2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T review

The facelifted 992.2-series Porsche 911 lineup has arrived with a new entry-level manual-only offering called the Carrera T.

I mean, entry-level is relative, right? This machine still costs north of $300,000, but it is money well spent for those in the market for a stick-shift sports car with premium pedigree and amazing amounts of useability.

If you like manual cars, you like Porsches, and you like the idea of a car that is manageable, not overpowered and still thrilling in the ways that only a sports car from the storied German automaker can be, then this one is going to be right up your alley.

Let me explain why…

How much does the Porsche 911 cost?

The Carrera T is positioned towards the bottom of the current 19-variant Porsche 911 ladder, but still costs a fair chunk of change.

The model I tested was a MY25, but a MY26 example will set you back $318,000 before on-road costs – an increase of $11,200.

Our test car also had a heap of added extras including:

• Adaptive 18-way electric sports seats with memory – $5910
• Interior in Gentian Blue – $5250
• Exterior contrast colour package in Gentian Blue – $3600
• LED puddle lamps with 911 T logo – $600
• Electric tilt/slide sunroof – $4720
• Front axle lift system – $4950
• Tinted LED matrix headlights – $6240
• Exclusive design tail-lights – $1440
• Heated steering wheel in Race-Tex – $350
• Colour-coded car key – $780
• Door sill guards in carbon matte with illumination – $2120
• Ioniser – $600
• Porsche dash-cam preparation – $250

It also came with a couple of no-cost options, including rear seats, a 20- and 21-inch Carrera S wheel package, and the Gentian Blue sticker pack.

All told, this test car costs $343,610 plus on-roads. 

To see how the Porsche 911 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Porsche 911 like on the inside?

There’s a traditional-meets-tech vibe in the cabin.

The centrepiece – literally – is the open-pore walnut gearknob, which is an eye-catching inclusion, though I personally could do without the ‘MT’ badge nearby.

As you probably know, it’s almost impossible to choose an interior and exterior design finish that can’t be done straight out of Stuttgart, so the somewhat understated cabin treatment of this test car was a little unexpected.

The cabin finishes in the Gentian Blue hue were delightful, sure, but some old-school Porsche peeps mightn’t like the lack of leather on the seats.

But the optional 18-way adjustable units fitted to our test car were exceptionally good. Bolster adjustment, under-thigh adjustment (much loved by big units like photographer Alex Mayes, who took these pics) and decent comfort levels make them road-trip ready.

You’ll be able to while away the hours with the media system and Bose stereo, too, because the sound system is top-notch, and during my time I had no issues with wireless CarPlay either. 

The media screen has a whole host of menus to choose from that will allow you to make adjustments to drive modes, safety assist and media, and there’s a connected sat-nav system as well as YouTube streaming when you’re parked. And for those who head to the track, the Sport Chrono system has a heap of telemetry assistance to help you hone your lap times.

The driver info screen has seven different displays you can choose from, including more minimalist designs and a five-wide array of dials, always with the speedo front and centre. 

The buttons and dials are well thought-out, with triggers for climate controls and a host of quality feeling buttons for other interior adjustments like the sunroof.

I wasn’t, however, all that impressed by the difference in plastic used on the pop-out cupholder on the passenger side, when compared to the dash finish. It might be a minor whinge, but this is a $300k-plus car. 

At least there is a cupholder there, and another between the seats, not to mention a few other small storage options. The door pockets are similar to those on skinny jeans… almost useless.

The driver has a heap of controls to learn on the steering wheel – some of which are for the media system, others for the info binnacle display. And then there’s the drive mode dial, which is beautifully positioned at hand, so you can quickly dial up the dose if you need Sport or Sport+ modes in an instant. 

Some practicality considerations, if they matter.

You can fit child seats in the back, as there are ISOFIX points hidden behind a removable padding plate at the base of the rear seats, and two top-tethers as well. I put my daughter in the back a couple of times (she’s four) and there was barely enough space for the passenger seat to be positioned so she wouldn’t kick it.

There is no traditional boot, because there’s no tailgate or hatch. And, look, I know, it’s a coupe – but it’s a pain in the arse not to have a way to access the 261 litres of cargo space with the rear seats up (or 373L with them down), other than by pushing the front seats all the way forward and hoping you can fit your stuff in. 

There is a storage area under the bonnet, which offers a useful 135L of capacity, but I guess if you’re thinking about a 911 you should get some soft luggage rather than hard cases. And don’t even think about a pram unless you’re a really cool person who thinks a roof pod works nicely on a 911.

To see how the Porsche 911 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The T is the slowest Porsche 911 you can buy. Apart from an old one, of course.

That isn’t a selling point when you put it so bluntly, but it’s simply the reality. Porsche’s entry-level PDK auto-equipped Carrera is quicker with a 4.1-second 0-100km/h time versus 4.5 for this, ahem, slowpoke! 

The Cabriolet is 0,2 seconds slower, completing the sprint in 4.7 seconds. 

All examples of the Carrera T feature rev-matching for downchanges, as well as the Sport Chrono Package as standard.

I did a mix of enthusiastic driving and daily duties, and saw an average of 11.9L/100km, which I was impressed with. I gave this thing a hard time a couple of times, and through some corners!

To see how the Porsche 911 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Porsche 911 drive?

You won’t get an experience quite like this anywhere else in the sports car segment.

There’s a slick six-speed stick shifter with a lovely wooden gearknob and a beautifully weighted shift action, but with a somewhat unforgivingly heavy clutch pedal feel. 

There’s no denying that you’re going to be involved in the 911 T driving experience. And that’s what’s so good about it.

