2018 Porsche 911 Carrera T vs 1975 911 Carrera 2.7: new vs used

As the shattering realisation sets in that there will soon be no more atmo Porsche 911, the older and atmo Porkers are only going to increase in value.

But what do you do if you can’t see yourself dealing with a high-maintenance classic? You buy a new Carrera.

And if pure driving is the hot item on the menu, the Carrera T strikes a sweet balance. It’s a manual-as-standard, lightweight 911 that won’t cost you seven-figure ‘911 R’ money. But even then, it’s a turbocharged six, which means Porsche purists of old are unlikely to be interested.

Enter the Carrera 2.7. Air-cooled, barely more than a tonne of metal, and a sound that will bring joy to even the atmo-agnostics. Sure, it’s not going to be as comfortable as the new Porker, but why are you worried about being comfortable if you’re buying a Carrera?

That said, our archives (in particular the February 1975 issue of Modern MOTOR) reveals that for its time the Carrera 2.7 proved a good highway cruiser, with enough sound deadening to stop yourself going deaf.

In terms of the ‘magic handling’ our Feb ’75 article describes, you might find yourself feeling a little more confident in the new Carrera, with Porsche’s active stability management (or PASM) being a standard feature.

Spend wisely with New vs Used

It’s also going to be much, much faster, by about 2 seconds to 100km/h. But that’s not what this is about – this is about finding an unfiltered driving experience in a rear-engined Stuttgart stormer. You’ve probably gotten a good idea of the kind of drive you’ll have in a new T, thanks to the review in our March 2018 issue, but we reckon there are still drivers out there who want something so raw that traction control hadn’t even been cooked up yet.

Here's one we found on Trade Unique Cars

1975 911 Carrera 2.7 - $219,990; left-hook; 74,515km

Recently sold in a Bonham’s auction for $92,408, this tidy Carrera has put on a few dollars since being subjected to Australian taxes and dealer markups, but should prove a solid buy despite being tuned-down for US emissions law.