Pitting the Porsche 911 T and 911 GTS Against Each Other To See Which One’s Best

“Here’s the keys, and enjoy! See you in a week!” Smiling from ear to ear, I took hold of said keys, unlocked the car, got in and pinched myself to see if I wasn’t dreaming. I wasn’t, not for a second, but it was a dream moment for me yet again. I just got into a brand-spanking new Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet, in a striking deep purple colour. Knowing I had the car to myself for almost a week was something I was looking forward to for quite some time! And on top of that, knowing that Frank, a Porsche nut as well, got to experience that same range of emotions later that same day when picking up “his” Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet, made it all the more exciting!

It’s been a little over a year since we had the thrill of a lifetime in the oh-so-special 911 Dakar, and I have a tangible souvenir in a 1:18 scale set up in my home office. Now, though, it’s time to subtly do it all over again with not one but two Porsche 911s. And not just any Porsches, but probably two of the finest ever made. On one end, we have the more analogue 911 Carrera T, and on the other, the highly advanced 911 Carrera GTS. Both as a Cabriolet because, well, sunshine. It just so happened to be a very warm and sunny week, so the timing was perfect!

But what’s the deal here? Why two, and not be satisfied with one? Well, I would have been, but debates within the team (Frank, Brice and I simply love the brand) have so far never led to a conclusion on which 911 is best. While we all have some experience in Porsches and 911s, Frank is more of the analogue puristic experience, while Brice and I are more “Team New Tech”. When I asked Frank what he looks for in a driving experience, his answer is quite simple and clear:

“I prefer an analogue car and I love to be in control, to feel how it steers, how it drives, how it accelerates… Many of the most powerful cars accelerate so fast that the feeling kicks in when you look at the speedometer and think “wow, that went so fast!”. I prefer to get that “wow” feeling not by looking at the speedometer, but by how the front grips into a corner, how you feel the road, how it gradually accelerates, and you’re still in control.”

For me, it’s more about experiencing the brilliance in Porsche’s engineering perfection. And that often results in the latest 911s being on the top of my wishlist to own and drive. I want to feel connected, in control of the tech, but also on the edge whenever I push a car to its limits. I want it to be exciting but also borderline scary at times. The heart racing, palms sweaty, adrenaline rushing, being on the very edge… I don’t have anything against a manual, on the contrary, even, but unlike Frank’s desire to shift by hand, I am perfectly happy to rely on the ultra-quick shifts up and down from a PDK gearbox.

So, to finally try and settle the debate among the three of us, we hatched a plan. When Porsche Pon Imports, the importer for Porsche cars in the Netherlands, reached out to ask if we were interested in another demo car, we cheekily asked for a second one, and kept our fingers crossed (Ask, and you shall receive!). And lo and behold, they came back to us right away with a resounding “Of course!” Oh joy!!

Blue corner vs red corner

I often get banter from friends of mine whenever the topic of Porsche or the 911 comes up. The most common remarks are that a 911 is just a glorified Beetle, or that every single one looks exactly like the one before. Typical stuff, really. But I have had the good fortune to take them out for a little spin in the 911 Dakar from last year, and now the 911 GTS. And every single time they come around and understand the excitement I have for the brand and its cars. They are just brilliant and built to be used (and abused) every single day. However, I am well aware that it can be a bit tricky to tell which 911 is which. So allow me to break down what we are dealing with here, plain and simple, by some numbers.

The 911 Carrera T Cabriolet is up first. Finished in Ice Grey metallic with blue details on the bonnet, doors and wheels, it’s perhaps one of Porsche’s purest 911s in the catalogue today. It has a turbocharged 3.0-litre flat-six producing 394bhp and 450Nm of torque, which is sent to the rear wheels only through a manual 6-speed transmission. The zero-to-100kph sprint is said to take 4.5 seconds, and the top speed is rated at 294kph. The car weighs 1,580 kg and is just over 4,5m long and 2m wide. I will not go into details in terms of options, but you can check the full configuration of this specific car right here.

On to the 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet. This one is painted in Viola Metallic, which is a purple tone close to aubergine, I’d say. Being a GTS of the latest generation means it comes with the new hybrid drivetrain. The 3.6-litre flat-six is joined by Porsche’s T-Hybrid system. The system consists of a battery pack and a series of electric motors to close performance gaps and make the car even faster (no lag, quicker pick-up, etc). Combined, it produces 541bhp and 610Nm of torque. This is sent to the rear wheels only as well, but this time through an 8-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission. The sprint to 100kph is done in an eye-wateringly quick 3.1 seconds, and it will soldier on to a top speed of 312kph. In terms of weight, it comes in at 1,675 kg, but the footprint on the road is the same. For those interested in the nitty-gritty details of the GTS configuration, here’s the full spec and options list.

on the road

Comparing spec sheets is fine and all, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating. So, as Frank and I both hit the road for a couple of days, I in the GTS and he in the T, we quickly came to the first conclusion. These two 911s are very different animals! Despite the fact that they rolled off the same assembly line and share a similar platform, they feel very different to drive. And it’s not just down to the difference in power between the two, but it’s much more about how they deliver it. Both cars are very quick, as to be expected with sports cars, but the way they hammer down the road is worlds apart. I was convinced I would go for the GTS if ever I had the chance to buy one for myself. But stepping into the 911 T and discovering how different it feels made me question my reasoning!

