The Porsche 911 Carrera T is back for 2023, revived now for the current 992 generation. It slots in above the base Carrera and below the Carrera S, preserving its touring car roots in the best ways possible: it’s fun, sporty, and cool; and it does it in a purist drivers’ package.

Instead of just hitting the streets of LA, we left the city for the Angeles Crest Highway. It was here where the rear-mounted twin-turbo six-cylinder came to life, displacing 379 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque. Power was sent to the rear wheels through a standard seven-speed manual transmission. According to Porsche, a Carrera T manual can do 0-60 sprints in 4.3 seconds.

But as a touring car, I almost feel like the 0-60 stuff and top speed– 181 mph, by the way– is less important. It’s about how it feels on the road. And this engine is perfect for the Carrera T’s job. Smooth acceleration, accurate response and harmonics you just can’t get enough of. The transmission is slick, and the clutch is firm in actuation without being a burden.

Sticking to the road was easy thanks to the mechanical limited slip differential with Porsche Torque Vectoring– a standard feature on the Carrera S trickled down to the T. The Porsche Active Suspension Management system and Sport Chrono Package are also included, though rear-axle steering, which my car had, is an option.

After some time driving, I had a realization– thinking back to another T I drove on similar roads…

“You know, it’s kinda funny. I was out here with the Macan T not that long ago, and I made a comment then about how the Macan T was a little sportier without going full-bore. That’s exactly the case with the Carrera T. It’s meant to be sort of a sportier ride, a very– almost like a purist kind of experience without going all-out, right? Now, they accomplish this first and foremost by being a 911, right? It’s going to sport. But, uh, standard you get a seven-speed manual and you get a rear-seat delete. Now, you can opt for an 8-speed PDK and you can also throw those rear seats back in if you so choose, and that’s fine, but I think the way I have this one optioned is just perfect. Like, this is how I would want it. So that, along with the lightweight glass, less sound deadening to let all the good noises in, um, and the Porsche Active Suspension– all those things, it all culminates into yeah, exactly that: a purist, just totally fun experience.”

So, the Carrera T brings in some of the more driver-focused amenities and also does it while saving a little weight in the process, but it does so without stripping away all the premium features you’d realistically still want. 4-way power sport seats are standard, as are the digital gauge cluster and infotainment screen; the latter of which I used for Apple CarPlay.  My car’s seats were the optional 18-way Adaptive Sport Seats– very comfortable, and stylish with the 911 name embroidered up top.

The Carrera T stands apart from the crowd in some obvious ways, like the big side profile designations and rear badging, but it also accentuates the exterior with various trimmings in Agate Gray. The wheels are finished in Titanium Grey and carry the theme well. All in all, it’s nice to have something a little bespoke in a near-entry trim.

Now, I understand that an “entry level Carrera” may sound like an oxymoron to some, but that’s what it is, starting around $118,000 with delivery. My Guards Red tester ultimately optioned out to $137,480, so you can get a little gung-ho with the options– some of which I highly recommend for that driver’s experience, like rear axle steering.

So, to reiterate my opener: the 2023 Porsche Carrera T is a fine addition in the lineup, slotting in perfectly above the Carrera and below the Carrera S. It’s fun, sporty, and– at least in my opinion– undeniably cool.

And we’ll have plenty more cool cars soon, right here on MotorWeek.

The all-electric Porsche Taycan is getting some significant updates for the 2025 model year.

We were lucky enough to get some Quick Spin early drive time in Southern Spain, both through some epic countryside scenery and on Circuito Monteblanco near the town of La Palma del Condado.

Porsche has addressed virtually every area of all Taycan models from new front and rear designs and revised lighting for the exterior, to the updated tech and new materials of the interior, to increased standard content all around.

But increased range is usually the most anticipated update when it comes to EVs, and that should be the case for all Taycans, as both the standard and Performance Battery Plus get a boost in capacity. Official numbers are not out just yet,but expect 20-30% more available miles. All that plus more power too, coming not from just software upgrades, but actual hardware changes.

All Taycan’s get a new rear motor with varying levels of output based on trim level. Base rear-drive Taycans getting a 60-kW increase, which is enough to shave more than half a second off the 0-60 time.

More notable is the all-wheel drive Turbo S, which gets an additional 140-kW of output for a new total of 700 kW; increasing horsepower from 750 to 938 and helping it now to get to 60 in just 2.3 seconds.

But most impressive is a new Taycan Turbo GT, available with and without a lightweight Weissach Package. At 1,019 horsepower, it’s the most powerful production Porsche ever.

BRIAN ROBINSON: “So, how do you make the Porsche of EVs even better? Well, more range is a good way, and more power is also a good way. They’ve done both here with the new Taycan; but above all of that, it’s really just this car’s superb driving experience that sets it apart from other high-performance, high-end EVs.”

Porsche is taking orders now for the 2025 Taycan. Plan on shelling out at least $100,000, with the Turbo GT around $230,000. And we’ll have more Quick Spins… soon!