The Carrera T: a near-perfect Porsche

It’s quite giddying when you consider just how much Porsche has been able to spin out from one basic car, says Richard Porter in The Sunday Times. There were, until recently, 22 versions of the Porsche 911. Yes, 22.

Yet you’d have to be comatose not to be excited about the new model, says Adam Towler in Evo. The Carrera T is based on the standard Carrera. It is distinguished from its many stablemates by its lighter rear side glass and rear window, the reduction in sound proofing to a minimum, and the (optional) removal of the rear seats. Normally, two-seater 911s have a rollcage obstructing much of the additional room, but the T is very cavernous indeed, says Stephen Dobie in Top Gear. “You could run a small hipster food business from in here, at the very least.”

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The T is “wonderful” to drive hard, says Porter. And thanks to the bubble-wrapped ride, the comfortable seats and a general user-friendliness that has become the mark of regular 911s in recent years, it’s a delight to ride softly too. In fact, the car has that “ever so slightly annoying 911 trait of just feeling damn perfect, and showing every rival up as a bit try-hard”, says Dobie. The seating position is spot on, the dials are laid out flawlessly, the throttle response and steering are crisp as anything and the car just gives you everything you need to leap in and drive it right to the limits of your own abilities.

So while we might not have asked for a 23rd 911, the more I drove the Carrera T, the more I wondered how many of the other 22 we really need, says Dobie. “It’s terrific.”

Price: £85,576. Engine: 2,981cc, 24v, twin-turbo flat-six. Power: 365bhp at 6,500rpm. Torque: 332lb ft at 1,700rpm. 0-62mph: 4.5 seconds. Top speed: 182mph.

This article was originally published in MoneyWeek