So what then? Have I switched teams? Before I get to that, let me try to describe where the differences lie. Starting with the GTS, I would best be able to describe it as a two-faced beast. A genuine ‘Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde’ scenario. It’s very easy to drive daily, through traffic and from home to work or wherever you want to go. You could potentially even drive it down to the south of France for a week, and back again. Do pack light, though, as luggage space is limited. But when you turn the dial to 11, or in Porsche terms to Sport Plus, it changes character in the blink of an eye, and you better hold on tight!

The throttle response becomes instant, the suspension stiffens up, and it lets you climb the revs much longer. It simply becomes as aggressive as it can be. Oh, and for those questioning what the red button on the steering wheel is for: push it, and all hell breaks loose! The car shifts down and revs up to the ideal point for the speed you’re doing, giving you maximum power to overtake whoever you want to overtake, for 20 seconds at a time. It’s a genuine thrill ride, where your senses get an extra brutal dose of sound, vibrations and sheer speed. Honestly, it’s extremely intoxicating as well!

The interior of the 911 T…

and the 911 GTS.

That “Overboost” button is absent on the 911 T, which is altogether a very different 911. It’s more docile, more balanced, and more of an everyman’s friend. The gear lever has a lovely short throw to move up and down the gears. Moving down by the way, is met with auto-blipping by the gearbox, and pops, gurgles and bangs from the exhaust. More so than in the GTS, by the way, which sounds a bit more muffled. The 911 T also invites you to play around in corners a bit more. Where the GTS is constantly pushing you in its fastest settings, the 911 T lets you push the car. Both are planted on the road and haven’t budged an inch when we pushed them, but it seems the 911 T is the more darty, the more nimble of the two. On the track, the GTS would blitz it, but on twisty B-roads, the two will likely be much closer.

But trying to answer which of the two is the better car is like choosing which one of your kids is your favourite. In an effort to make some sense of it at least, it’s perhaps best for both of us that we experienced the cars.

Frank: “For me, the conclusion is in line with the expectations I had it before we even started the engines. It’s the T… all the way. I’m driving a 997.1 C2S on a daily basis (that’s a 2006 Carrera S of the first 997 generation, with a manual gearbox), and over the past many years, I have not driven any newer 911 that I would trade in my 997 for. Not one that gave me that feeling of absolute excitement, while still being in control. The feeling that you’re handling an absolute sports car, that also allows you to drive with a very controllable level of fun and speed, on the small country roads in my area.

That was until now… handing over the keys of the new 911 T was a bit painful. This was the first new 911 that felt even better than my 911. And I did not expect that at all. Having driven the 992.2 base Carrera as well, which in all honesty didn’t do it for me, and the 911 T felt sooooo different. Yes, it comes with the same engine, the same amount of horsepower and torque, but it also comes with a sports chassis, sports suspension, a manual gearbox with a short shifter, rear wheel steering and a lot of control and feeling. Boy, what a car!”

So that’s Frank, sticking with what he loves, and rightfully so, as the 911 T is a brilliant machine. To the point it almost won me over, and going “analogue” as well. But I’m going with the GTS just as I would have before this whole experience. It’s the brutality the car is capable of, while at the same time being a docile cruiser if you want.

I want to be on the edge of my seat, and at the edge of my control, but I don’t want that all the time, every time. The fact that the GTS can do 1,500 rpm in eighth gear at 120kph on the highway and also kick you in the back like Rico Verhoeven is what I would look for. However, having now driven these two back to back does give me an even deeper understanding of the brand and the 911 than before. And to be honest, it comes down to a 60-40 split in favour of the GTS, maybe even a bit closer than that.

So what did we learn from all of this? The simple answer is that there’s a 911 for every single one. The range is incredibly versatile, both in style (coupe, targa, cabriolet) and in aggressiveness. It really is the every man’s sports car! But the best of the two? Probably the T, as you can push that closet to the edge, and it’s more docile, but the GTS is the faster and more cutting-edge of the two, and that should account for something, right? Right!

For more information on the Porsche 911, please visit Porsche.com.

Editorial Note: The cars have been provided by Porsche Pon Imports in the Netherlands, for which we thank them. Other sources of information or images are credited where needed.