[Anand]

Porsche has a new 911 model called the Carrera T. I checked out the options and basically, it is bundling of options some not available on the base 911, for folks too lazy to spend time building their own 911. All for an extra 11k or so. Sport PASM is standard and so is the sport exhaust. SPASM is not available in the base 911. Some dubious options like platinum-colored wheels are standard. The manual is the same. Colors are limited, both interior and exterior. Personally, I see this as a pointless exercise and basically along the lines of the GTS model. Sorry GTS lovers. Sure the GTS adds some power but the rest (to me) is meh! An appearance package prone to scraping, some black color accents that may or may not appeal, alcantara ( I hate alcantara), and again, bundling of options like sport PASM, SE etc. I see the value if you are going to buy these options anyway but otherwise, one of my less favorite 911 models. Well there are certainly enough of them, 911 models, to satisfy just about anyone who likes these cars.
With sales down, maybe Porsche should think about this proliferation of 911 models that really are not that different.

 

[zedcat]

Interesting that full bucket seats are an option. First time outside the GT cars afaik. If the weight reduction were more significant and if it had a 6 speed I'd be more interested.

 

[Goofnik]

Interesting that full bucket seats are an option. First time outside the GT cars afaik.

Which as someone who couldn't get them on their Spyder due to the stop order at the time (was also in effect on the GT4 until late December 2015), annoys me. Want those buckets now? eBay or forums are the only reasonable options to pick them up post-delivery.

"Can't you just buy them from the parts department, Goof?" You can. The seats are 31 separate parts (aren't shipped assembled) including all the foam, upholstery, etc. To put things into perspective, just the CF Shell -- 1 of 31 parts per seat -- has a list price of $8644 PER seat. Add in the rest and you MIGHT be able to convince your dealer to cut you a deal for around $25K for a pair, but they're more like $30K per pair at full price before labor and installation.

Seriously, if you think you want those seats, CHECK THAT BOX.

 

[D&D]

I, too, don't get the "T". Power increase is nowhere the leve of gong ing to the S or the GTS... the weight savings is pretty mild, to say the least. If Porsche really wanted a "light sport" model, I think they could have done a better options package.
As a CGTS owener, let me defend the GTS "concept". It is designed as an upscale "touring" package... more HP, slightly different body accents and a nice set of options. I think the GTS is what the T is claiming to be.
D

 

[gcurnew]

I don't see this one as a "parts bin" model. There's no option to get the lightweight glass and reduced sound deadening on any other Carrera...nor the shorter rear axle ratio and mechanical rear differential lock...nor the short shifter. Perhaps the clincher though is the LWBs and rear seat delete that aren't an option on other non-GT Carreras. I see this as a highly desirable 911 variant.

 

[eyeofthetiger]

^^ well put gcurnew.

Maybe Porsche is actually delivering on their promise to make more enthusiast models.

 

[Anand]

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/2018-porsche-911-carrera-t-photos-and-info-news

I guess I am not a purist. A noisier cabin, higher effort shifter (guessing with the short shift kit), farting exhaust, harsher ride, all to save a few pounds. Porsche could just offer these as options in the base Carrrera rather than creating another 911 variant with special trim. For 103k it is not much of a bargain either.

 

[OttawaSteve]

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/2018-porsche-911-carrera-t-photos-and-info-news

I guess I am not a purist. A noisier cabin, higher effort shifter (guessing with the short shift kit), farting exhaust, harsher ride, all to save a few pounds. Porsche could just offer these as options in the base Carrrera rather than creating another 911 variant with special trim. For 103k it is not much of a bargain either.

The mod that I find hilarious is the use of straps instead of plastic door handles to save weight (done on other "special" cars as well). Cut out that piece of pie at dinner and you would save as much weight or more.

 

[JohnnyQuest]

Interesting that full bucket seats are an option. First time outside the GT cars afaik. If the weight reduction were more significant and if it had a 6 speed I'd be more interested.

I agree. And enough already with the stupid 7-speed manual. Porsche just needs to let that mistake fade into oblivion and return to the 6-speed in the 911 series.

 

[gcurnew]

I appreciate that it's not everyone's cup-o-tea, but it does answer the criticism that 911s (other than the GTs) are becoming too plush. I think the T is to other Carreras as the 987.2 R was to other Caymans of the day: just a bit more edge. Like the R, i expect the T will hold it's value pretty well so long as they don't sell a gazillion of them (which seems unlikely given the price premium and the niche character of the vehicle). If I were looking at purchasing a new 911, the T would be at the top of my list.

 

[budrichard]

The 991.2 911 T will be the Porsche 911 that people will drool over 20 years in the future!
History is a good indicator.
It is the answer to those purist wants all in one nice package with some exclusivity thrown in!
If I didn’t use my 911 for Tollway and winter driving, it’s just the right package for an afternoon.
HP is MORE than enough to get you thrown in jail!
MT or PDK, chose your pick!
Order a PTS color and it’s an instant classic!
Sheer marketing genius on Porsche’s part!
The 911 T would even make a good Track car.
-Richard

 

[gcurnew]

The 991.2 911 T will be the Porsche 911 that people will drool over 20 years in the future!

Agreed. Especially those with the LWBs and the lightweight glass.

