For all its advancements, the new Carrera GTS left a bitter taste in the mouths of many Porsche purists. Its hybrid powertrain, lack of manual transmission option, and push-button start (rather than the more traditional twist dial) made it feel distant from the beloved 911 formula, even if it’s proven a dynamite 911 in its own right. However, consider the new 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T a palate cleanser. Not only is it exclusively available with a manual transmission, but it’s also the simplest and—perhaps most importantly—lightest Carrera of them all.
If you’re familiar with the current 911 T, the new one follows a familiar formula. Between its rear wheels lies the 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six from the base 911. Since the engine is unchanged from the regular car, the 911 T makes 388 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque. The manual transmission is essentially the same seven-speed used in the 992.1 911 Carrera, only without its seventh gear.
With only 3,316 pounds to lug around in coupe form, the 911 T can scoot from 0-60 mph in just 4.3 seconds, or 4.5 seconds for the drop-top Cabriolet. That’s three-tenths slower than Porsche rates for the standard Carrera with a PDK automatic, and exactly the same as what its predecessor claimed. However, the 911 T isn’t about straight-line speed. The most exciting addition to the powertrain is the shifter, as it comes with an open-pore, laminated walnut knob, similar to the iconic Carrera GT’s.
To sharpen the 911 for “T” duty, Porsche fitted it with a quicker steering ratio, beefier anti-roll bars, standard Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) that’s 10mm lower than normal, 20mm bigger brake discs, and standard rear-wheel steering. Additionally, it has a mechanical rear differential, brake torque vectoring that tugs on individual wheels to help corner, and the staggered 21/20-inch wheels from the Carrera S. To keep the curb weight as low as possible, Porsche removed some sound deadening material and gave the 911 T lighter-weight glass. Optional carbon fiber bucket seats will drop mass even further, while also looking awesome. That may come at the expense of tush comfort, though.
Both the Porsche 911 T Coupe and 911 T Cabriolet will be available at launch. The latter is naturally heavier, given that it has a folding roof mechanism and standard back seats (they’re no cost options for the coupe), but makes up for that weight gain with additional audible drama from the standard Sport Exhaust.
Order books are open now, but cars won’t actually hit North American dealerships until the coming summer. The 911 T Coupe starts at $135,995, while the Cabriolet starts at $149,295. Since the base Carrera starts at $122,095, many Porsche fans have found the 911 T to be the best deal in the lineup. Considering how it seems to focus on handling and fun above all else, it isn’t hard to see why.
Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com