The Porsche 911 Carrera T is back for 2023, revived now for the current 992 generation. It slots in above the base Carrera and below the Carrera S, preserving its touring car roots in the best ways possible: it’s fun, sporty, and cool; and it does it in a purist drivers’ package.

Instead of just hitting the streets of LA, we left the city for the Angeles Crest Highway. It was here where the rear-mounted twin-turbo six-cylinder came to life, displacing 379 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque. Power was sent to the rear wheels through a standard seven-speed manual transmission. According to Porsche, a Carrera T manual can do 0-60 sprints in 4.3 seconds.

But as a touring car, I almost feel like the 0-60 stuff and top speed– 181 mph, by the way– is less important. It’s about how it feels on the road. And this engine is perfect for the Carrera T’s job. Smooth acceleration, accurate response and harmonics you just can’t get enough of. The transmission is slick, and the clutch is firm in actuation without being a burden.

Sticking to the road was easy thanks to the mechanical limited slip differential with Porsche Torque Vectoring– a standard feature on the Carrera S trickled down to the T. The Porsche Active Suspension Management system and Sport Chrono Package are also included, though rear-axle steering, which my car had, is an option.

After some time driving, I had a realization– thinking back to another T I drove on similar roads…

“You know, it’s kinda funny. I was out here with the Macan T not that long ago, and I made a comment then about how the Macan T was a little sportier without going full-bore. That’s exactly the case with the Carrera T. It’s meant to be sort of a sportier ride, a very– almost like a purist kind of experience without going all-out, right? Now, they accomplish this first and foremost by being a 911, right? It’s going to sport. But, uh, standard you get a seven-speed manual and you get a rear-seat delete. Now, you can opt for an 8-speed PDK and you can also throw those rear seats back in if you so choose, and that’s fine, but I think the way I have this one optioned is just perfect. Like, this is how I would want it. So that, along with the lightweight glass, less sound deadening to let all the good noises in, um, and the Porsche Active Suspension– all those things, it all culminates into yeah, exactly that: a purist, just totally fun experience.”

So, the Carrera T brings in some of the more driver-focused amenities and also does it while saving a little weight in the process, but it does so without stripping away all the premium features you’d realistically still want. 4-way power sport seats are standard, as are the digital gauge cluster and infotainment screen; the latter of which I used for Apple CarPlay.  My car’s seats were the optional 18-way Adaptive Sport Seats– very comfortable, and stylish with the 911 name embroidered up top.

The Carrera T stands apart from the crowd in some obvious ways, like the big side profile designations and rear badging, but it also accentuates the exterior with various trimmings in Agate Gray. The wheels are finished in Titanium Grey and carry the theme well. All in all, it’s nice to have something a little bespoke in a near-entry trim.

Now, I understand that an “entry level Carrera” may sound like an oxymoron to some, but that’s what it is, starting around $118,000 with delivery. My Guards Red tester ultimately optioned out to $137,480, so you can get a little gung-ho with the options– some of which I highly recommend for that driver’s experience, like rear axle steering.

So, to reiterate my opener: the 2023 Porsche Carrera T is a fine addition in the lineup, slotting in perfectly above the Carrera and below the Carrera S. It’s fun, sporty, and– at least in my opinion– undeniably cool.

And we’ll have plenty more cool cars soon, right here on MotorWeek.

We recently spent a full year with the 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV as part of our long term test fleet and gave it a consensus thumbs-up across the board. Indeed, the entire outlander lineup is a MotorWeek drivers’ choice favorite.

So we were excited to experience what’s new with the 2025 Outlander lineup on a recent trip to sunny and warm Southern California.

The focus here was on the gas models, and they arrive with a new bold and confident front face, flowing to a powerful scalloped horizontal body structure with flared fenders and a prominent jet tailfin rear pillar.

Extensive updates were made to the three-row cabin as well, which has been meticulously redesigned and gives the comfort of a top class luxury vehicle. Mitsubishi takes their customer feedback to heart, so here you’ll find new materials, revised controls, extra console storage, LED interior lighting and even updated cupholders. Additional sound deadening makes it quieter inside, and easier to enjoy the exclusive yamaha sound system.

“So right now, we’re cruising around in the hills north of Hollywood and the scenery is beautiful but what’s even more beautiful is 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander that I am currently driving. One of the things about this vehicle that is all-new is that they have partnered with Yamaha to completely redo the entire sound system in the vehicle and it is absolutely fantastic. I have the ultimate sound system in this trim level with 12 speakers and they describe it as a literal ‘sound box’ like the subwoofer box that you would put in the back of your cars. And what they’ve done is reinforced the sides…the entire body all-around…to make there be less vibration and better sound quality. So when I can tell you that if you’re in this car, you are rolling around in a concert hall. The audio quality is absolutely immaculate and I could not say better things about it because I am a music head and I am a musician and I would love to have this audio in every vehicle I drive for the rest of my days.”

The sole engine here remains a 2.5-liter twin-cam four cylinder, producing the same 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, coupled to a sport mode CVT transmission.

While cruising along the LA freeways and through the winding canyons north of Hollywood, we got to feel what this new Outlander has to offer where it matters most. It is a supremely comfortable SUV to drive, and suspension tweaks for ’25 have made the ride even smoother.

Pricing for the 2025 Outlander starts at $29,645 for the ES 2WD model, and runs up to $43,145 for the Platinum Edition. A more rugged Trail Edition with blacked out trim is set to arrive later this year.

We’ll have our full review of the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander soon, so keep it locked, right here on MotorWeek!