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I was fortunate to have a Carrera T all day yesterday that my dealer loaned me while they were doing the oil change on my GT3. I was pretty excited for the chance to drive the car that so many people from the earlier comparison reviews had raved about.
The thing that honestly stuck out most... The difference between Bose in my GT3 Touring and the stock audio system that the T had is night and day. After hearing so many people claim on these forums the difference was negligible I was surprised how inferior the stock system was. All I can think to explain it is that with the average 911 buyer age being 52, a lot of people must have hearing loss by that point in their lives. If you're torn between getting the relatively cheap Bose option or not and you like sound quality, definitely check the box. I now see the claims that there isn't much difference between the two as beyond laughable - especially at higher noise levels.
The best part about the T was knowing that I was abusing someone else's car so I wasn't afraid to drive it like I stole it. I got up to 270 kmph on the autobahn at which point it chirped some notification I didn't understand in German at me
- Engine. The Carrera T engine simply doesn't have the emotion of the 4.0 motor. Honestly, it sounds synthetic and even going up to 270 kmph it never sounded what I would call good. There's some nice induction noises but overall the motor sounds significantly worse than even my 991.1 S did.
- Acceleration. I was pleasantly surprised by how hard the Carrera T pulled from a stop. Honestly it didn't feel much, if any slower than the GT3 while I drove it on the street, probably due to the turbo and torque.
- Gearbox. The gearbox was pleasantly surprising. I never used 7th gear and honestly didn't really even notice it was there. The clutch and gear shift pattern felt instantly similar to the GT3 and while the spacing might be a bit closer, I didn't notice it only driving on the street.
- Steering. It felt a little more numb than the GT3 but this might be my imagination.
- Suspension. The car felt very stable all the way to the speeds I reached. Maybe a tad bit more float than a GT3 but a tad bit more comfort as well.
- Brakes. Good enough for the autobahn.
Overall = the Carrera T is a disappointing car showing the sad direction the new 911's all seem to be taking. The Carrera T would never find it's way to my garage, even in a world where the GT3 didn't exist. It was simply too pedestrian looking, too pedestrian sounding and honestly lacked the emotion you get driving an older Porsche or a GT3. Further, it didn't feel that much more comfortable. I'm confident I could daily drive my GT3 in 99% of the situations I could daily drive the Carrera T in. The T isn't a car that you get to supplement your GT3 as a daily driver, it's another toy that you buy - probably because you don't have a GT3. ...only you get bored with this toy a couple of days after Christmas and then don't bother to ask your parents to buy you some new batteries.
Regardless of what they try to label it, it's still a 991.2 with a Carrera turbo motor put in there to satisfy emission purposes and I can't help but think the comparison reviewers gave it a better shake than it deserved because of all the access and free fun Porsche gave them. Give me a paid trip to test out the next product with Walter Rohrl and I promise to have a higher opinion too!
Overall = the Carrera T is a disappointing car showing the sad direction the new 911's all seem to be taking. The Carrera T would never find it's way to my garage, even in a world where the GT3 didn't exist. It was simply too pedestrian looking,
It’s too pedestrian looking? You own a GT3 touring!
The best part about the T was knowing that I was abusing someone else's car so I wasn't afraid to drive it like I stole it. I got up to 270 kmph on the autobahn at which point it chirped some notification I didn't understand in German at me
Great to know you are okay abusing someone else's car...
Honestly, I just took delivery of mine last week and I can't find many hard flaws letting the car speak for itself without 101 comparisons. It is just a downright fun car to drive on the street, looks great, has some special touches, and has no ADM. Getting an allocation for 2019 was a bit tough but nothing like when I contemplated a GT3 or GT4 allocation in the past.
Its stands quite well on its own two feet. I can imagine that it drives different in some ways than a 991.2 GT3 manual. As it should right? I have driven a family members 997.2 RS quite a bit as well as a 991.1 GT3. All are different. All have their pro's and cons.
In terms of fun factor on the street I can say I prefer it over the 991.1 (although I still have a soft spot for the GTS manual). I passed on a CPO GT4 since honestly the T was much more competent on the street. The 991.2 GTS had much much more turbo lag. It was either the Carrera T or jump to a 991.2 GT3 manual which was not in the cards at this time but could happen in the future.
The engine is different. No way around that. It is a different emotional experience and the sound honestly reminds me of older air cooled cars like the 930 when I fire it up. It is more raw than my 981 was in many ways but there are times I miss the immediate throttle response. The torque of the new 991.2 engines coupled with the lower gearing of the T honestly make it a blast around town and I am still breaking it in.
Do I wish the exhaust sounded as "free" as the NA motors. Yes. I am hoping things get better as the car gets more miles on it. Aftermarket options exist as well.
No regrets so far and I think they put together a great package all said and done.
I really like the look of the narrow body. I think this car looks great. Although I think there's a fair amount of that tenuous Porsche Magic Unicorn Dust surrounding it. Are the minor differences enough to transform this thing into 'a purists' car or are people (mainly the fanatical media) just realizing how good a base 911 actually is?
I really like the look of the narrow body. I think this car looks great. Although I think there's a fair amount of that tenuous Porsche Magic Unicorn Dust surrounding it. Are the minor differences enough to transform this thing into 'a purists' car or are people (mainly the fanatical media) just realizing how good a base 911 actually is?
I think it is a mix although I drove a nicely optioned manual base 991.2 coupe back to back with the T and honestly there are big differences in driving feel that don't show up on paper. Why? Who knows.
I read the brochure and rolled my eyes at their idea of weight savings and purity. Once I drove the T I walked away liking the general feel and look. It felt fast, handled well, and looked cool. I could care less about ring times and specs. This car will never see a track.
I think Porsche built a cool car but they did a horrible job of marketing it.
I really like the look of the narrow body. I think this car looks great. Although I think there's a fair amount of that tenuous Porsche Magic Unicorn Dust surrounding it. Are the minor differences enough to transform this thing into 'a purists' car or are people (mainly the fanatical media) just realizing how good a base 911 actually is?
Probably both. But a base 911 that you can put S PASM, RWS that comes with sports exhaust is pretty cool. Also that interior is awesome. The whole it's special and try to compare to gt3T or whatever the journalists talk about is dumb. Would love to drive one.
08-30-2018, 03:55 AM
Drive in the Carrera T
