Fri. Mar 29th, 2024
2018 Porsche 911 Carrera T

2018 Porsche 911 Carrera T Drivers’ Notes Review

From the base Carrera all the way to the bonkers GT2 RS, there’s a Porsche 911 for any and every enthusiast. The 2018 Porsche 911 Carrera T is one of the newest and is currently the lightest 911 model, ditching things like door handles and some sound-deadening material and using thinner glass to shave pounds here and there. It might not make any more power than a base 911, but with the extensive weight loss program, it doesn’t need it.

With a base price of $103,250, the Carrera T slots right in between the base Carrera and more powerful Carrera S. In addition to the weight savings, the Carrera T packs shorter rear gearing (versus the base 911), PASM Sport Suspension and improved front aero. Our tester is light on options with the two most notable being rear-wheel steering for $2,090 and PDK for $3,730.

Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: After getting out of a 911 GT3 recently, the 2018 Porsche Carrera T felt relatively tame. Compared to most other cars, though, it’s still quite a hoot. It’s a pretty pure distillation of an amazing driver’s car.

I like the bare-bones, no-frills feel of it, but the T treatment didn’t really do much to improve my focus on the act of piloting the car. Any 911 has the same turn-off-the-radio-and-just-go effect on me. If it was louder due to the reduction of sound deadening, I didn’t notice. In fact, I kind of forgot I was driving the T until I went to get out of it and reached for the cloth door pull.

I’m glad Porsche offers the T, even if I personally didn’t notice much of a difference. As the top brass at Porsche knows, 911 customers like options, and a stripped-down, lightened 911 certainly has its intellectual appeal. For the purist with a taste for the subtle details, it’s a pretty cool offering.

It’s the regular 911 honed to be an ideal sports car, even if it’s not the fastest. It encourages you to drive fast, rather than intimidating you. It does this with its friendly handling, super-responsive engine, and mischievous exhaust note. It’s a happy companion, not a dominatrix.

Even so, I would probably still spend all that money to get the T. It’s one of the sweetest sweet spots on the 911 spectrum, even if it’s a touch pricey.