The bright red 911 Carrera T started without hesitation, and I rolled out of the Stavanger dealership and into an overcast February morning. The ease of driving this car was immediately apparent, and the thought of this 911 as a daily driver soon followed. Porsche launched the Carrera T as a “less is more” option in the spirit of the 1968 911T, and it has received warm words from many a journalist. In Porsche terms, T stands for Touring, so I thought it would be nice to do some local touring and touristing.
I headed towards Lauvvik ferry quay, where the short ferry ride would take me to Oanes. Embarking and disembarking the ferry was no big deal in the Carrera T, quite different from many sports car in the same segment with lower ground clearance. A short photoshoot at Oanes let the line of cars from the ferry get a head start, allowing me to focus on the drive rather than traffic.
At Oanes, two mighty fjords meet – Høgsfjorden and Lysefjorden, the latter well known for being the home of Preikestolen, aka Pulpit Rock, a small mountain plateau that offers a spine-tingling sheer drop of 604 metres into the fjord. The observant viewer would know that this is where Tom Cruise and Henry Cavill’s characters fought the final battle in MI:Fallout. Further into the fjord, the Kjerag massif offers an even more dramatic view, namely Kjeragbolten, a boulder wedged in a crevasse in the mountain. Standing on the boulder, you’d better not focus on the fact that there’s a 1,000-metre drop should the boulder come loose. Mother Nature sure knows how to scare the living daylights out of us.
A frisky drive along Lysefjorden led me higher up into the terrain, and I soon found myself some 200 metres above the fjord before the road descended again. The Carrera T was more than happy to play along in the curves, showing off its twin-turbocharged 370 hp at any given occasion. The push and sound from the 3-litre flat-six fit the steering wheel response perfectly, making me feel like a seasoned driver.
This 911 was delivered with the PDK gearbox option, implying this car was for cruising and touring rather than apex hugging and braking points. However, the PDK had the correct reply to all the challenges I threw at it. There is something quite special about being pushed back into the seat in a long uphill straight. I can’t see myself growing tired of that.
Space is usually a scarce luxury in a sports car, not so in the Carrera T, though, which offers ample head- and leg room. The glass roof also added to the pleasant touristing experience. Young kids will be at home in the rear seats, and there is even room for some luggage up front. All in all, the Carrera T is a car that could be the weapon of choice in most everyday situations.
A big thanks to Porsche Center Stavanger for finding the perfect car for the day.