In a world where a BMW M3 must be all-wheel drive and automatic, a Golf GTI must be five-door and automatic, and model lineups everywhere are being trimmed (as well as dulled) down, there’s undoubtedly something intriguing about the new 911 Carrera T Cabriolet. Even if that’s wondering what the point is. After all, the T is supposed to be about extracting the maximum driver reward possible from the Carrera coupe, and two generations thus far have been hardtop only. It’s hard to imagine there’s been much demand from customers for a T cab - especially a manual only one, as the 992.2 car is - yet here it is. It feels like a very niche prospect, even by 911 standards, a heavier and lazier variant of the connoisseur’s coupe. But then it’s also a 400hp, six-speed, rear-drive soft top that weighs almost 350kg less than the equivalent M4. Gotta be worth a try, right?
To these eyes, the T doesn’t make the most auspicious start, as big-bottomed convertible 911s seldom do. A Carrera T coupe strikes just the right note; the messages here, perhaps as expected, are a little more mixed. And the new wheels specific to the model don’t look as smart as old wheels did. The interior is spot on, though, the optional Carrera T interior package with Gentian Blue fabric a colourful alternative to the norm and the wooden gearlever sitting just right in the middle. Some comments on the original news story weren’t so keen on the timber, and it’s certainly unavoidable - complete with an ‘MT’ plaque beneath, in case it wasn’t clear - though it could easily be argued that Porsche is justified in celebrating the gearbox in a manual only model for 2025.
And it’s a six-speed! Gone is the fiddly seventh ratio, which tended to sully a favourable impression of the rest of the transmission. By the end, after a decade of tinkering, it actually shifted with a very pleasingly Porsche heft and accuracy, right up until messing about with the top. Notable from the press material is that this six is an evolution of the seven, rather than carried across from the 718s.
It certainly sits in the centre of a 992 just so, the shorter lever a more appropriate size than the slightly gangly (by comparison) item used in models like the old Carrera S. The relationship between pedals, wheel and stick is spot on, as is so often the case with Porsche, even the usual long clutch travel not so noticeable here. Just finish your oat latte before finishing off, as the cupholder sits right in your hand’s flight path. You might also block shift from fourth to sixth and spill some. Bring back the pair that once sprouted out above the glovebox!
On the road, the most significant initial takeaway is how cohesive and sorted a car of such mixed messages feels. Probably we shouldn’t expect anything less from Porsche these days, though given how well-suited 992s always feel with a PDK, there was a danger the self-shifter could feel a touch anachronistic with the Carrera engine, a throwback for the sake of being able to put a six-speed sticker in the window (which looks better than it sounds). Not a bit of it, as it turns out: clutch and shift are positive, there’s ample torque from the turbo 3.0-litre, the rev match is a dream if you CBA, and a little against expectations - because we’re tedious purists like that on PH - there’s enjoyment to be found in the drop-top T.
But pootling along in any convertible when the sun’s out will make you feel good. Happily, the T’s appeal proves more than skin deep. The model-unique calibration for the suspension, standard four-wheel steer (not available on a regular Carrera) and assists are really nicely done, a little keener than stock without feeling quite so serious or so stiff as something like a GTS. The T has a near-100kg weight advantage over the T-Hybrid drop-top, and on the same roads with similarly giant wheels there’s just a smidge more flow and a little less aggression, which is nice. This isn’t bobbing along a road or requiring careful management of the weight distribution, but it is a slightly more relaxed sports car experience. This plays perfectly to the more traditional, less instant transmission, and the sense that is a properly considered addition to the lineup rather than a manual for the sake of it.
Fizzing along a little faster there’s decent integrity to the structure, with precious few wobbles apart from in the very worst situations, some entertaining crackles and pops from the sports exhaust, and sufficient leniency in PSM Sport for some PG-rated fun at the wheel. Before long those questions about the message and the meaning of a Carrera T cabrio are clean forgotten. Mainly because it’s just a really nice convertible to drive.
There are those familiar 992 traits, like a reassuring brake pedal and spot-on steering response, albeit with the joy of a manual - so seldom seen in regular models for this generation - elevating the experience further. PDK is fantastic, that’s in no doubt, but with that tiny switch and fairly forgettable paddles away from GT cars it never compels you to get involved like some autos can. By stark contrast, of course, a manual must, so you inevitably forge more of a relationship with the car. A positive one here, too, because the second to third shift - the B-road one, especially with the former hitting the limiter at 78mph - feels superb in both directions, even with left-hand drive. Sometimes you’ll just extend third longer than is strictly necessary down a slip road, then lunge for sixth in one move, and that feels great. The T is a welcome reminder of why a manual is a great fit in a sports car.
At the third time of asking, too, the Carrera T really seems to have an established place in the 911 range, where previously it could feel like a spec variation. Partly because it’s the only way into a six-speed below a GT3, but partly because it also celebrates that fact wholeheartedly in a fashion the previous ones didn’t. Perhaps the stickers and the wood and aluminum pedals are a bit much, though in a sports car that typically feels so serious they’re a welcome bit of fun. As is, let’s be frank, 400hp, rear-wheel drive, six cylinders and three pedals. Just as it always has been, with or without a roof. A 4.0-litre 718 would still amplify the thrill, but this T proves the manual 911 Carrera remains just as valid a concept as ever. Bring on the Coupe.
SPECIFICATION | 2025 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA T CONVERTIBLE
Engine: 2,981cc, flat-six, twin-turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 394@N/Arpm
Torque (lb ft): 332@N/Arpm
0-62mph: 4.7 secs
Top speed: 182mph
Weight: 1,580kg (DIN)
MPG: 25.7-26.4
CO2: 244g/km-250g/km
Price: £121,300
1 / 18
