Porsche 911 Carrera T first drive: Simplify, then add the right options - Ars Technica

Mind you, the 911 is still a stellar car, sublime really, but that expanded girth has changed the Carrera from a proper sports car to something that sits on the sporty side of a comfortable touring machine.

Well, it starts with a base Carrera, with rear-wheel-drive, 379 hp (283 kW), and 331 lb-ft of torque coming from a 3.0 L, twin-turbocharged flat-six engine.

Porsche then paired that with a seven-speed manual transmission, augmented by a subtle short-shift kit, though an eight-speed PDK transmission is available as a no-cost option if you'd rather not row your own.

Porsche's torque-vectoring, limited-slip rear differential is available if you opt for that transmission, and regardless of pedal count you can optionally outfit a rear-steering system.

Interestingly, those two options aren't available on the base Carrera.

That's $10,500 more than a base Carrera but 100 pounds (45 kg) lighter.

Not exactly Spyder territory, but that reduced weight, plus the 10 mm-lower adaptive suspension and all the other sporty options, result in a Carrera that sounds and feels significantly different from the base machine.

As I cruised down the highway, other than a little more road noise and a little extra squeeze from the sublime Full Bucket Seats (a $5,900 option), it all felt pretty much like any other Carrera.

The Carrera T really came alive.

Just like a manual transmission boosts engagement at the cost of outright speed compared to a PDK, more power doesn't necessarily make a car more fun.

Sure, Porsche's iconic coupe has grown a lot since 1964, but the pure feel of the Carrera T shows that its roots are still firmly planted.