The drive doesn’t begin well in the Carrera T – it won’t start. Foot on the brake, twist the ‘key’ next to the wheel and… nothing. Dash lights up, but no spark. Try again, because this can’t be right. Still nothing. Is the key in my pocket? Yep. There’s fuel in it. What on earth could i… Oh. The dash message explains: ‘Press clutch to start’. What a tool. So ubiquitous has the PDK Porsche experience become that the presence of a manual – a T USP in fact, as it’s not offered with the standard Carrera – wasn’t even countenanced. Silly billy. But it’s very much welcome once brain is engaged. Manual Porsches are the best Porsches, right?

The seven-speed transmission is one of a few T-specific features that aren’t available on the 385hp entry point to 992s, helping to counter some of the cynicism that exists around the T badge not bringing an awful lot more to the experience. (The introduction of a 2.0-litre Macan T can’t have helped that perception much, either.) As well as less sound insulation, thinner glass and a lighter battery, this latest 992 iteration also gets PASM Sport as standard, not offered on the Carrera and which drops the ride height a tad. Similarly, Porsche torque vectoring with a mechanical limited-slip diff is thrown in, and rear axle steer is another available option (fitted here) that buyers can’t have on the ordinary Carrera. It is yet another 911 derivative, yes, but you can see the place for it, hopefully injecting some fizz and some fun into what’s a quite serious sports car package.

Looks great as well, the T, and that shouldn’t be ignored. On the larger Carrera S wheels, in Racing Yellow and ever so slightly lower to the ground, it’s definitely more arresting than a base car. Even the graphics on the side look quite smart, and there are surely as many 911 sticker misses out there as hits. Same goes for inside: this isn’t a drastically different 992 by any stretch, but the concessions to enthusiast use do make it more interesting: two-seat 911s always feel a bit more special, and the regular fabric seats up front clasp in all the right places. Once you’ve realised it’s there, moreover, the presence of a gearstick in a 2023 911 never fails to raise a smile.

Once underway, the driving experience neatly reflects the spec, and picks up pretty much exactly where the old 991 T left off. It’s a keener, meaner, more urgent 911 Carrera, one that retains that famed usability – it’ll cruise at 2,000rpm or so, and the road noise isn’t a whole lot worse – while making every journey that bit more interesting. The manual is a key component of that, forcing your involvement and enriching the experience at every opportunity.

Where once it seemed folk were a bit snooty about the seven-speed (probably correctly), it feels better than ever here. The shift is nicely weighted, short enough in throw and really accurate (unless you’re the kind of weirdo who wants to go from seventh to fifth), complemented by a clutch that’s just about spot on. Much as it did in the Sport Classic, the T’s is most certainly a manual that’ll have you shifting for the fun of it, a layer of interaction that the PDK simply can’t offer. It brings some additional character to the engine, too, the auto masking a bit of lag that can be discovered from hooking a high gear at low rpm; as is so often the case, three pedals tend to unearth a side of the 911 you wouldn’t otherwise have noticed. And that’s important as the model gets ever more refined (and weightier). 

Second gear in the T runs to more than 75mph, and third will reach comfortably into three figures, so it’s not exactly sprint gearing. This does seem a bit of shame given there are so many ratios to choose from, if hardly a dealbreaker. While the manual feels fantastic flashing through an upshift at the limiter or nailing a rev-matched downchange, it remains properly satisfying in more everyday scenarios as well. Flitting between third and fourth on a B road here is, predictably enough, a whole lot more joyous here than with a dual-clutch.

As for the rest of the package, it says something of the T’s additional zest and vigour that you almost default to the shoutier exhaust and tenser damper mode. The additional vibrancy of those settings complements a 911 of such eagerness, agility, and inertia-free response. Keep the drive mode in Normal, though, as that keeps the rev match off – you didn’t buy a T for the car to get perfect downshifts, did you?

Combine this additional vim with the trademark 911 attributes – great driving position, super brakes, a real willingness to rev – and there’s clearly a level of enjoyment on tap that the entry-level Carrera doesn’t reach. The weight loss and the equipment updates probably sound inconsequential, but the result is undoubtedly a 911 that feels lighter on its feet and that bit more enthusiastic. Indeed, such is the uptick in chassis dynamism that there’s the occasional desire for a bit more out of the engine.

Sounds silly, of course, because the bald stats show this to be a very fast car. And when things are going right, it most certainly is. But PDK is so good at getting the right gear at the right time (and has an extra ratio to get through) that it’s convinced us a Carrera is probably faster than it is. Sometimes you’ll be exiting bends in third (having flawlessly downshifted on the way in, of course), and want to get up the revs for more of that 935-style sound. But then this is a car that’ll do 110mph or so in that gear, with only a bit more torque than a Focus ST. Sometimes you crave just a bit more urgency to really bring the whole experience to life. But not all that often. Second gear is always an option, after all…

If the arguments against the T sound a bit weak, that’s most likely because they are; for evidence of what can be achieved within the confines of the base Carrera, it’s hard to think of what more could be done. This is a nicer-driving 992 than the manual Carrera S, because the gearbox feels a better fit for the rest of the changes, and it would be hard to say with any real conviction that a GTS would offer up significantly more thrills for its premium.

Speaking of which… stating that a Porsche 911 costs a lot of money feels a bit like telling you the engine is in the back. But even so, the T looks a lot given a 992 Carrera launched as an £83,000 car in 2019. A lot has happened since then, yes, and Porsche is hardly alone in raising its prices, but a new Carrera is now from £97,000 – and this particular T has come out of the configurator at £113,638. 

The T’s modifications feel worth the £8k premium for the richer experience on offer (even with another £1,800 of rear axle steering to think about as well), and probably represents the best value for a non-GT 992 manual – without visiting a circuit, you really don’t need any more 911 than this. Perhaps the bigger quandary for buyers might be the other two-seat, two-door Porsches that also have a flat-six behind the driver and can be bought for less, as both Cayman GTS or GT4 represent compelling alternatives to the T. That said, short of a GT3, this is the manual 992 to buy. In an uncertain future for both three-pedal gearboxes and petrol sports cars, that feels like a pretty good place for the new Carrera T to be.

Engine: 2981cc, flat-six, twin-turbo
Transmission: 7-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 385@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 332@1,950-5,000rpm
0-62mph: 4.5 secs
Top speed: 182mph
Weight: 1,470kg (DIN)
MPG: 27.4
CO2: 234g/km
Price £105,700 (price as standard; price as tested £113,638, comprising BOSE Surround Sound System for £1,152, Light design package for £407, ParkAssist including Surround View for £1,374, Fire extinguisher for £155, Electric folding exterior mirrors for £276, LED Matrix main lights including Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus for £2,361, Rear axle steering for £1,830, Side window trims painted in black (high gloss) for £383. Racing Yellow, Sport-Tex interior package, Sports seats plus and 20/21-inch Carrera S wheels all NCOs)