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I drove a $172,000 Porsche 911 Carrera T, a beautiful throwback to the glory days of the manual transmission

22 November 2024 at 08:06
The right front corner of a blue 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet parked by the road.
The 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet in Lugano Blue.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

  • I drove an updated 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet in Lugano Blue.
  • The Carrera T is a lighter, more enthusiast-focused 911 trim and comes with a manual transmission.
  • I was impressed by its crisp shifting 6-speed, beautifully tuned handling, and melodic boxer engine.

The Porsche 911 is an automotive icon in the truest sense of the word, a representative symbol of what a sports car should be.

It's meticulously honed to be perfectly docile for your daily commute and ruthlessly effective on the racetrack.

Traditionally, the transmission of choice for the 911 is a slick-shifting manual. But those have mostly gone by the wayside, present on just 1.7% of cars sold in the US last year.

Sadly, the same fate has befallen 911. Only a few high-end models, like the track-focused GT3, are offered with a manual transmission.

But the Carrera T is trying to change that narrative.

Starting in 2025, the manual transmission will not only be standard on the Carrera T, it will be the only transmission offered on he model.

I recently had the chance to spend a morning behind the wheel of a new 992.2 generation Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet in Lugano Blue.
The left front of a blue 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet parked in front of a hotel.
A 2025 911 Carrera T Cabriolet at a drive event hosted by Porsche.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

I was blown away by 911's crisp-shifting, six-speed manual transmission, beautifully tuned handling, and melodic twin-turbocharged boxer engine.

During our brief encounter, I didn't find too much wrong with the Carrera T, but I do miss the rotary ignition switch that has been replaced with a push button.

My test car costs $171,665.
The left rear of a blue 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet parked on the side of the road.
A 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

My 911 Carrera T Cabriolet test car starts at $147,300.

Freight fees and more than $22,000 in luxury and tech options pushed the as-tested price to $171,665.

Although pricey, that still pales in comparison to the more hardcore variants like the 911 Turbo and 911 GT3, which start at $197,200 and $222,500, respectively.

2025 marks the first year of the updated 992.2 generation 911.
The left side of a blue 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet on the side of the road.
A 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

Porsche made a host of changes to the 992.1 generation, which launched in 2020, to create the 992.2.

The updates include refinements to the 911's chassis, updates to the PDK twin-clutch transmission, and a new six-speed manual transmission for the Carrera T.

But the biggest change will be the 911 GTS's new hybrid drivetrain, a first for the sports car.

The 911 Carrera T is powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged boxer six-cylinder engine.
The rear of a blue 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet parked on the side of a road.
A 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

The Porsche 911 Carrera T's twin-turbo boxer six-cylinder produces a stout 388 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque. Its power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.

The melodic flat six sits in its rightful place behind the 911's rear axle.

The centerpiece of the 911 Carrera T experience is the six-speed manual.
The walnut six-speed manual transmission shifter on the center console of a 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet.
The 911 Carrera T's six-speed manual shifter.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

The Carrera T's six-speed manual is lighter and feels more natural to shift than the seven-speed it replaced.

The open pore, laminate walnut shift nob is stunning and feels great in your hand.

The T's standard Carrera S wheels look amazing.
The 20-inch Carrera S wheel on the left front of a blue 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet.
The Carrera S wheel on the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

The wheels are 20 inches in front and 21 inches out back.

The Carrera T is a dream to drive.
The left rear of a blue 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet with the top down parked on the side of the road.
A 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet with its top down.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

The Carrera T continues the 911 tradition as one of the great driving experiences in the world.

Carving my way through the winding mountain roads in North Georgia, the 911 Carrera T was in its element.

The twin-turbo boxer six delivered smooth, consistent power and a sweet rumble, while the six-speed felt as crisp and precise as any manual I've ever driven.

Pair that with the 911's perfectly tuned suspension, and the experience is otherworldly.

The Porsche Torque Vectoring system helps with cornering performance. It uses a mechanical rear differential combined with targeted computer-controlled braking action to send power to the outside rear wheels.

The Carrera T also comes standard with rear-axle steering, which makes it more agile at low speeds and stable at high speeds.

According to Porsche, the 911 Carrera T Cabriolet is good for 0-60 mph runs in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 182 mph.

Open up the top, and you'll find a modern cabin that also exudes traditional Porsche.
Three photos show the front dash, center console, infotainment screen, and digital gauge display of a blue 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet.
The Carrera T Cabriolet's cabin.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

The 911's cabin is a de facto cockpit built around the driver, designed for easy, intuitive operation while driving enthusiastically.

As a result, ergonomics are excellent. Everything is within reach, the adaptive sport seats were supremely supportive, and the 10.9-inch touchscreen running Porsche's PCM infotainment system comes with Apple CarPlay.

In front of the driver, the digital instrument cluster, which replaced Porsche's classic five-gauge on the 992.1, remains. Although it can be configured to look like the old analog setup.

The 911's ignition remains on the left side of the steering wheel, but the twist switch that was designed to mimic a physical key has been replaced by a simple push button.

My Verdict: The 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet is a reminder that how you get to your destination matters just as much as how fast you get there.
A blue 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet with the top down parked on the side of the road.
A 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet with the top down.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

The Carrera T, for all of its performance attributes, is statistically one of the slowest variants of the Porsche 911 you can buy.

It's nearly two seconds slower to 60 mph and more than 200 horsepower down on the performance monster that's the 911 Turbo S.

But I'd gladly trade that extra two seconds and two hundred horsepower for the sheer driving pleasure the Carrera T can deliver on a winding mountain road.

Sometimes, slower is better, and there's value in savoring the journey to your destination. The Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet is a constant reminder of that.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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