Porsche 911 Carrera T debuts as a weight-stripped option
Though sad but true, not everyone can afford a meaner-than-a-rattlesnake track weapon like the 911 GT3 RS which, plainly, costs more than we care to mention.
Clearly, people who want to get into that are the same people who wouldn't say no to the newly-announced 911 Carrera T, which is a performance-oriented option at a lower cost.
Slotted between the 911 Carrera and Carrera S models, the new 911 Carrera T wields a rear-mounted 3.0-litre bi-turbo engine with 283 kW of power and 450 Nm of torque. This is enough to catapult the sports car from 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds with the standard 7-speed manual stick and a mechanical rear diff lock.
With the no-cost optional 8-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission, the 0-100 km/h sprint time is rated at 3.8 seconds and regardless of the transmission, the top speed is capped at 291 km/h.
As standard, the new 911 Carrera T is kitted with the Sport Chrono package as well as the PASM sports suspension which lowers the car's height by 10 mm. If you ask nicely, Porsche can fit optional rear-axle steering for improved agility.
On the outside, the Carrera T can be distinguished from its counterparts with dark grey detailing elements such as the trims on the exterior mirrors, new door logos, rear logos, trim strips on the rear lid grille finished in Agate Grey, plus a windscreen that gets a grey top tint.
The tail ends of the sports exhaust system get the high-gloss black treatment. It runs on 20" and 21" Titanium Grey wheels in the front and back respectively. These are wrapped with 245/35 rubbers at the front and bigger 305/30 at the rear for extra grip.
It's available in four solid exterior shades plus four metallic finishes; Black, White, Guards Red, Racing Yellow, Deep Black, Gentian Blue, Ice Grey and GT Silver. Buyers can have their T-model painted in Chalk, Carmine Red, Shark Blue and Python Green from the special colour palette or the optional Paint to Sample program.
Inside, the 911 Carrera T comes standard with a GT sports steering wheel, sports exhaust system, and sports seats with four-way electric adjustment. Without the rear seats, reduced insulation, lightweight glass and a lightweight battery, the sports car with the manual transmission tips the weight scale at 1,470 kg, thus making it the lightest series 911 with the base powerplant. For argument's sake, the automatic-equipped base Carrera variant is 35 kg heavier.
Other features include a decorative trim in matte black, decorative inlays in high-gloss black and a Carrera T interior package which adds Slate Grey or Lizard Green finish to the seatbelts and floor mats' stitching and logos.
Want one? Well, it can be ordered now via Porsche Centres.