Even if you stall it (as I did), onlookers will just assume it’s the engine idle start/stop tech working to save fuel. If you don’t like it, you can turn it off, but it actually does make for a more serene experience in stop-start traffic when the engine cuts out, because it’s quite a raucous noise inside the cabin.

Not that I’m complaining, but you will have to be okay with a fair bit of engine noise in the cabin, and prepare yourself for loads of road noise on rougher surfaces. I was really surprised by just how many individual stones I could hear rattling into the underbody on a resealed street near my house, while the highway commute I did was, er, better enjoyed with the stereo turned up quite loud.

But you’ve gotta expect some rawness in a car like this and, frankly, when driven with a bit more enthusiasm, I’d choose the sound of a 911 flat-six engine any day over some inane podcast or an album I’ve already heard a dozen times. 

The old adage about a slow car driven fast being more fun than a fast car driven slow rings true here. And look, I’m not saying this is slow, but it’s sure slower than something like the 911 GTS or, heaven forbid, one of the REALLY fast 911s.

It’s still theatrical, thrilling and charming, but never alarming (with the traction control on, at least), and while I’m sure it is more at home on roads where speed limits are more negotiable than where I live (it has a top speed of 295km/h, after all!), the real funness of this car is its easy-going eagerness. It’s like a puppy that just wants to please you.

It has four-wheel steering, which I found somewhat hard to judge when pushing hard in tighter corners – I kept feeling like I was over-applying lock through hairpins, with the back-end more eagerly tucking into the action than I’d expected.

It makes it a less pure experience than I was hoping for, but that tech is also offered on other variants in the range, too.

It did make me wish for a 911 T without four-wheel steer, because I think that would absolutely meet the mark for a more budget-friendly offering in the supercar space.

I will also call out the optional nose-lift system, which I couldn’t live without in a car like this. It should be standard, frankly, because front-end ground clearance is a concern. It’s excellent that the car can geo-pin locations to remember that it needs to raise the nose for speed humps or driveways, too, lifting it by 40mm to better negotiate such obstacles.

Don’t forget to lower it down, though, because it can make the front-end feel ultra rigid as speeds increase, and while it will automatically lower the vehicle at about 35km/h, in urban driving it might slip your mind.

Remember, the T gets lowered suspension compared to the standard 911, and clearance is just 115mm – which means it’s closer to the ground than and an iPhone on its end. 

With 20-inch wheels (and 245/35 Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber) at the front, and 21s with wider (305/30) tyres at the rear, the contact patch is considerable and, of course, if you’re expecting a level of firmness from a car like this when it comes to ride comfort, that’s exactly what you get.

In the softest suspension damper setting it still isn’t pillowy, but does feel a touch wobbly over some bumps, and the sports suspension mode tightens things up to a slightly less comfortable level. It almost feels like it needs a middle setting. 

But at pace it feels stable, planted and playful, no matter what the suspension mode, and the stability control system is very measured and well mannered.

And of course, if it goes like stink, it needs to stop like air-freshener… and the braking performance is exceptional. With six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers gripping cross-drilled discs, it pulls up strongly.

Be mindful of the width of it, too. Ihe 911 T is a broad-shouldered vehicle, and feels its width in urban driving situations.

To see how the Porsche 911 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

As you might have guessed, there are a whole bunch of additions and adjustments you can make when choosing a new 911, and Porsche’s configurator is a lot of fun. But there’s plenty of standard equipment to start with.

2025 Porsche 911 T equipment highlights:

• 20- and 21-inch staggered wheel package
• Matrix LED camera-based lighting 
• LED tail-lights
• Open-pore walnut laminated wood gear knob
• ‘MT’ badge ahead of the gear lever
• Shift pattern logo on the passenger-side dashboard
• Four-wheel steering
• Lowered sports suspension 
• Sports exhaust system
• Remote start
• Keyless entry
• Push-button start
• Sport Chrono Package
• Leather-wrapped and heated GT steering wheel 
• Four-way power-adjustable front seats with Sport-Tex centre trim
• Dual zone climate control
• 12.6-inch curved driver info display with seven layouts
• 10.9-inch touchscreen media system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Connected services
• Satellite navigation
• Bose surround sound system
• Digital radio
• Surround view camera (with active parking support)
• Deployable rear spoiler

You get manual steering column adjustment, as opposed to the electric setup in the base 911 Carrera. And this manual model doesn’t get adaptive cruise control – just standard cruise.

To see how the Porsche 911 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Porsche 911 safe?

Did you know that the Porsche 911 has never been crash tested by any of the independent auto safety watchdogs? The brand has put it through heaps of internal crash testing, of course, but there’s no Euro NCAP or ANCAP rating.

However, it does have a host of standard safety technology items to help prevent crashes, or potentially lessen the damage, including:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) including pedestrian detection
• Lane keeping assistance
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver awareness detection
• Surround view camera with auto parking
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Cruise control (not adaptive)

And when it comes to airbag coverage, there are six but only occupants in the front are covered, so there are dual front airbags, side airbags, and curtain airbags.

To see how the Porsche 911 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Porsche 911 cost to run?

Porsche has a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty as standard, but if you want you can pay to extend that warranty to a maximum of 15 years!

There’s no capped-price servicing plan, but service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

Roadside assistance is available – you get 12 months for free, and it will top up if you service with Porsche.

To see how the Porsche 911 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Porsche 911 Carrera T

It’s hard not to love every version of the Porsche 911, but the Carrera T might be a different kind of special machine.

It’s slower, sure, but it’s also terrific to drive, and super-involving, too.

It could be one of the last manual 911s, so if you’re into that, you’ll be into this. Big time.

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