How the new Porsche 911 Carrera T perfectly channels the past

Photography Credit: Tim Suddard

A famed 1969 issue of Car and Driver put Mark Donohue behind the wheel to compare four models from Porsche’s lineup, from the entry-level 912 to the track-ready 911S. The perhaps surprising conclusion: The 125-horsepower 911T turned out to be everybody’s favorite, the article stated, thanks to its perfect balance of road and track manners.

So maybe the designation of the new Carrera T is appropriate. It’s not the fastest or the most luxurious 911 variant in Porsche’s current lineup, but it suitably bridges the gap between fun and games.

While the 379-horsepower flat-six comes straight from the standard Carrera, Porsche fits the new-for-2023 911 Carrera T with a mechanical limited-slip differential–a nicety not offered on the base car–as well as lowered ride height and sportier suspension. The seven-speed manual box comes standard, with the eight-speed PDK offered as a no-cost option. Deleting the rear seat plus some sound insulation trims about a 100 pounds.

On the road, we found this one to serve as the perfect dual-purpose car–again, back to that 1969 test. It’s plenty comfortable and plenty fast, making it the ideal companion for nearly any mission, from the daily grind to a trip through the mountains. Its starting price of $124,900 outpaces the standard Carrera by about $10,000, but we’d call that money well spent.