Porsche is broadening the 911 range yet again, this time reinvigorating the concept of the 911 T model from 1968. The German automaker said the new Porsche 911 Carrera T will appeal to purists. According to a release, the Porsche 911 Carrera T (the T here stands for Touring) comes equipped with several performance-enhancing features not available on the standard 911 Carrera. For starters, there鈥檚 a PASM Sport Suspension gives the car a 10mm lower ride height, and rear-axle steering is an option. Some lightweighting also helps performance. The Porsche 911 Carrera T only weighs 3,142 pounds, so it鈥檚 the lightest Porsche in the Carrera range. Compared to the standard Porsche 911 Carrera, some of that weight comesfrom using lightweight glass for the rear windshield and side windows. Porsche also removed some sound insulation features. Based on the 911 Carrera Coupe, the Touring model gets the 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine with 370 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque.
The Porsche 911 Carrera T comes with a manual transmission or an optional PDK automatic transmission. If you go with the manual version, a shorter constant transaxle ratio and mechanical rear differential lock move the Porsche 911 Carrera T from 0 to 60 in 4.3 seconds. That鈥檚 a whole .1 second quicker than the standard 911 Carrera. Top track speed is 182 mph. However with the PDK transmission, the Carrera T hits 60 mph in just 4.0 seconds. According to Porsche, you have to use the standard launch feature to get that sort of acceleration. On the exterior, the Porsche 911 Carrera T has a front spoiler lip to optimize aerodynamics and 20-inch Carrera S wheels. The standard Sport Exhaust System with black tips characterizes the rear of the car. The louvers of the rear decklid grill, the Porsche logotype, and the model designation 鈥?11 Carrera T鈥?are finished in Agate Grey. There are all sorts of paint options: Lava Orange, Black, Guards Red, Racing Yellow, White and Miami Blue, as well as the metallic colors Carrera White, Jet Black and GT Silver. The performance-oriented design theme carries into the cabin, where you can find a sports steering wheel, a shortened gear lever and electrically adjustable sports seats. However if you opt for the full bucket seats, the rear seats are gone. Porsche says this is the first time full bucket seats are an option on a 911 Carrera model. Of course, a new Carrera T interior package is available, with different contrasting colors and other colorful accents throughout. The 2018 911 Carrera T is now available for ordering. 1,050 delivery, processing and handling fee.
Despite buyers swinging in favour of petrol or hybrid power, it鈥檚 the 30d that BMW鈥檚 reckons will prove most popular in the UK - at least to begin with. BMW claims the X7 is a 鈥榩aragon of quality鈥? delivering outstanding luxury and a full complement of advanced equipment features. As such, every version gets LED headlights, air suspension and a 12.3-inch digital display. Its sheer size means even the entry car gets 21-inch wheels, while the standard-fit three-part glass roof floods the cabin with natural light. Quality is first rate, with every surface covered in leather, metal or soft-touch plastic. There鈥檚 a typically Germanic feel to the cabin - up front, especially - where it appears more clinically engineered than a Range Rover, and more logically designed, too. The infotainment system is easy to use, and it鈥檚 complemented by a row of shortcut buttons that allows the driver or passenger to quickly switch radio stations or instantly input a pre-set sat-nav destination.
Like on the current 5 Series, the gesture control system feels like little more than a gimmick, however. Elsewhere, the kit list is generous. Every car gets the latest Parking Assistant Plus system and 360-degree cameras, but thankfully BMW鈥檚 CraftedClarity glass gear lever and associated buttons first seen on the X5, remain optional. M Sport spec, which historically has been a big money maker for BMW, adds racier trim and high gloss accents. While it won鈥檛 waft like a Range Rover, the X7 is an incredibly refined SUV - certainly more so than the outgoing Mercedes GLS. Unfortunately, our test route from the factory in South Carolina to Savannah, Georgia, comprised almost entirely fast, straight roads. While the few corners we did encounter showed it to feel much like a longer and larger X5, it鈥檚 simply impossible to pass considered judgement on what the new X7 is like from a dynamic perspective. That said, the tried and tested straight-six petrol engine is lifted from the latest 540i and is as smooth and powerful as you鈥檇 expect. It pulls strongly in spite of the X7鈥檚 frankly absurd 2.4-tonne kerbweight, matched perfectly by the familiar eight-speed ZF box.
But the X7鈥檚 aspirations as a Range Rover killer mean this BMW needs to be as comfortable and complete in the rear, as it is up front. Gladly, there鈥檚 loads of room in the back; all UK cars get seven seats as standard, but for an extra 拢500-odd you can 鈥榰pgrade鈥?to a six-seat layout with two armchair-style seats in the middle row. These slide and recline electrically, of course. Four-zone climate control is standard, and you can even spec a five-zone set-up if you plan on regularly carrying a full suite of siblings. A Land Rover Discovery is perhaps marginally more spacious for those in the very back, but the X7 should prove more than sufficient for growing kids. You can specify rear sun blinds in the second row, and there are even controls to allow passengers to close the headliner. But the biggest difference with the X7 versus a Discovery, is bootspace.
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