Pin It

I own a '19 Carrera T and have some seat time in a friend's Cayman R.

The manual T is special vs a base in many ways, with the most important being the LSD and shorter final gearing. The car just feels much more athletic than the base 911. The reduced sound deadening and lightweight rear glass also add quite a bit to the "rawness" of the driving experience.

Driving the Cayman R and the Carrera T back-to-back revealed the T to have a much snappier driving experience. I found the throttle response and feel of the clutch and shifter to be superior in the T, although this could possibly be attributed to 10x the miles on the Cayman R. And if you add rear axle steering, the T will feel *almost* as small as the Cayman, at least on back roads.

I am a huge fan of the Cayman, and without two children that fit comfortably in the back of the T, my purchase decision could have easily been swayed to a GT4. But I have never regretted the T for even a second.

spyderbret

I went with a custom tune from the shop that works on my cars. But with this engine any tune will get you a very noticeable gain. Pick the one you are most comfortable with and you will be happy.

Carrera-T

Love my ‘19 Carrera T. As others have said the car feels special and drives much the same. The short throw shifter, limited slip differential and shorter gearing make this a quick little car. Mine has the rear axle steering and having driven one without it makes a big difference. Finally the sound deadening (or lack there of) make you feel more connected with the road. No regrets here.

andy7777

I'm convinced, now gotta find one.

737gdog

Can you be more specific when you say there is a big difference between a T with and without RAS? Did you find that the T without RAS felt lighter and to be more of a purist car?

Carrera-T

Let me expand on this regarding the Rear Axle Steering. It makes the car feel smaller (like an older generation 911). Also makes the car more dynamic. The turn in feel is faster and the car feels more agile at higher speeds. If you drive Carrera T’s back to back you will immediately notice the difference between the two cars handling characteristics. I took the time to drive both, purposely, and made RAS a core requirement for my car. Liked the option so much I also ordered it on my 2021 Cayenne Turbo Coupe. Again greatly changing the driving dynamics of a 5,000 lb SUV.

ducktails

I'm not the original poster, and there are a few RAS threads that probably explain it better than me -- but I test drove both before settling on RAS, and I agree the cars feel different to drive spiritedly.

Subjectively, a 991 with RAS steers faster/sharper (the rack is perceptibly quicker) and the car feels smaller and more agile on tight and twisty roads ... almost Cayman-y.

Without RAS I'm definitely a bit more conscious of managing the weight in the back. Most will say without RAS is a more pure 911 experience (at least so far as you can get in a modern 991).

I don't think it's a deal breaker one way or the other but I prefer it with RAS.

519Kris

I had a 987.2 before the T. The 987.2 actually felt more raw to me, more road noise, and more feel in the wheel. I’m in the T a few times a week and find it more comfortable, especially with the PASM off, also have the sport seats. The T still feels great, and I’m having a ton of fun with it on the track. The sport seats with the racetex or whatever it’s called is great, less slipping around than the leather in the Cayman. I can definitely feel the difference in where the weight is in the T vs the Cayman. And you still get the scrappy door pulls which will remind you of the R

racemor

Sounds like you have already been convinced, but here is my input anyway.

I ordered a 2017 base C2 with as many performance options as were available (minus PCCB) and without the "lux" options (I did get 18-way seats though). When the T was announced I knew it was the car I had tried to build when I got the '17 so I sold the '17 and ordered a T. Mine is manual, standard seats (I needed the back seat) slick top, standard brakes, RAS. The only cosmetic/comfort options are FAL (steep driveway), the T interior, leather upgrade, heated seats and Bose audio. I haven't made any modifications to the car.

The T really is everything I wanted the base C2 to be. There is plenty of power and torque in my opinion (more would just put me in jail sooner) and the combination of short shifter, shorter final drive and limited slip make the car a better twisty road driver. The range of settings with SPASM is helpful too over the base car's suspension. Plus it's still comfortable when driving long distances and the rarity of the T is a bonus. I may have chosen a GT3 Touring if I'd had that kind of budget, but I didn't and have never driven one so can't compare.

Coming to the 991 era from a '73 911E and a '92 964 C2, the T is about as close to the feel of those cars as I think a modern 911 can be. Definitely not as involving as the older cars, there's just too much electronics and advancement to be that sort of car, but that is a completely different discussion.

andy7777

It's probably this wacky year but why not do some car shuffling around. I found the perfect spec for me , a white T with heated standard seats, the red accents, and a sunroof. Working on a deal today as a matter of fact.

Sunroof? Yes, I love em. My Cayman R is enough slicktop for me.

​​​​​​Now all I have to do is clear up some garage space....though I've got a 2011 M3 out on a consignment deal that should get sold in the next 60 days.