For those of you that read last week’s article, first of all, thank you so much. Second of all, I’ll admit that we ended on a rather sad note because it seemed like Porsche had given up on a manual transmission for the 992 Carrera models. There had been no news and no test cars and it was becoming time to assume the worst. Thankfully though, I was wrong because about two days after last week’s article was published, Porsche proudly unveiled the manual transmission as a no cost option for the 992 Carrera S and 4S. The manual for the Carrera and Carrera 4 models will be revealed later (likely at this year’s LA Auto Show).
Like from the last 2 generations, the manual transmission in the 992 will be a 7 speed unit-basically a 6 speed with a highway cruising gear. Luckily for the purists, the manual comes as a no cost option and will save you approximately 84 pounds over the standard 8 speed PDK transmission. And for the first time, Porsche will even throw in the Sport Chrono Package free of charge if you select the manual. This option in my opinion is crucial to getting the most fun out of your 911. In the manual 992, it gives you a drive mode select switch, PSM Sport Mode, Automatic Rev matching (you don’t need that), and Porsche Active driveline mounts. More importantly, this would cost an additional $2,720 if it was on a PDK car. Manual equipped cars will also come equipped with mechanical limited slip differentials, unlike the electronic LSD that’s mated to the PDK transmission.
So far, the only performance figures we have for the manual 992s are that they both have the same top speeds as their PDK equipped counterparts (191 mph for the Carrera S and 190 mph for the Carrera 4S). Obviously, 0-60 times will be slower for the manual cars but with some power shifting lessons, I’m sure a skilled driver can keep the times within the mid 3 seconds rather than the low 4s.
So yes, the PDK is faster in every single way possible. It’s also easier to drive, and more fuel efficient. But honestly who cares? A Porsche 911 is a sports car, built for tearing up back roads and racetracks on early Sunday mornings. Your 911 shouldn’t be your daily driver that you lug to work every day, and if it is, I’m sorry to say, but you need a different car. I actually daily drove my 997 911 for about a month and it was awful. The ride was too harsh, the clutch was too heavy, and it drank gas like there was no tomorrow. These cars aren’t built for sitting in traffic jams, if you don’t believe me, drive a 911 below 10 mph, you’ll see what I mean. And there’s no denying that in a car like a Carrera S, whose speed is very accessible and not overwhelming, a manual is by all means, the more fun car to drive. That’s what it’s all about, so thank you Porsche for keeping the manual alive.
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