 

[gcurnew]

I think the T would be a perfectly usable DD; even through a Canadian winter. While AWD is nice, it adds wight and complexity and isn't really necessary with good winter tires and all the weight over the rear axle in a 911. Just as on My GTS, the spoiler lip would be a replaceable item once a year. I suspect there are a few folks on this forum who have been driving RWD high-performance vehicles in severe winter conditions most of their life and actually enjoy (as I do) a bit of controlled sliding. My GTS was the MOST fun in winter...and my two S2000s in winter were an absolute blast.

 

[OttawaSteve]

The 991.2 911 T will be the Porsche 911 that people will drool over 20 years in the future!
History is a good indicator.
It is the answer to those purist wants all in one nice package with some exclusivity thrown in!

Well, if they drool over the T in 20 years, they will go into convulsions over the R. Limited edition (unlike the T), 500 HP and much more radical weight reduction than door straps, lightweight glass and PCM delete.

 

[D&D]

I think the market has already spoken about the R...

 

[Anand]

The listed weight difference between the 911 T and a base Carrera is 11 lbs. I could buy a base Carrera with SC, MT and 8- way sports seats for 95k. No noisy exhaust and same performance. A very basic car. I could always buy the short shift kit if I so desired. I don’t know. I suspect the market will be very limited for this car. I can easily see someone spending another 2k to get the S model.

 

[gcurnew]

The listed weight difference between the 911 T and a base Carrera is 11 lbs. I could buy a base Carrera with SC, MT and 8- way sports seats for 95k. No noisy exhaust and same performance. A very basic car. I could always buy the short shift kit if I so desired. I don’t know. I suspect the market will be very limited for this car. I can easily see someone spending another 2k to get the S model.

Yes, the market is small, which will be good for the few buyers come resale time. The weight reduction isn't meaningful, but the shorter gear ratios and diff are a big deal (well, to those who think such things are a big deal lol)...and the LWBs and no rear seats makes this a 911 anomoly. For folks like me, the ONLY seats I'd ever want in any Porsche are the 4-way Sport Plus seats or the LWBs; all the other seats on offer are overweight, over-gizmoed Barclay loungers. With the 991.2, the S no longer makes any sense to me; the base at 370 hp and 331 lb-ft torque is already more power than can actually be used by anyone on the street (and more than almost all people who DE or otherwise track their cars can effectively utilize), and the other stuff that comes on the S (even the Big Reds) is of marginal value and interest. From my admittedly narrow perspective, the Base Carrera is now the best of the non-GT bunch, and the T is all that 911 sweet goodness with an enthusiast cherry on top. Porsche not only gets "it"...it gets me.

 

[gcurnew]

Well, if they drool over the T in 20 years, they will go into convulsions over the R. Limited edition (unlike the T), 500 HP and much more radical weight reduction than door straps, lightweight glass and PCM delete.

Yes, in 2037 the R will be drool worthy...but $4 million will be out of reach for most collectors, while our sons and daughters might be able to swing $500k for the car dad. (All $$$ estimates are WAGs lol.)

 

[Anand]

Yes, the market is small, which will be good for the few buyers come resale time. The weight reduction isn't meaningful, but the shorter gear ratios and diff are a big deal (well, to those who think such things are a big deal lol)...and the LWBs and no rear seats makes this a 911 anomoly. For folks like me, the ONLY seats I'd ever want in any Porsche are the 4-way Sport Plus seats or the LWBs; all the other seats on offer are overweight, over-gizmoed Barclay loungers. With the 991.2, the S no longer makes any sense to me; the base at 370 hp and 331 lb-ft torque is already more power than can actually be used by anyone on the street (and more than almost all people who DE or otherwise track their cars can effectively utilize), and the other stuff that comes on the S (even the Big Reds) is of marginal value and interest. From my admittedly narrow perspective, the Base Carrera is now the best of the non-GT bunch, and the T is all that 911 sweet goodness with an enthusiast cherry on top. Porsche not only gets "it"...it gets me.

I see where you are coming from and I lean more towards the luxury end of the 911 spectrum. I ticked about 18k of options in my C4S so Porsche can't have any complaints about this customer. I do like the luxury trappings in my car, (mostly the power seats for thigh and shoulder support and the glass sunroof for the light it brings into the cabin) although it can hardly be called a luxury car. The ride is firm and it is a noisy fella. I think the 370 versus 420 hp or for that matter the 450, 500 and 550 hp arguments are pointless to me. All these 911s are too fast for the street anyway to experience top speed but one can enjoy the acceleration to 80-90 mph and spirited driving on backroads (which I love). If one loves track driving, more fun. I just bought the S because that was what I could order from my dealer. The gearing is rather tall like in all Porsche manuals. And with the turbos and all that torque, I don't need to downshift all that much if I don't want to. The 7-speed manual is lovely so I don't understand why people bash it. It feels as good if not better than the six-speed unit I had in my Boxster.

And BTW, one can get arrested even in a 4-cylinder Camry in NH if you are caught doing 100+ mph. Don't need a 911 for that.

 

[dud]

FWIW, the 718 Boxster GTS has better power/weight ratio than the Carrera T, and that is with the Boxster being open and the T not even available as a convertible. According to the tech specs right in the builder. This might be slightly worse in the US where Porsche cannot delete PCM.

As far as the buckets go, the US are the only suckers that have difficulty getting them. Most other countries have a choice of folding and non-folding buckets in many Porsche sports cars. That is significant since you can only have the folding ones with seat heating, which can be a big deal for convertible drivers.