Changes After Receiving the 911 Carrera T

It’s been two weeks since the delivery of the 911 Carrera T. Currently, I’m enthusiastically in the middle of the break-in period. The mileage is 500 km. Still 2,500 km to go until the break-in is complete (lol).

By the way, the vehicle manual (911 2022 model) states the following about the break-in period.

When new, it is necessary to perform a break-in to allow moving parts to settle. The break-in period lasts until the mileage reaches 3,000 km. During this time, oil and fuel consumption will be slightly higher than usual. Please observe the following during the break-in period:
・Try to drive long distances as much as possible. Avoid repeated cold starts and short trips.
・Do not participate in motorsport events or sports driving schools.
・Do not rev the engine above 4,000 rpm.
・Drive at low rpm when the engine is cold.

I want to drive long distances as much as possible, but on weekdays I’m busy with work meetings, and when I do drive, it’s usually just to drop off the kids or go grocery shopping, so it’s quite difficult…

That said, when I have time, I try to take a slightly longer route and avoid turning off the engine before the oil temperature fully rises. I consciously try to drive for at least 20 minutes at a time.

So, in this article, I’d like to share the changes I noticed after one week of ownership.

I drive it every day, so I only felt “maybe it’s changed a bit,” but my husband, who hadn’t driven the Carrera T for a week, was quite surprised by the difference.

Porsche Festival at Royu
After driving 300 km post-delivery, it feels completely different! The sound is louder, and the driving is more lively. If properly broken in, this will be a really fun 911 😊 pic.twitter.com/te7DTJV2XC

— Hiro@ポルシェがわが家にやってきた (@boxster_gts) June 3, 2023

One Week Changes in the 911 Carrera T

Here are the changes and impressions after one week:

Engine Sound Louder and Response Sharper

On delivery day, I felt that “the engine start-up sound is loud, but once driving begins, the sound quickly quiets down (though it’s still louder than a typical car).”

Since I couldn’t really hear the engine sound inside the car, I found myself complaining to my husband, “I still prefer the 981… I miss that sound….”

The day after delivery, when we went to Royu, we met a Porsche owner friend of my husband’s who rode along while my husband drove. He said with a wry smile, “Indeed… it’s very quiet… but I’m sure it’s just the beginning! Just wait!.”

However, after about 300 km, the engine sound during driving clearly became louder. While driving, I started to feel, “Oh? It actually sounds pretty good.” When my husband drove it again after a while, he said,

“The engine sound volume and tone are close to our 992 Cabriolet (without GPF). Can it really change this much in just a week? Nice!”

I also feel the engine response has improved. On delivery day, I thought, “The engine response feels a bit sluggish…,” but after a week, the response feels sharper and more enjoyable.

The Carrera T Is Definitely Light and Nimble

When I first drove it at delivery, I thought, “The Carrera T is lighter, but I don’t really feel that lightness.”

But then I realized that was probably because I had been driving a Swift Sport weighing under 1 ton just before…

Later, when I drove our 992 Cabriolet again after a while, I was surprised and emailed my husband from inside the car, “Wait, was the 992 Cabriolet really this heavy? Compared to that, the Carrera T really is light!” (lol)

The Carrera T’s lighter weight makes it feel very nimble and quick on the road, which is a lot of fun.

By comparison, our 992 Cabriolet feels quite heavy, with a strong planted feel that makes me wonder, “Is this all-wheel drive?” because of its solid rigidity.

The Carrera T is light and nimble. It really shows how much difference you notice when you compare.

With or Without Privacy Glass

This wasn’t intentional… I had planned to add the optional privacy glass on the rear side and rear windows.

When placing the final order, I thought I had sent the configuration code including the privacy glass option to the dealer, but… it was actually forgotten, and my husband pointed it out after delivery (lol).

“I guess we’ll have to get some film applied at a shop somewhere…” I thought, but surprisingly, not having privacy glass makes the rear view much clearer and easier to drive.

Also, since my Carrera T is left-hand drive, it’s usually hard to see the right rear when merging, but not having privacy glass seems to ease that difficulty.

It also looks cleaner visually, so for now, I think I’ll leave it as is.

Benefits of Rear Axle Steering

This is purely my personal impression, and maybe my senses are a bit dull… (probably true lol).

Rear axle steering really shines on corners like those on the Royu Driveway, where it turns sharply and digs in, making me think, “Wow, this is amazing!” but when parking, it’s not that noticeable.

Our previous Panamera Turbo had rear axle steering, and parking was very easy, making us happy to park such a big car in one go, but

with the Carrera T, I don’t particularly find parking easier, nor do I find it harder.

Maybe if I drove a Carrera T without rear axle steering, I’d better understand the difference.

Light Steering

The first thing that surprised me when I drove the 992 Cabriolet again after a while was how heavy the steering felt. It wasn’t quite as heavy as the air-cooled 964, but close. Compared to that, the Carrera T’s steering is very light.

“Wait, did I accidentally get Power Steering Plus?” I wondered, it felt that light.

I think this is more about the model year difference than the Carrera T itself… but the light steering makes driving very easy, and it really matches the nimble driving feel of the Carrera T.

Eager to Finish the Carrera T Break-In

Since I’m still in the break-in period, I haven’t fully experienced the car’s true potential yet, but my husband said, “If it changes this much in just a week, I’m really looking forward to what’s next!” and I feel the same.

I’m genuinely excited to see how it will continue to evolve.

Later, I realized I had misunderstood the break-in instructions, mistakenly thinking, “I have to keep the engine at 4,000 rpm as much as possible” (my reading comprehension is terrible lol),

so on the highway, I was driving in 3rd gear at 4,000 rpm, and my husband corrected me, “No! It means don’t exceed 4,000 rpm! lol,” which made me realize my mistake for the first time.

Thinking about it now… well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?

But my husband said,

“Actually, maybe running the engine at 4,000 rpm with some load has helped the engine sound get louder and might be having some positive effect. Who knows lol.”

(laughs)

Anyway, I plan to continue the break-in for a while, hopefully finishing it in about three months so I can really enjoy driving it.

I’ll also share my husband’s impressions from time to time going forward.