992.2 911 Carrera T Vs. 992.1 911 Carrera T: Here's What Changed

What you can see

Slightly tweaked design

The updated 992.2 911 Carrera T brings some notable design changes compared to the 992.1 911 Carrera T, especially with the headlights. The front gets the same Matrix LED headlights as standard, like the base Carrera, but the turn signals has now been integrated from the bumper into the headlight cluster. You’ll need to spend $1,780 to get the HD Matrix headlights. Also, at the rear, the taillights seem wider and better connected than the outgoing Carrera T. The rest of the design looks mostly the same identical and will remain like that until Porsche brings some serious design overhaul to the next generation of 911s.

Exterior design highlights:

• Headlights: The 2025 model features updated Matrix LED headlights with a sleeker design.

• Taillights: The 2025 model has slightly wider and more connected taillights.

• Front Fascia: Subtle differences in the front bumper and air intakes.

• Rear Fascia: Revised rear bumper design with updated exhaust tips.

• Wheel Design: New wheel designs are available for the 2025 model.

• Color Options: Updated color palette with new options.

• Vanadium Grey Accents: The 2025 model features Vanadium Grey accents on side mirror caps, wheels, and badging for a sportier look.

No more PDK option for the Carrera T

Yes, that’s correct. The newly updated 992.2 911 Carrera T comes standard with a manual gearbox; no eight-speed PDK automatic this time around. Also, the manual gearbox is a six-speed unit, unlike the very unique seven-speed shifter offered with the outgoing 992.1 Carrera T. But it’s not a completely new manual gearbox; Porsche utilized the first six ratios from the older 992.1 Carrera T’s seven-speed unit. Like before, the updated Carrera T retains the auto-blip function, which you can turn off to perfect your rev-matching skills.

I think the decision to make the Carrera T a manual-only affair makes it more attractive and engaging. Since the standard 992.2 911 Carrera isn’t available with a DIY gearbox, the Carrera T could be an excellent entry-level GT3 of sorts for the majority of the 911 buyers.

Additionally, there’s something special going on with the shifter. Instead of a leather-wrapped knob, the 992.2 Carrera T gets a matte walnut gear knob. How cool is that? You might be familiar with a similar shifter design if you remember the Carrera GT and going back to the Porsche 917 Le Mans racer from the 1970s. However, the supercar had a shiny finish. Please note: even the GT3 with the manual gearbox isn’t going to get this specifically styled shifter.

A Carrera T in an open-top flavor?

For the first time, Porsche is also offering the Carrera T in a cabriolet version with the 992.2 generation. In Porsche land, cabriolet means soft-top convertible. However, Porsche’s decision to offer the Carrera T in a cabriolet version for the first time seems a bit puzzling. After all, the new 2025 911 Carrera T is marketed as the lightest 992.2 911 Carrera available. Adding the convertible roof mechanism and the necessary chassis reinforcements inevitably increases weight, which seems to contradict the car’s core purpose as a lightweight, purist sports car.

Updated cockpit view

As part of the 992.2 update, the Carrera T gets a 12.6-inch driver information display, which replaces the older system with the center analog tachometer. This update has disappointed some purists who prefer the analog feel of the previous system. However, this change has its benefits, and it’s refreshing that the 911 hasn’t gone overboard with screens like some other Porsche models. Unlike the Taycan, Cayenne, Panamera, and the new Macan EV, you can’t get the optional passenger display with the 992.2 911. The previous generation’s analog tachometer was often obscured by the steering wheel. Now, with the digital display, you can choose different layouts for the tachometer in various driving modes.

What you can’t see

3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six: same same but different

If you look at the engine displacement of the 992.2 911 Carrera T and its characteristics, they match the outgoing 992.1 model. Yes, it’s a 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six, with a few key changes. You see, the engine used here is the same unit that debuted with the 992.2 911 Carrera. This means turbochargers used in this lump are carried over from the previous 911 GTS and a charge-air cooler from the last 911 Turbo.

The result is a staggeringly modest nine horsepower increase over the previous iteration: 388 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque. However, both the manual-equipped 992.1 911 Carrera T and its 992.2 counterpart can accelerate to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. Also, the maximum speed you can achieve is 183 mph.

Upgraded chassis components

The updated 992.2 911 Carrera T benefits from a host of chassis upgrades that were previously optional on the 992.1 Carrera T. For example, rear-axle steering was previously optional; now, it’s standard. Additionally, there are revised anti-roll bars, torque vectoring, and revised PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management), which were present in the outgoing model but should be improved for the updated Dot 2 model.

To boost the T’s stopping power, Porsche upgraded the brakes with larger 13.8-inch discs at both the front and rear. These discs are gripped by six-piston calipers, unlike the previous model’s four-piston setup. To complete the sporty look, the T rides on staggered wheels—20 inches in the front and 21 inches in the rear.

Weight is still lowest in the 992.2 bunch, but more than the 992.1

Porsche calls the 911 Carrera T Coupe the lightest 911 Carrera you can buy. But here’s the catch: it’s actually a bit heavier than the old one! Yep, the new one weighs 3,316 pounds, while the old one weighs just 3,254 pounds. That’s a difference of 62 pounds. It might not seem like much, but when the "lightweight" model is only 26 pounds lighter than the regular Carrera (which weighs 3,342 pounds), you start to wonder if it deserves that "lightweight" badge. To put it into perspective, last year’s 911 Carrera T was a whole 100 pounds lighter than the regular 911 with the PDK automatic gearbox.

Now, Porsche has tried to shed some weight. They have used thinner glass for the windows and took out some of the sound-deadening material to make it quieter inside. But here’s the thing: a big part of the weight savings comes from the Carrera T Coupe only having two seats when it leaves the factory. You can get the back seats installed as a free option, and let’s be honest, most people probably will. So, in the end, it might not be as lightweight as Porsche makes it out to be!

The Carrera T Is very expensive for the 992.2 generation

Today, even the base 911 Carrera is expensive, and the Carrera T is a big step above. The coupe starts at $134,000, while the Cabriolet is priced at around $150,000. To give you a perspective, the updated 992.2 911 Carrera T is $14,000 more expensive than the model it replaces. However, I feel the price hike seems justified when you consider all the upgrades Porsche has given the Carrera T.

Features such as better brakes, a standard rear-axle steering system, a fully digital driver’s display, and a gear shifter with a wooden finish are all welcome changes. But perhaps the most compelling aspect of the Carrera T is that it exists at all, given that is the only other 911 model to offer a stick, beside the top-of-the-line near 300k 911 S/T, which in my opinion is the 911 of the decade.