With More Than 20 Versions Of The Porsche 911, The Back-To-Basics Carrera T Is The Enthusiasts’ Choice

Jeremy Taylor and Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby drive to the late Queen Elizabeth’s favourite hideaway in what would have been her centenary year.

Test Drive: Porsche 911 Carrera T

Jeremy: Sometimes less is more and that’s certainly the case with the Porsche Carrera T – the finest 911 a lot of money can buy. It isn’t the fastest or the most comfortable – instead, the stripped-out T is a proper’s driver’s car and purists’ dream.

What’s missing is what makes this one of the most engaging motors on the road. There is no automatic gearbox or even F1-style flappy paddles to change gear; squidgy armchair seats are replaced with hardcore carbon buckets and the back seats are gone – removed completely to save weight.

The T demands more of you, in an age when engagement behind the wheel is slowly being eroded by gadgets and gizmos, as the world moves slowly and inevitably towards autonomous cars.

Best of all – for some of us at least – a laminated walnut gearknob falls easily to hand between the front seats. This 911 also has three pedals instead of two, which will thrill those who enjoy a rorty manual at a time when very few new sports cars are offered with a gearstick.

In fact, a manual gearbox is quite a niche market these days. Only the Lotus Emira has a six-cylinder engine at a gearstick like the T. Everyone else, from BMW to Mercedes has decided the era of using your left leg to change gear has gone for good.

As far as 911s go, the £115,000 T also has a modest engine output of 389bhp. Yet somehow, that performance is perfectly suited to the car. From the steering to the suspension and all mechanical points in between, the T is a simply delightful machine and my choice for an epic drive to visit another mechanical wonder, north of the border in Edinburgh.

This year, Britain will celebrate what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s centenary year. HRH passed away aged 96 at Balmoral in 2022, her love of Scotland well documented. While she enjoyed the freedom of the Highlands, the place where she felt she could escape prying eyes completely was onboard the Royal Yacht Britannia.

When the ship decommissioned in 1997 due to spiralling costs, it was said to be the only time the late Monarch shed a tear in public. Now permanently berthed at Leith, over 300,000 tourists a year come to a new visitor centre and tour of the ship.

My favourite spot on the guided tour is the State Drawing Room, featuring a grand piano once played by Noel Coward, Princess Diana and Princess Margaret. The Queen wanted to burn wood in the fireplace but Navy rules meant a sailor would need to be on hand at all times in case the chimney caught fire.

While Britannia is available for functions, if you want to stay ‘at sea’ in the rejuvenated old docklands of Leith, Fingal Hotel is operated by the team behind the Royal Yacht. Moored just a few hundred yards away, the former utilities ship used to supply lighthouses but opened as a luxury floating residence in 2019.

A stunning example of an historic restoration, five-star Fingal is ship-shape in every way. And there’s nothing utility or basic about the facilities, with wood panelled corridors and 22 suites named after Scottish lighthouses – a favourite has to be Muckle Flugga.

The spirit of the sea oozes from every porthole, the ship’s former command centre recommissioned as a private dining space, while a grand ballroom boasts a mezzanine bar at the fore of the ship. Porsche parked up for the night, the Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar is a great spot to enjoy the views while sipping a whisky cocktail.

Tempting to stay aboard, but just around the corner in bustling Leith is one of Scotland’s best new restaurants. Barry Fish is, not surprisingly, a fish restaurant. Run by Barry Bryson, this bright and modern eatery is catch of the day – recommended by Michelin, it must surely be on the shortlist for a coveted star.

Fuss-free fish dishes are not always easy to find as chefs try to outdo themselves with fancy recipes. Not so at Barry Fish, where Bryson majors on natural flavours and lets fresh fish do the talking. Lobster, oysters and trout are naturally on the menu but make sure to work up an appetite for the hand-dived scallops, prawn cocktail and Kaffir ice cream dessert.

Jessica: Is there a better driver’s car than the Porsche 911? It’s the best sporty, all-rounder on the market, perfect as an every day commuter, or lots of fun on the weekend driving on a racetrack.

The Carrera T lacks some of the creature comforts of other 911s in the range, but if you revel in the idea of a precise and engaging manual gearbox, there’s nothing quite like the T. A benchmark for most enthusiasts, just remember there’s no seats in the back for children – it’s minimalist fun instead!

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