simmering inscrutability, itisn’t creatinga scene. Itmay be
bright yellow, but the Porsche 911 CarreraT looks almost demure
inthiscompany,especially parkednexttothe comparatively
gargantuan SLS Black Series. But maybe that’s the point. It’s
kindofa given thatthe 911 – any 911 – is already a deserving
icon, and finessing the processis simply a matterof choosingthe
onewiththe optimally pared-backspec. Threeyears ago,the
remarkable 911 R signpostedwhatthatmight entail: naturally
aspirated4-litre flat-six,GT 3 suspension, six-speedmanual
gearbox,plainbodyshell shorn ofbig wings onstilts. Trouble
was, Porsche didn’t makemanyand valuesinstantly assumed a
vertical trajectory.
Employing a similarleaner-is-meanerfilter, we’ve narrowed
the 991.2 fielddowntothe 911 CarreraT,which,likethe R,
dispenses withbackseats and infotainmentsysteminstandard
formand has fabricdoorpulls. T standsfor Touring,and the
original 911Tfromhalf a century ago was a 110bhppoverty-spec
special. This one isn’t. It slotted inbetween the regular 991.2
Carreraand the 49bhp-more-powerfulCarreraS and aimedto
nail a sportysweet spotbetween the two.Tothis end it got the
regular Carrera’s 365bhpturbocharged3-litre motor, a seven-
speed manualgearbox,punchierintermediategearing thanks
tothe shorter final drive fromthe CarreraS, a standardlimited-
slipdifferential, PASMadaptivedamping(whichcomes with
a 20mmsuspensiondrop), 20-inch rims, a sportsexhaust and
standardfitmentofthe Sport ChronoPackagewithits steering-
wheel-mounted modeselector.
Afewkilos weresavedbythe lightweight sideandrear
windows and the removal ofsomesound deadening (to let more
enginenoise inratherthanalter the power-to-weight ratio), but
if the Carrera’s mildly gruff baritonedoessound any louderor
gruffer, it’s lostonme. Nomatter, I can sense the presenceof
greatnesshereand the 911’s bank-vault build and meticulously
evolved charisma quickly installfeelingsofcalmand wellbeing
aswell asa tingle ofanticipation.
Speedmight notbeeverything but, at the first sniff of a decent
straight, it’s clear the CarreraT doesn’t packthe accelerative
heftofthe Aston and could well beembarrassed bythe M2
Competitionbelowthree-figurespeeds. If anything, the gearing
stillfeels a hair too long evenwiththe ‘S’ finaldrive and,even
inthird,serious pushdoesn’t arriveuntil the tacho nudges
400 0rpm. However,fromthatpoint onitalljustworks to
stunning effect, and that includesthe knife-through-butter shift
actionofthe Carrera’s seven-speed manual’boxand,asever, a
phenomenally effectiveset ofstoppers.
It’s thatpervasivesenseofwellbeingagain. Everything
about the Porsche feels precise,honed and resolute. Although
the electronicsteeringlacks the almostorganic sensualityof
‘THE BLACK SERIESIS
THE REAL HIGH-OCTANE
DEAL, WITHOODLES OF
McQUEENATTITUDE’