option we would recommend. Full Becket Seats are also available for $5,910 if you plan to frequently track the car, but we don’t love this option for everyday driving.
A GT3 You Can Actually Dream About
Writing about expensive sports cars like this always puts me in a precarious situation where I want to appreciate the artistry and the engineering, but part of me feels distraught that I may never own one. I won’t pull my punches about the current state of the economy, where inflation and other market factors have caused even a base 911 Carrera Coupe to cost $120,900 before optional extras. Assuming you can even get one at sticker price, which you can’t, a GT3 will run you $222,500, and used ones tend to be just as pricey if not more so. Listen, I’m likely in the same position as you reading this; a $200,000 car seems almost too expensive to even dream about right now, but I have a little trickle of hope to get you through your day.
I won’t lie by saying that the Carrera T is the everyman’s alternative to the GT3 because, frankly, it’s not. It still costs $134,000 to start for the Coupe or $147,300 for the Cabriolet. That’s considerably less than a Carrera S ($146,400), though it’s not nearly what any 99 percenter would ever call affordable. But here’s where I want you to place your aspirations. The GT3 market is nuts, and chances are these cars may never reach a true point of affordability. But “regular” 911 Carrera models, the T included, are not limited-production collector’s cars built to sit in garages and collect dust. Porsche will build as many of these as people order, and there’s a very real chance that this car will depreciate along standard 911 curves, and will one day fall into the hands of the average enthusiast.
Whereas the outgoing Carrera T was billed as a lighter, more driver-focused Carrera, you could option a base car or a Carrera S to a similar specification. By making the Carrera T the only one available with a manual transmission, Porsche has carved more of a niche for it as the obvious choice for owners who care more about driving pleasure than quoting magazine times. The new T takes itself less seriously, and is better off for it. Since it will never be the quickest 911 variant anyway, you may as well get the heavier Cabriolet and enjoy some top-down driving.
I’m here to tell you that the Carrera T is not some consolation prize for car lovers who weren’t born into wealth, couldn’t get a job on Wall Street, and didn’t hit the lottery. All we need to do is hope that enough wealthy people today can swallow their pride, realize they don’t need GT3 levels of power on the street, and order a new Carrera T so we can buy it used in the future. This is genuinely one of the best cars Porsche has ever built – it’s one of the most exciting new cars I’ve ever driven – and one day, it could be ours.