992 Porsche 911 Carrera T debuts – 35 kg lighter than base Carrera; 385 PS; 7-speed manual or 8-speed PDK

Porsche has added a new variant to the 992-generation 911 line-up with the introduction of the new Carrera T, which slots in between the base Carrera and Carrera S. If you’re looking for a performance-minded 911 but don’t want to pay the considerable premium for a GT3, this is a good alternative.

The Carrera T is powered by the same 3.0 litre twin-turbo flat-six petrol engine used in the base Carrera, with outputs of 385 PS (380 hp) and 450 Nm of torque. A seven-speed manual gearbox is standard to drive the rear wheels, enabling a 0-100 km/h time of 4.5 seconds.

An eight-speed dual-clutch PDK is also available if you want an even quicker acceleration time of 3.8 seconds, although both transmissions provide the same top speed of 291 km/h. Cars with the manual gearbox will also get Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) with a mechanical rear differential lock, which is lifted from the Carrera S.

Additional driving-related items include the Sport Chrono package and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), the latter bringing with it a 10 mm lower ride height. Rear-axle steering, which is usually reserved for the Carrera S and up, is available as an option.

In terms of equipment, the Carrera T gets staggered Titanium Grey Carrera S wheels measuring 20 inches at the front (with 245/35 profile tyres) and 21 inches at the rear (with 305/30 profile tyres). The kit list also includes a GT sports steering wheel, sports exhaust system and powered Sports Seats Plus with four-way adjustability.

Keeping with tradition, the Carrera T does not come with rear seats and several other measures help to reduce the vehicle weight. These include the use of a lightweight battery and glass as well as reduce insulation, all of which make the new variant 35 kg lighter than the Carrera at just 1,470 kg.

With 18 variants of the 992-generation 911 available (based on the carmaker’s website), the Carrera T is distinguished by its Dark Grey exterior accents, while contrasting elements such as the top and bottom trim on the exterior mirrors, the new door logos and the rear logos and the trim strips on the rear lid grille feature Agate Grey. Elsewhere, the windscreen features a grey top tint, while the tailpipes of the exhaust system are in high-gloss black.

Inside, you’ll find trim elements in matte black or high-gloss black, although customers can option the Carrera T interior package that includes additional safety belts in either Slate Grey or Lizard Green. Similarly, the decorative stitching, embossed 911 logo, stripes down the seat centres as well as the floor mats can be had in either colour.

For further options, Porsche offers Adaptive Sports Seats Plus with 18-way adjustability and lightweight full bucket seats featuring Race Tex seat centres. There’s also an extended leather interior that adds the material to various touchpoints inside the cabin.

The colour palette for the Carrera T includes four solid colours (Black, White, Guards Red and Racing Yellow) and four metallic finishes (Deep Black, Gentian Blue, Ice Grey and GT Silver). Special colours are available too, including Chalk, Ruby Star Neo, Carmine Red, Shark Blue and Python Green, but if you still can’t find a hue that appeals to you, there’s always the Paint to Sample programme.

Deliveries of the Carrera T will begin in February next year and the variant is available for order now. Pricing in Germany starts at 123,845 euros (RM571,971) including value-added tax (VAT) and country-specific equipment.