2023 Porsche 911 Carrera T: Remixing the classic tourer for purists

Porsche has resurrected the 911 Carrera T for 2023, giving fans of the famed sports car another choice low in the model range.

The latest Carrera T is engineered to capture some of the appeal of Porsche's 1968 Carrera T while creating a modern sports car for purists and enthusiasts alike. The T stands for touring and it joins other recent models in the Porsche lineup — the Macan T crossover, 718 Boxster T and 718 Cayman T. All adopt and combine light-weighting — the 911 Carrera T's rear seat has been omitted — with performance enhancements.

The Carrera T is positioned above the base 911 and below the Carrera S. The recipe is simple: Borrow parts from the base 911 and S to "create a model that feels like 90 percent of a 911 GTS at about 80 percent of the price," as CNET describes it.

The motor used for the 911 Carrera T is borrowed from the base 911. The 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged flat-six gasoline engine generates 379 hp and 331 pound-feet of torque. Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a mechanical limited-slip differential and standard seven-speed manual transmission. An eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission is available.

Standard gear on the 911 Carrera T includes the GT sports steering wheel, sports exhaust system and what Porsche calls Sports Seats Plus with electric four-way adjustment.

We've compiled some early reviews from the automotive media.

" ... despite the lightweighting and performance upgrades, the Carrera T is still surprisingly comfortable. Our drive through downtown Los Angeles and up the Californians-esque selection of freeways was nothing but comfy. It also seemed less noisy than the 911 Turbo we drove with its Weissach package that similarly removed the back seat and sound deadening, though those were different roads. This would be a key point: The T is tolerably comfortable and quiet, meaning that paying all that much more for the Carrera S is even less necessary.

That said, the Carrera T shaves 100 pounds off the waistline of the base Carrera, but(!) most of that comes by way of the standard manual transmission and rear seat delete. Going with the no-cost options of PDK and the back seat means you're only getting the far less-substantial savings of the thinner glass, smaller battery and reduced sound deadening. On the other hand, you could make the T lighter by going with the optional carbon fiber, fixed-recline Full Bucket seat option. That would be a good idea if you do have track aspirations, but if you don't, sticking with the standard four-way power Sport Seats Plus or the optional 18-way Adaptive Sport Seats Plus fitted to our test car would be better. The Full Buckets are surprisingly comfortable, but they do get old during longer drives when you just want to Fat Joe it a bit and lean back."

— James Riswick, Autoblog

"As I worm my way up Angeles Crest Highway outside Los Angeles, the 911 Carrera T feels like the proverbial just-right porridge. The twin-turbo H6 provides ample thrust across the rev range, so long stretches in third gear still give me all the forward motion I need between tight mountain curves. And it sounds great the entire time, too; the only time the lack of sound-deadening material leads to exhaust drone is in seventh gear at highway speeds. And even then, switching the active exhaust to its quieter setting nips that problem in the bud.

While I could very well stay in third the whole way up Angeles Crest, the Carrera T's six-speed manual is far too fun to ignore for long. Simply put, Porsche makes some of the best sticks in the industry. The clutch has the right amount of feedback, and swapping gears feels nice and precise. Auto rev-match activates in Sport and Sport Plus modes, and it's better than my feet could ever be.

PASM Sport is a fabulous suspension. In its softer setting, the T is still sports-car stiff, but there's enough compliance to daily-drive it without getting frustrated or uncomfortable. Turn the mode dial to Sport or Sport Plus (or just tap the dedicated suspension switch) and whatever hints of body roll existed disappear. All that's left is effortless weight transfer and the confidence to cane the car even harder. Rear-axle steering is available, but the car I'm in doesn't have it. While the agility it offers is tough to top, there's still enough lateral hustle on tap without it."

— Andrew Krok, CNET

"Getting into the Carrera T is a familiar event, all the way down to its left-hand ignition. The clutch is on the heavier side but forgiving once you get the hang of it; the gear lever slots into the housings with satisfying heft and weight. Flip on the sport exhaust button — which, at this point, ought to be a reflex — roll off the clutch, give it a pinch of gas, and you're off.

