Porsche 911 Carrera T 2024 review – one of our favourite modern-era 911s

Some will dismiss the Porsche 911 Carrera T as a more expensive way to still be slower than the more powerful 911 Carrera S, which would be missing the point spectacularly – the T is one of the most rewarding 992 models of all, and proof that the 911 is still a genuine sports car despite being more useable than ever. 

It’s not about the 35kg weight saving over the 1505kg Carrera, achieved through ditching the rear seats (which you can have put back in for no additional charge), installing a lighter battery and fitting lightweight glass, or making the seven-speed manual gearbox available with the Carrera’s 380bhp engine for the first time. Although that last item is instrumental to the T’s appeal, and something that led it to become a contender in the 2023 evo Car of the Year test.

It’s rather the T’s package as a whole, which also includes a lower sport chassis (by 10mm) and PASM damping (the former not available on the Carrera on which the T is based), torque vectoring and a mechanical limited slip-diff, all which combine to create a modern-day 911 with more than a touch of raw old school charm. Add in the optional £1592 for rear axle steering and you have the ingredients for a sports car that ticks the everyday-use box while ramping up the thrills. 

From the moment the road opens out, the Carrera T starts to deliver on that promise. There's a sense of connection – a slight coarseness, even – in the T that permeates the chassis and plugs you into the experience in a way that a Carrera doesn't. There's a warm familiarity to how it drives, and the sensations and sounds are reminiscent of older 911s (the T gets reduced sound deadening, which is partly responsible for this grittier feel). Granted, the steering doesn't paint a crystal clear picture of the road surface and grip levels beneath, but the T's controls feel intuitive straight away, inviting you to dig deeper into its abilities. 

The engine is wonderful. We commend Ferrari for its ability to produce sharp, exciting turbocharged engines, but Porsche deserves equal praise – the T's flat-six is muscular, responsive and builds to a howling crescendo that you'll recognise from older naturally-aspirated units. It offers the mid-range punch and flexibility you'd expect of a turbo motor while taking on extra frisson and bite at the top end, and the optional manual gearbox allows you to tap into its broad bandwidth more easily. 

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Yes, the eight-speed PDK offers immeasurably quicker shifts, but the small clicky paddles are as engaging to use as tofu is suitable as a meal choice. Hang onto third gear everywhere in the manual and you can enjoy the full elasticity of the engine’s reach. Row the lever around its gate and the experience heightens, along with the sense that you're an integral part of the action. The shift of the seven-speed unit doesn't have the metallic thunk of a Cayman GT4's six-speeder, but it's accurate and precise enough to become second nature when pushing hard.  

When the road gets bumpier and more technical, small cracks begin to show in the otherwise confident, connected Carrera T. The damping feels tough and isn't always able to control the characteristic 911 bobbing motion through corners, which reduces your commitment slightly and dictates the pace of your driving. The steering, meanwhile, doesn't respond with absolute clarity at these speeds, and you find yourself making minute adjustments after your initial input to keep the car on precisely the right line. We're talking very small margins here, but other Porsches get this absolutely right. The optional rear-wheel steering could be partly responsible here, although it does imbue the Carrera T with excellent mid-corner rotation. 

For the most part – and particularly on smooth roads – the T feels absorbing, approachable and just plain exciting. The usual 911 traits are all there, from how you balance it through an apex to the way you lean on its immense traction through the exit. It pitches and rolls just enough to communicate the loads going through the car, and the T's character is distinct from the fast but slightly clinical approach of the Carrera S. We wish it was a bit more composed on tricky surfaces – and those 20- and 21-inch slim-profile Pirelli P Zeros can kick up a fair bit of noise and vibration – but the T is more endearing to drive than more expensive models in the range, and combines most of what we love about driving 911s.

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Prices and rivals

The Carrera T may sit near the bottom of the 911 lineup, but there's nothing entry-level about the price. It costs £105,700 in its basic form, and that figure quickly rises with a few options. Throw in metallic paint, bucket seats, a SportDesign bodykit, a front-axle lift system and rear-wheel steering, and you're looking at a near-£120k car. 

Some of the 911s most fierce rivals have been axed recently, or are close to the end of their production runs. The Audi R8 is no more, for example, and Jaguar's F-Type P575 R is going off sale later this year. McLaren's entry-level model has taken a significant leap upmarket too, with the Artura packing hybrid power to go up against full-blown supercars like the Maserati MC20. With a stonking 656bhp V8 and a c£165,000 price tag, Aston Martin's new Vantage has also moved up a category and into the firing line of the 911 Turbo and Mercedes-AMG GT 63. 

That leaves the Carrera T without many direct alternatives. The C8 Chevrolet Corvette is another answer to the c£100k sports car question, and the allure of its naturally-aspirated 6.2-litre V8 is hard to deny. Beyond that, it's genuinely practical for a sports car and has a level of dynamic ability to give the 911 a serious headache. The Lotus Emira is another option, offering show-stopping looks and a six-cylinder engine with a manual gearbox, just like the 911. It's significantly cheaper at £85,995, but the Carrera T is much more usable, better built and feels more cohesive to drive.

Perhaps the sternest test for the T will come when BMW launches its lighter, sharper M4 CS this year – the brilliance of the current M3 CS suggests that Porsche may have its hands full when it arrives...