Porsche remains one of the very few hopefuls for lovers of manual premium sports cars, as it still offers a three-pedal setup on its 911 and 718 models.
With the new generation 911 992, the manual has been dropped as an option across the entire range and is currently only available on the GTS and GT3.
However, demand for manual transmission versions of these variants remains exceptionally high.
Selling manuals Porsche 911 GT3s account for 50% of total vehicle deliveries in Australia, while the all-new 911 GTS that has just gone on sale has manual sales of 20% which Porsche Australia says is likely to increase as more people experience and read about this car.
The use of the manual in the GT3 and GTS is by far the highest in Porsche’s 911 lineup, which is why the manual transmission option has been dropped in other variants.
For example, in the previous generation 991 series 911, the base Carrera model only had 5% manual absorption.
In some other markets, the 911 range is available with a manual transmission on various models but Porsche Australia insists it is satisfied with the current product and is unlikely to change that product combination.
However, as was the case with the previous generation with the 911 T, the opportunity for future unique variants of the 911 offered with a manual transmission remains.
In terms of how difficult it is to get 911 GT3 touringPorsche only offered the car in manual form in the previous generation but has decided to offer buyers the PDK option in this current version. However, the majority of orders are still mainly according to the instructions for use.
Porsche offers an internal manual transmission 718 Cayman range on all models except GT4 RS. Manual orders currently account for 6% of all 4-cylinder 718s models and about 50% of all 6-cylinder orders.
Manual transmissions were rapidly phased out globally with the move to electrification, while the further deployment of driver-assist safety systems made shifting more of an obstacle than a benefit. .
Things have become so desperate for craft lovers that recently Toyota patented ‘fake clutch’ for electric vehicles so it can deliver that feeling in its future products.
