Is The New Porsche 911 Carrera T The Perfect 992?

It’s no secret that Porsche makes great sports cars, but the German firm’s prices are nothing to be scoffed at. You’ll be looking at nearly six figures for a bog-standard 911 Carrera before options, and while no such thing as a poor man’s 911, there must surely be a sweet spot for value in the lineup, right?

Those fortunate enough to be able to blow £100k on a sports car may not need to look any further than the brand-new Porsche 911 Carrera T, as it has all the makings to be a thoroughbred driver’s car at a cut price compared to the range-topping GT3.

The new 911 Carrera T starts at £98,500 (around $111,000), so it’s not what you’d call ‘cheap’. However, if you had the cash, you could theoretically walk into a Porsche dealership and place your order today, unlike the GT3 which will be almost impossible for most to get onto the waiting list for. Not to mention GT3s are now comfortably reselling for almost double their base-spec cost of £127,820 (around $144,000).

So, how does this sub £100,000 Porsche 911 stack up? The new Carrera T is powered by the basic 3.0-litre 380bhp Carrera engine, but unlike the entry-level car, it comes with a host of enthusiast-friendly options to give it an edge over the base car.

Rear-wheel drive is the only drivetrain option, while a seven-speed manual gearbox and deleted rear seats come as standard for weight savings. Before now, non-S Carrera engine was only available with an eight-speed PDK automatic gearbox. You can still option the dual-clutch gearbox plus the rear seats at no extra cost, but the stick-shift and seatless rear sound like the way to go for a fun ride.

The 911 Carrera T weighs in at 1,470kg, which is 35kg lighter than the standard Carrera thanks to the manual gearbox, thinner glass and reduced soundproofing. 0-62mph can be reached in 4.5 seconds, while top speed is rated at 181mph.

This car isn’t all about top speeds and record lap times, though – it’s made to propel you around twisty B-roads with a big grin on your face for the best price that Porsche is willing to sell a 911 for. It may well be the sweet spot in the 911 range, but at £98,500, it’s still difficult to call this the poor man’s GT3.

Next up, check out Real-Life 911 Sally Special Becomes Most Expensive New Porsche Ever Auctioned