Things are certainly louder. Thanks to the thinner glass and lack of noise reduction, you can hear the tires sing louder, the wind roar harder, the engine rasp more raucously. There's never a question as to which gear you're slotting into, the housings are that well-machined. The skinny GT Sport steering wheel both fits in the hand delightfully and provides fantastic insight into what the front wheels are up to, and the smallest tug is answered via a resulting wiggle in the nose.

Put the car into Sport Plus mode and everything gets expectedly more responsive. The ride, already fairly stiff, reads even more into the pavement. Sic the Carrera T onto the Angeles Crest Highway and it ravishes the turns and hairpin bends with a ravenous gusto. You'll not be wanting for the extra power at all; the car is more than quick enough with its existing output, matched perfectly with what the steering, chassis, and grip are able to handle. Bang on the gas in an open smear of highway, and the sensation through the throttle pedal is one where you could very well be physically pushing the gas into the cylinders, the engine's echoey flat-six note howling louder and louder with each rev flung past. What's turbo lag?"

— Kristin Lee, The Drive

"The numbers aren't particularly impressive for something so expensive: Porsche says the 379-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter six will push the T to sixty in 4.1 seconds with a manual, or 3.8 with the PDK, en route to a top speed of 181 mph. For less money, you can go way quicker in a Corvette Z06, if you can get one. Our manual-equipped test car got the power down well but otherwise delivered a rather unimpressive launch, again, for a very expensive car. In the real world, a four-second sixty run is still very quick.

But up on the mountain, the Carrera T really begins to shine, where the numbers don't matter nearly as much as engagement and feel. At the low end of 3,200 lbs and change, 379 HP with 331 lb/ft across a very wide 4,500 RPM power band is usable and effective, shoving the car out of third and fourth-gear corners with a pace that surprises and delights. Cars like the BMW M4 and Shelby GT350 make substantially more power, but lug around hundreds of extra pounds over the Carrera T. It reminds you multiple times per mile that power is important, but power to weight is more important. While the Carrera T's dynamics breaks no new ground, the particular blend of manual transmission, a medium amount of power, and reduced mass is a joy to throw around the canyon. It has just as much real-world pace as a car with twice the power and several hundred pounds of extra ballast. Plus, less weight means you don't need an expensive set of pie-pan ceramic brakes to haul it down. Porsche's standard steel offerings are more than sufficient in this application."

— Matt Farah, Road & Track

"That the 911 is dynamically brilliant shouldn't be a surprise, but the Carrera T handles with particular ease. Compared to the much more expensive and hardcore GT3 Touring I drove recently, the T is a lot less work. It's a slower car, which accounts for some of that, but it's also softer-edged, which makes it more approachable. I was able to wring the car out while also carrying on a casual conversation with my passenger. This isn't something you can easily do with a more hardcore 911.
After just a morning with the Carrera T, I can tell you definitively that it's the 911 you should buy if you plan to drive hard. The GTS is amazing but super expensive, and odds are good that you don't need the power. The Carrera S is great, but it's a less focused car, and for the extra money, you're getting a badge and access to lifestyle options more than any noticeable performance improvement. The base Carrera is great, but if you want a three-pedal driving experience, it's a non-starter."

— Kyle Hyatt, Jalopnik

"Porsche says the Carrera T weighs 100 pounds less than the base model despite the extra equipment. Weight-saving measures include deleting the rear seat, reduced sound deadening, a smaller battery, and thinner window glass. More sound permeates the cabin as a result, which is both a good and a bad thing. When hustling, you hear more of the engine's melody, including the turbos spooling, but when cruising at steady highway speeds the engine note booms inside the cabin and can be a bit fatiguing.

The Carrera T is surprisingly approachable, and even novice drivers will find it easy to wind through corners with surgical precision. At the same time, its ride is surprisingly compliant, and the suspension does a good job managing rough stretches of pavement, rounding off the sharp edges of most bumps.

Twisty canyon roads — like the one where we drove the Carrera T near Los Angeles — are where the car feels most at home. Its steering is crisp and communicative, and so is the manual transmission."

— Drew Dorian, Car and Driver