Meet the Porsche 911 Carrera T - the manual-only, rear-drive purist’s dream in the 992.2 lineup. Forget the oversized wings and track-ready aesthetics; this 911 is all about simple pleasures and, arguably, it’s one of the coolest.

With more 911 variants than you could count on both hands, the Carrera T stands out by “concentrating on the essentials,” as Porsche puts it. In this case, essentials mean a 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six, a six-speed manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive. Tempted by the GT3? One look at this, and you’ll reconsider.

The engine’s a familiar one, producing 389 bhp (290 kW) and 450 Nm of torque, the same as the base Carrera. But here’s the twist: the Carrera T isn’t as quick, taking 4.5 seconds from 0–100 km/h compared to the 3.9 seconds you’d get with the Sport Chrono-equipped base Carrera. And if you go for the open-top Carrera T, it’s even slower at 4.7 seconds. But honestly, who cares?

The real delight here is the manual gearbox, complete with a wooden gear knob, no PDK wizardry, just the tactile connection between you and the car. The Carrera T may not be the fastest, but it’s engineered to thrill: standard-fit rear-axle steering, adaptive dampers, and a 10 mm drop in suspension with a custom setup that balances neutral handling with agility.

Braking is top-notch too, with 350 mm discs all around and six-piston calipers up front. And Porsche’s gone light with this T, stripping down the insulation, adding lightweight glass, and making carbon bucket seats available. In its lightest form, it weighs just 1,478 kg, a solid 40 kg lighter than a base Carrera.

It looks the part too, rolling on 20/21-inch alloys with a unique sticker inside showing the shift pattern, a spoiler lip borrowed from the GTS, and the Sport Chrono Pack’s stopwatch. And the sound? With reduced insulation, an auto-blip function on the ‘box, and a standard-fit sports exhaust, it’s bound to be sonically delightful.

If carbon buckets aren’t your thing, four-way adjustable sports seats come as standard, with plenty of options for custom design packs inside and out. Add to that some fantastic ‘Legends’ paint options, and you have a 911 that’s understated but unforgettable.