Viewpoint: The new Carrera T is Porsche's love letter to the manual gearbox

After showing the new GT3, Porsche have updated another of their fan favourites - the Carrera T. (Image credit - Porsche Newsroom)

Another week, another new version of the Porsche 911 - the new 992.2 models are coming thick and fast now, and you won't hear me complaining about it. Following on from the gorgeous new GT3 and GT3 Touring shown a fortnight ago, Porsche have now revealed the new version of their much-loved Carrera T, named after and inspired by the lightened, simplified version of the original 911, that launched in 1968. If you aren't able to secure an allocation for a GT3 (which you probably won't), the T could very well be the next best thing.

More than that, though, the new T feels like it symbolises Porsche's love for the manual gearbox, as the whole car almost appears centred around the fact that it has one. There is no PDK option here; it's manual or nothing. I like where this is going.

The new Carrera T is available exclusively with a 6-speed manual gearbox, with the beautiful wooden finish harking back to the mighty Carrera GT (Image credit - Porsche Newsroom)

Yep, you heard me right - the new Carrera T can only be ordered with a 6-speed manual gearbox, as opposed to either the old 7-speed manual or 8-speed PDK auto options that were available in the outgoing 992.1 Carrera T. The aforementioned 7-speed manual that was available in the old car was criticised for having gearing that was too long, and a seventh gear that just felt like it was one too many; with the new 6-speed, Porsche have hopefully solved those problems. Plus, the standard, shortened gear lever is made out of laminated walnut - a finish that looks amazing in my opinion, and also harks back to a piece of Porsche history by imitating the mighty Carrera GT.

The 992.2 generation of Carrera T is available for the first time ever as a Cabriolet (Image credit - Porsche Newsroom)

In terms of the drivetrain though, the manual gearbox is essentially all that separates the T from the regular Carrera upon which it's based; the standard car's 3-litre, twin-turbo flat six is unchanged for the T, making 395bhp and 330lb-ft. However, because of the manual 'box in the T compared to the 8-speed PDK in the standard Carrera, the T is actually slower than the standard car despite being £10,000 more expensive and up to 40kg lighter - the 0-60 time is claimed to be 4.5 seconds, compared to the standard Carrera's 3.7. But, who really cares? If you're interested in a Carrera T, but you're worried that it'll take 8 tenths longer to reach the speed limit than the standard car, then I'm afraid this isn't the Porsche for you.

However, several things have been tuned exclusively for the T; rear-wheel steer is a standard option, and has been retuned specifically for this car, and a 'more direct' steering ratio has also been introduced on the front axle to 'significantly optimise handling'. PASM sport suspension is also a standard option (you quickly begin to realise where your extra £10,000 is going over the standard Carrera), which has been lowered by 10mm specifically for this model. A set of staggered 20/21 inch Carrera S-design light alloy wheels are standard, too.

Inside, a 'Carrera T Interior Package' is available, which is worth it just for the fantastic blue plaid seat inserts alone (Image credit - Porsche Newsroom)

Inside, you can option your Carrera T with carbon bucket seats - unfortunately not the new design that launched alongside the new GT3, but rather the ye old faithful 918-style buckets that have been available for the last 10 years in various of Stuttgart's products. This also means that you can't have back seats (which can be optioned) and buckets at the same time like you can in the GT3, so the T isn't quite a mini Touring in this respect.

The rest of the interior is as expected from a modern 911; very nicely equipped and finished, and great ergonomically. The former is especially true if you choose to go with the optional £2,157 'Carrera T Interior Package', which adds a tasteful amount of Gentian Blue to the inside of your 911. The seatbelts, the stitching, the dashboard and centre console trim, the Sport Chrono stopwatch face, even the digital tacho, are all finished in the shade. I particularly love the blue highlights in the plaid, tartan-esque seat centres and door cards that are also included in the package; a nice nod from Porsche to the countless owners who have fitted colourful seat centres to their own cars over the years.

Cosmetically, there a few exclusive options to help differentiate the T if you so wish. You can also spec a 'Carrera T Exterior Package' (£1,417), which, much like the one for the interior, adds Gentian Blue accents to the exterior, including the wheels and side stickers. Alternatively, the Carrera T graphic on the side of the car, the wheels, the badges and the door mirrors are all finished in Vanadium Grey Metallic as standard (for the fellow nerds, that was the launch colour of the Spyder RS), or, if you'd prefer, you can spec your T to look no different visually to the standard Carrera by sinking an afternoon or two into the online configurator.

The new Carrera T, thanks to being the only Carrera variant available with the manual 'box, appears more desirable than ever (Image credit - Porsche Newsroom)

I think the 911 Carrera T, since its first appearance as part of the 991.2 line-up in 2017, has been a very clever idea on Porsche's behalf. For what was, essentially, a very nicely optioned and lightened standard Carrera, they have been able to create an extremely popular model within the range, offering a sweet spot for people who want a simple, no-fuss, driver-focused version of the 911, that paid tribute to the lightened, simplified Porsches of the past like the original 911T. I think the third iteration of the T is even more than just a nicely optioned Carrera, though. By making the T manual only, in a climate where none of the other Carrera models can even be optioned with one due to hybrid powertrains and ever stricter emissions laws, the Carrera T now appears to exist solely as a way for Porsche to still sell a manual 911 to everyone who wants one.

Of course, the GT3 can be specced with a manual; but not everyone will be able to get a GT3, because of the frustrating allocation process that has been problematic for years. So, alongside the GT3, the Carrera T is the final frontier for the manual Porsche 911, and the world is a much better place now that it exists. Earlier this week, Andreas Preuninger, the head of Porsche's GT department, said the next GT3 will have to be either hybrid or turbocharged to meet the new 2026 Euro 7 emissions rules, potentially meaning the manual will no longer be viable in the GT3, and maybe even the standard Carrera too. Therefore, these cars are living on borrowed time as it stands, which is a gut-wrenching thought. However, news of another 911 that you can buy right now, that lets you change swap cogs yourself, is a nice distraction. We should celebrate cars like the Carrera T while we still can.

Could the T be the final hurrah for the manual 'box, a component so vital to the driving experience, in a 911? Let's sincerely hope not (Image credit - Porsche Newsroom)