2023 Porsche 911 Carrera T

While Porsche has relatively few models in their lineup, they make so many distinct versions of those few that figuring out the right one for you will definitely take some research. Well, add another 911 to the mix, this Carrera T. Time for us to do a little research of our own.

If you think all new 911’s are priced like a king’s ransom these days, have we got a ride for you; the 2023 Porsche 911 Carrera T. The T doesn’t exactly stand for Thrifty, but that’s what we’re going with, as it comes in only about 10-grand over the base Carrera; more on that later.

The T technically stands for Touring, but that word doesn’t properly describe the Carrera T’s mission either, as it is supposed to be a back-to-basics effort, dropping weight and features in order to increase the fun factor.

But first, we must address the pink elephant in the room. Officially, this paint job is called Ruby Star Neo, and most of our drivers weren’t fans. But, if you’re looking ahead to future collectability, or just want to stand out, it wouldn’t be a bad choice since it always turns heads.

Turbos are great, and this particular 3.0-liter turbocharged-6 delivers a lot, including 379-horsepower and 331 lb-ft. of torque. So, we won’t go all air-cooled nostalgic, but we do miss a good naturally aspirated Porsche.

The T is indeed stripped down somewhat, but it sure doesn’t feel like it. It officially weighs about 100-lbs. less than a base 911, but part of that comes by making the lighter 7-speed manual transmission standard; the rest comes via lightweight glass, less sound deadening materials, smaller battery, and no rear seats. At that point, why not just buy a Cayman? But we digress.

As with anything assembled in Zuffenhausen, the Carrera T is a tremendous amount of fun at any speed, with barnacle-like adhesion to any paved surface.

And the T is not all about subtraction as it gets PASM Sport suspension with an additional 10mm reduction in ride height, along with Sport Chrono Package, Sport Exhaust System, and the Carrera S’s 20 and 21-inch wheels plus a torque vectoring mechanical limited-slip rear.

Nothing launches like Porsche PDK, and we’re sure it’s faster, but with the manual, this Carrera T was certainly more fun at our Mason Dixon test track. Just give it some revs, dump the moderately heavy clutch, and off you go. There’s a ton of grip for consistent drama free departures, with on time arrivals at 60 miles-per-hour in 4.2-seconds. The shifter is buttery smooth, and power delivery stays potent for the whole ¼-mile, with an exhaust note that’s more pleasant than aggressive. Our best time was 12.4-seconds at 115 miles-per-hour. Braking was beyond impressive; repeatable, fade-free, straight stops from 60 in just 90-feet. But of course, handling is the real draw here, something you’d need much more than a cone course to fully explore. So, we were ripping through the cones at speeds well above the norm, enjoying the amazing grip, direct and precise steering, and lack of any understeer.

Unless you really need to haul some tiny folk around, you won’t miss the rear seats. You can still throw a bag back there. Otherwise the T comes incredibly well-equipped with all the expected amenities. Plus, 4-way adjustable leather sport seats, GT Sport steering wheel, and a mix of both matte and shiny black accents.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 17-City, 25-Highway, and 20-Combined. We averaged 24.5 miles-per-gallon of Premium and loved every minute of it. That’s a slightly worse than average Energy Impact Score with 14.9-barrels of yearly oil consumption and 7.3-tons of CO2 emissions.

As we mentioned, pricing comes in just over a base Carrera at $126,550. So, while still not cheap, it clearly is the best new 911 bang for the buck.

Minimalism clearly means something different at Porsche, as by giving us less, they’re actually giving us more. Much like where in the English language the letter S comes before T, yet when it comes to the 911, the 2023 Porsche 911 Carrera T comes first, as Porsche has essentially created a tweener model between the base Carrera and the Carrera S. But ultimately, the result is much better than that, and when you’re behind the wheel, it all just makes perfect sense.