2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T detailed – manual-only hero for Australia

Vinyl records, analogue watches and – dare we say it – printed magazines.

For some, there’s no matching the tactility of the traditional, two T-words that many rusted-on car enthusiasts continue to cling to with a death grip in this modern, electrified and increasingly automated era. Thankfully for those people, the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T exists.

Due to commence deliveries in the second quarter of 2025, the latest incarnation of the 911 Carrera T (the T ostensibly means Touring, but might as well stand for Trad) will arrive with only one gearbox choice: a six-speed manual, taking drive to the rear wheels exclusively. The dual-clutch eight-speed auto that was previously offered as an option for the Carrera T has been dropped from the spec sheet, making the 2025 model one for three-pedal connoisseurs only. The manual gearbox is also different, sporting six ratios versus the seven of the pre-facelift 911 Carrera T.

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The engine compartment might only contain a base-spec 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine producing 290kW and 450Nm – the lowest outputs in the 911 family - but the 911 Carrera T Coupe will, provided the driver is swift with their shifts, punch from zero to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds and run to a 295km/h Vmax. Add 0.2 seconds and subtract 2km/h from those metrics for the 911 Carrera T Cabriolet (yes, a drop-top 911 Carrera T is now part of the family).

Though those numbers are a few tenths slower than the base 911 Carrera, which is equipped with a dual-clutch 8-speed auto as standard, Porsche is banking that the T’s higher engagement factor will speak louder than its straight-line stats.

As standard, the 911 Carrera T in both Coupe and Cabriolet form will come with a suite of performance-enhancers. It’s not all about low-tech thrills and visceral mechanical engagement either, as most of the gear relies on microchips and actuators to deliver enhanced dynamics – gear like the PASM sports suspension that’s 10mm lower and wears stiffer springs than the regular PASM adaptive suspension, as well as the active rear-wheel steering and brake torque-vectoring hardware that help boost agility and stability.

The T’s steering rack ratio and rear-wheel steering calibration is also unique to that variant, with the rear-steer also being new equipment for the 2025 model.

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Beyond that, the Carrera T is also slightly lighter than the standard 911 Carrera, registering a 1490kg unladen weight versus the auto-only Carrera’s 1520kg. Want to cleave more kilos? Deleting the rear seat is a free option, though replacing the standard four-way electric Sports front seats with the optional featherweight carbon-fibre fixed-back buckets is an $11,250 exercise.

Lower-tech enhancements include the improved sonics from its standard-fit sports exhaust, a shortened gearshifter topped by a Walnut ply knob, 350mm front brake rotors with six-piston calipers, 20/21-inch staggered-fit alloys cribbed from the Carrera S, and ‘Carrera T’ graphics in either a subtle grey or Gentian Blue (both of which bring complementary colouring to the wheels).

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The price? $306,800 for the 911 Carrera T Coupe, and $330,100 for the Cabriolet, both before on-road costs – a $26K increase over the price of the base Carrera that it shares its engine with, but with a performance focus that echoes the spirit of the $660K limited-edition 911 S/T (the only other manual-only model in the contemporary 911 family), the Carrera T is definitely one for the enthusiasts.