I drove a $172,000 Porsche 911 Carrera T, a beautiful throwback to the glory days of the manual transmission

I was blown away by 911’s crisp-shifting, six-speed manual transmission, beautifully tuned handling, and melodic twin-turbocharged boxer engine.

During our brief encounter, I didn’t find too much wrong with the Carrera T, but I do miss the rotary ignition switch that has been replaced with a push button.

My 911 Carrera T Cabriolet test car starts at $147,300.

Freight fees and more than $22,000 in luxury and tech options pushed the as-tested price to $171,665.

Although pricey, that still pales in comparison to the more hardcore variants like the 911 Turbo and 911 GT3, which start at $197,200 and $222,500, respectively.

Porsche made a host of changes to the 992.1 generation, which launched in 2020, to create the 992.2.

The updates include refinements to the 911’s chassis, updates to the PDK twin-clutch transmission, and a new six-speed manual transmission for the Carrera T.

But the biggest change will be the 911 GTS’s new hybrid drivetrain, a first for the sports car.

The Porsche 911 Carrera T’s twin-turbo boxer six-cylinder produces a stout 388 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque. Its power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.

The melodic flat six sits in its rightful place behind the 911’s rear axle.

The Carrera T’s six-speed manual is lighter and feels more natural to shift than the seven-speed it replaced.

The open pore, laminate walnut shift nob is stunning and feels great in your hand.

The wheels are 20 inches in front and 21 inches out back.

The Carrera T continues the 911 tradition as one of the great driving experiences in the world.

Carving my way through the winding mountain roads in North Georgia, the 911 Carrera T was in its element.

The twin-turbo boxer six delivered smooth, consistent power and a sweet rumble, while the six-speed felt as crisp and precise as any manual I’ve ever driven.

Pair that with the 911’s perfectly tuned suspension, and the experience is otherworldly.

The Porsche Torque Vectoring system helps with cornering performance. It uses a mechanical rear differential combined with targeted computer-controlled braking action to send power to the outside rear wheels.

The Carrera T also comes standard with rear-axle steering, which makes it more agile at low speeds and stable at high speeds.

According to Porsche, the 911 Carrera T Cabriolet is good for 0-60 mph runs in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 182 mph.

The 911’s cabin is a de facto cockpit built around the driver, designed for easy, intuitive operation while driving enthusiastically.

As a result, ergonomics are excellent. Everything is within reach, the adaptive sport seats were supremely supportive, and the 10.9-inch touchscreen running Porsche’s PCM infotainment system comes with Apple CarPlay.

In front of the driver, the digital instrument cluster, which replaced Porsche’s classic five-gauge on the 992.1, remains. Although it can be configured to look like the old analog setup.

The 911’s ignition remains on the left side of the steering wheel, but the twist switch that was designed to mimic a physical key has been replaced by a simple push button.

The Carrera T, for all of its performance attributes, is statistically one of the slowest variants of the Porsche 911 you can buy.

It’s nearly two seconds slower to 60 mph and more than 200 horsepower down on the performance monster that’s the 911 Turbo S.

But I’d gladly trade that extra two seconds and two hundred horsepower for the sheer driving pleasure the Carrera T can deliver on a winding mountain road.

Sometimes, slower is better, and there’s value in savoring the journey to your destination. The Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet is a constant reminder of that.