Porsche 911 Carrera T 2018 Review

Is the Porsche 911 Carrera T the ultimate niche-filler?

It's a little bit retro, featuring stripes along the lower flanks that wouldn't look out of place in the 1970s. We're told that it has been developed to emulate the Club Sport models of yore, riding lower than the standard 911 and doing away with anything that adds weight without purpose. But the Porsche 911 Carrera T remains powered by the same engine as the current (991.2 generation) base 911.

That engine may not offer the most firepower in the 911 range, but it's still amazingly fit. Unfussed at low speeds, the Porsche 911 Carrera T's twin-turbocharged horizontally-opposed six-cylinder hauls like a rocket all the way to redline. And when restarted by the idle-stop system it's fast and smooth. There's no hint of lumpiness when it fires.

The charismatic flat-six can run in Sport and Sport+ powertrain modes for enhanced response (plus individual and normal modes too). There's a bi-modal exhaust operable from a switch in the centre console. It's like opening the partition between two large rooms for even more echo and boom. The powertrain plays a very technical soundtrack, with the flat six at its core – all whine and contrived gruffness.

It's a true delight, but does fade to background hum at open-road speeds, sitting on around 1700rpm at 100km/h. Fuel consumption for the week – during school holidays – was right on 11.0L/100km according to the trip computer.

The PDK is one of the best performance transmissions around for point-to-point driving. A dual-clutch box, it only occasionally betrays its nature with a subdued 'clank' or the sensation of a clutch slipping or engaging at low revs/low speeds. Other than those occasions it's very smooth.

The Porsche 911 Carrera T PDK's real party trick is its sophisticated operation in differing circumstances, whether used manually or automatically. It will kick down conventionally in automatic mode, it will tag the rev limiter in manual mode – i.e.: it won't change up to the next gear if the driver doesn't select the higher gear in advance. When Porsche says 'manual', manual is what they mean.

But the engine produces more than enough torque under high load, and especially in Sport or Sport+ powertrain modes, for shifting short of the redline to deliver strong acceleration in the next gear up – provided the driver selects the near gear when the transmission is operating in manual mode. Such is the mid-range performance on tap.

While the Porsche 911 Carrera T is a noisy car – as most rear- or mid-engined Porsches are – it's actually the P-Zero tyres contributing most of the din when cruising, but drivers will filter out that roar from the tyres, because the engine offers its own ice cream for the ears.

Riding on 20-inch alloys, rather than the 19-inch wheels of the standard car, the 911 Carrera T tested was not short of traction since the rear boots measured a huge 11.5 inches (8.5 inches wide at the front) – which is the same as for the standard 911 Carrera. The larger diameter and 35- (front) and 30-series (rear) tyres promise improved cornering ability.

In a straight line, the car's traction is astonishing – particularly from a rear-wheel drive car with this sort of performance potential. Washing off all that speed is competently handled by the brakes, which are very powerful, and communicative through the pedal.

Steering, handling and roadholding remain highpoints of the Porsche 911 Carrera T too. The wheel is practically providing feedback at parking speeds, and the roadholding is very secure. Far from the nerve-wracking handling of older 911s, this car is incredibly stable and steadfast in a corner. Lift off the throttle mid-corner and it will turn in, but there's very little sense of weight transfer – considering there's a whopping great boxer behind the rear axle. All that happens is the Porsche noses in tighter. Apply the throttle again and the car hunkers down, but stays on track.

The suspension is remarkably sorted. It's a chassis setup (in the Sport mode especially) that inspires a lot of confidence, although the Porsche is dynamically capable beyond the point where my courage turns to water.

On the downside, this is not an especially plush-riding car. In normal mode it is a ride/handling balance skewed more to the dynamic side of the equation. With the Sport mode selected, the Porsche rides firmer still, but that's to be expected, given its undeniable cornering prowess. The Porsche becomes a little jiggly and choppy over irregular road surfaces, but it's not punishing. You could live with it day to day, which is the hackneyed cliché of all time in relation to a 911 – but it's true.

The driving position is typical of the 911, although not so much the Carrera T variant. Snug seats are electrically adjustable for side bolstering around the base and lumbar. They don't seem particularly lightweight, but they sure are comfortable and hold you in place properly. They're also optional...

Practically an irrelevance, the analogue speedo is pushed aside by the huge tachometer. Most of the minor instruments either side are just plain hard to read at a glance, and I was in the car for a few days before observing that the fuel tank had not been refilled before the handover to motoring.com.au.

Unlike other prestige sports cars in the market, the Porsche still starts with a key – not a button. The slot for it is in the dash, so at least there's a place for it. An electric parking brake release is located under the dash, on the right. You push it to engage the brake, pull to release. It's quite easy to use.

The controls are basically located correctly (indicator stalk aside) and it doesn't take long to work out the audio volume control from the scrolling knob on the left spoke of the wheel, or its counterpart on the right spoke to scroll through infotainment functions displayed in the major dial to the right of the tacho. As for the infotainment screen itself, it provides a plethora of options for music sources, as well as vehicle performance outputs – everything from fuel consumption to g force metering.

The test vehicle was fitted with auto high-beam assist, which was faultless on the 60km test loop and complemented the adaptive LED headlights. Unfortunately, that combination is an option that will set you back nearly $5000. The package is good to have, however, for those who can afford it.

Other options include an interior package costing $6270, Lava Orange paint for $5990, the 18-way electrically-adjustable sports seats for $5990, Alcantara upholstery for the steering wheel and gear lever ($1890), privacy glass ($1290) and Sport Chrono analogue clock ($720).

Of those, it's hard to knock back the seats, even at that price, and the Alcantara is literally a nice touch. The interior package I could do without, frankly, not least of all due to my preference for door handles over pull cords.

After a week with the Porsche 911 Carrera T, about the only issue that I found annoying was its tendency to scrape its front valance/airdam on the way in or out of the driveway – and surely there must be a fix for that...

<a href="https://motoring.pxcrush.net/motoring/general/editorial/180410_porsche_911_carrera_t_6.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-csn-inline-image wp-image-241803" src="https://motoring.pxcrush.net/motoring/general/editorial/180410_porsche_911_carrera_t_6.jpg?height=427&width=640&aspect=fitWithin" alt="" width="640" height="427"></a>How much does the 2018 Porsche 911 Carrera T cost?

Price: $272,210 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder twin-turbo-petrol
Output: 272kW/450Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 8.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 193g/km
Safety Rating: N/A