DETROIT – First Porsche The press car I used to drive was a 2012 car Cayman R. Porsche has been charging customers more for the privilege of owning fewer cars for decades, but even at the time, R’s proposal seemed a bit excessive — at least until I drive it. Aside from the fact that it was an AC delete that I was loaned during the extreme heat wave in Washington, DC, it remains one of a kind to this day. best car I used to drive. Those carbon barrels. Mercy.
When Porsche published several years ago that it would again apply the stripping treatment to the 911 facility, I decided to keep an open mind. There’s no back seat, after all. Its basically GT3 – Mine Goldilocks Porsche – does not have a powerful engine. Okay, not really, but hey, it’s a 911. Even with the standard 379-horsepower flat-six engine, how bad can it be?
Porsche sent us a solid enthusiast-spec tester, with several options, almost all of which are essential. And because it comes with a paddle shifter, it’s about as light as a road-going 911 can get from the factory. Porsche says the T weighs 3,254 pounds before options. Front axle lift and rear steering add about 20 kilograms – just under 45 pounds – between them. Valuable.
Then there are the matrix LED headlights. Okay, they’re not necessaryand at $4,150, they’re pricey for a headlight upgrade, but they’re pretty nice to have, as is the extended gas tank. Hell, at $230, that’s practically free, as is the heated GT-style steering wheel for $280. The Python green internal/external bits alone cost $10,000 compared to an MSRP of $138,830 (2023 prices). Remember, today a base 911 costs $115,000. Kick the snakeskin to the curb and this seems almost reasonable.
Python is not for the timid. If you want to keep a low profile, this is not the way. I won’t marry it either, but pull my orange cadillac exit the garage to make room for the green 911 Right. That said, I couldn’t help but notice that they also offer it in yellow…
There are only a few good roads near Detroit, but I skip the usual ones when I have the 911, choosing instead to see something I haven’t seen yet. It was a grand tour after all. Last time, I drove along a now-forgotten native trail; On this round trip, I chose to explore the southern regions of Detroit, or in the colloquial parlance of the area, I went downriver.
From my home on Detroit’s westernmost border, there are no winding roads between me and my destination. In reality, this trip was more tiring than epic. I can take the highway or the wide avenues of Wayne County. I chose to start with the latter and work back with the former. A proper, varied round of testing.
You may have Telegraph Road where you live, but Mark sang on this song. You don’t need a sign to know when you’ve passed through Detroit’s far northwest neighborhoods. The eight-lane highway was finally resurfaced, but it was pockmarked and covered in construction debris. T handled it very well. It doesn’t exactly absorb bumps, but it’s definitely better than the Caymans I’ve driven along this stretch. Promising.
South of the city, lanes were widened and surfaces significantly improved. Many traffic lights provide many opportunities to shift T into first gear; it’s high. Hey, it’s nice not to experience it. Show me somewhere in America off the track where you can do the same thing in second place or better without the risk of being caught; I’ll be there.
Coming from a “traditional” 5- or 6-speed manual transmission, using Porsche’s 7-speed transmission requires a bit of faith. The less you think about it, the easier it will be to find the gear you want, but muscle memory is a tricky thing. Guessing yourself almost guarantees that you will get the wrong number. It may take some adjustment, but that’s not a knock, just a fact of life. The PDK is available, but its complexity and weight (100 pounds) seem completely at odds with the basic and light character of the Carrera T. There are other 911s for that.
I avoided Telegraph and headed east toward Wyandotte. Eureka Road is a suburb with more straight lines. I was held up behind a damn S10 with an “AMERICA FIRST” banner in the rear window. True story, because I couldn’t get close to him. I turned north when I reached the river, looking for somewhere to stop and take pictures. A park in River Rouge with open spaces and views of the river.
At every turn, whether literal or figurative, the T seems to give just enough to rise to the occasion. 0-60 time of 4.3 seconds? Fast enough. 245 in front and 305 in rear? Attractive enough. You never feel like this car is superior, but it doesn’t offer as much reserve as you’ll find in more expensive 911s. With T, what you see is what you get. Like I said, that’s enough, but when we’re talking about a car that starts at $125,000, that’s enough. it’s him enough?
I ponder this amid the chaos of the Southfield Freeway. I’m going back north. The fastest cars in Michigan are found right here on M-39, and most of them are missing pieces. It’s a great equalizer — a reminder that almost anyone can go fast enough in a modern car. This 911’s inherent advantages don’t make it any better suited to this urban drag strip; If anything, its reputation is a weakness. It’s clear that many of these drivers don’t care if they get hit, let alone if they hit someone else. And Michigan is not at fault insurance status.
By all counts, there’s now a cheaper option than the Carrera T. A modern wagon could match the 911’s 0-60 for a third of the price, and it’ll probably come with a big screen and the engine is much more powerful. A premium one sport car like BMW M3 or Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing will also give the Porsche its straight fit and offer all the luxury for less money. A Miata will carve corners with equal skill, and Mazda Don’t even bother charging extra for the fact that it weighs over 800 pounds.
But once you start putting all that together? That’s when 911 started to make sense. Three hundred and eighty horses might not seem like a lot in 2024, but there aren’t many cars with that much power that weigh that much. You’re looking at likes of escort shipPorsche’s own Cayman and Emira lotus. In other words, two seats. Um.
And that’s the crux of it, at least for me. Removing the rear seats is great, don’t get me wrong, but without a rear trunk, the 911 becomes a much less attractive proposition than a well-optioned car. 718 Cayman GT4. The smaller Porsche has more power, weighs less, and turns like a compact mid-engine performance coupe. If you were going to buy a Porsche without a back seat and you couldn’t afford a GT3, that’s the one I’d choose, and if I were to spend the Carrera T’s $125,000 base price anyway, I’d probably will accept. Will buy a Carrera 4S and cover all my bases; the all-wheel-drive S will cost about the same as our test car.
I like the idea of the Carrera T as much as I like the idea of making any performance car more accessible, but when it comes to the 911, it’s just a matter of degree. Is Porsche really creating a new path for integration? sport car Do buyers love the 911 brand, or is this simply another box for avid collectors to check out? I hope it’s the former. After all, this is a version of a car aimed at those who prioritize a car that provides great driving pleasure over living amenities. It would be a shame not to actually drive it.
