Porsche Still Maintains Sticking To The Manual Transmission

Porsche is set to expand its offerings in the manual transmission sports car market, confident that this will be achieved through a range of new special editions.

These announcements were confirmed by Michael Rösler, director of the 911 model line, in an interview with EVO magazine. Rösler made it clear that the company is actively seeking ways to maintain the manual gearbox availability for enthusiasts.

“We are considering all possibilities to offer customers a manual transmission,” said Rösler.

Rösler was instrumental in developing the Carrera T model in response to the decision to offer the Carrera range only with a dual-clutch automatic transmission (PDK). While manual transmission demand in Europe was around 2 to 3 percent, Rösler noted that 50 percent of Carrera GTS buyers in the USA preferred manuals. However, the new hybrid powertrain for the GTS cannot accommodate a manual transmission.

That’s exactly why, with the Model T, he decided to create a car for those who wanted a 911 with a manual transmission, but the GT3 wasn’t an option for them. This has also led to improvements to the gearbox mechanism itself, which now provides a feel similar to that of the GT3 model, and to the removal of the seventh gear, which proved redundant.

Low global demand, however, creates practical problems. “This creates problems for us with suppliers because they have to deliver a certain number of parts,” explained Rösler.

The solution lies in special editions. Rösler pointed out that Porsche learned from its past, believing they ended production of the 911 (991) too early, which left many special model ideas unrealized. He noted, “There were great cars late in the model cycle, like the Speedster, and many more ideas we didn’t explore.” The key question for Porsche now is, “What is the optimal cycle length?”

Porsche’s successful models like the Sport Classic, Dakar, and S/T suggest they’ve found a winning formula. These cars are perfect for a manual transmission, and there’s increasing speculation about a new Speedster based on the GT3 platform.

• Also See: The Manual Transmission Could Make A Comeback In Ferrari’s Lineup