Porsche is bringing back the manual transmission to the 911 Carrera S—and it's about time

Published Aug 19, 2026, 10:45 AM EDT Based in the Motor City, Carl Anthony is the Automotive Lead at How-to-Geek and the host of AutoVision News Radio, a podcast that focuses on future vehicle technology, including next-generation ADAS innovations, electrification, and software-defined cars. A broadcaster by nature, he has appeared on popular podcasts and radio shows, including Wrench Nation, Cars Yeah, The Car Doctor, and Digital PR Explained. Carl’s frequent appearances on MotorMouth Radio (WHPC 90.3 FM) over the last decade have made him a trusted resource for car enthusiasts, while his hosting of the AutoSens Insights series continues to spotlight the latest automotive technologies. Prior roles include serving as a new vehicle launch and dealer trainer for Ford, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo. Carl was a senior product specialist on Chevy's National Truck Team, an experiential marketing program that travels the United States, and a respected member of the FCA (now Stellantis) national auto show team, where he served as the resident expert for consumers on the Dodge Charger and Challenger. Before the automotive industry, Carl was a disc jockey, producer, and programmer at several popular Midwest radio stations, including KIWR, KEZO, KJAN, and KELO-FM. He is a graduate of Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, where he dual-majored in the Electronic Media studies program, earning an Associate of Applied Sciences degree in both radio and television broadcasting. In 1980, roughly a third of new cars sold in the United States came with a manual transmission. By 2021, that number had fallen below 1% and has stayed there since, according to the EPA's Automotive Trends report. Stick shifts have become rare enough that when an automaker drops one from a lineup, most drivers barely notice. When Porsche did it, however, plenty of people noticed. The 992.2 generation of the 911 Carrera S arrived for the 2025 model year with an eight-speed PDK automatic as the only transmission choice, the first time in the Carrera S's history it launched without a manual option. Enthusiasts pushed back, and buyers who wanted three pedals were left choosing between the entry-level Carrera T and the track-focused GT3, two cars separated by more than $88,000 in starting price. Porsche is now offering those buyers a manual option between those two price points, a welcome and pleasant surprise for fans, as the brand now ranks highest in the premium segment for initial quality. The manual is officially back for 2027 If only in a limited way At Monterey Car Week, the company announced the return of a six-speed manual to the Carrera S via a new MT Package, available in North America starting with the 2027 model year. Of course, manual transmissions aren't coming back across the industry, but Porsche isn't pretending otherwise. The Carrera S with MT Package shows that a large enough group of buyers still want a manual, and Porsche would rather build for them for that demographic and that demographic alone. "As a lifelong driving enthusiast I'm personally excited to announce the return of the manual transmission to the Carrera S," said Timo Resch, president and CEO of Porsche Cars North America. "While some brands are abandoning the manual, we are proud to continue offering three pedals in a range of products that speaks to different use cases." The six-speed manual itself isn't new, but that might not matter so much to those who want three pedals. It's the same gearbox already offered in the 911 Carrera T, now paired with the more powerful Carrera S engine. Porsche only offers the MT Package on the rear-wheel drive Carrera S, not the all-wheel-drive Carrera 4S, so buyers who want the manual have to give up all-wheel drive to get it. Again, this probably won’t matter to those who like the feel of a rear-wheel drive sports car with a manual transmission. The package also adds rear-axle steering, a PASM Sport suspension that drops ride height by 10 mm, the Sport Chrono Package, and unique exhaust tuning with titanium outlets. A red "S" badge on the rear, a detail Porsche says grew out of a modification popular among North American owners, marks the car visually. The family just got bigger With this addition, Porsche now sells seven 911 variants with a manual transmission in North America: the Carrera T coupe and Cabriolet, the new Carrera S with MT Package in both body styles, and the GT3, GT3 with Touring Package, and GT3 S/C. That's quite a spread for a transmission type most of the industry has written off, but it puts Porsche in a small group of automakers still building new manual cars at all price points rather than treating the stick shift as a museum piece reserved for one halo model. Under the hood is the same 473-horsepower 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six found in other Carrera S models. Porsche says the MT Package coupe weighs 3,327 lbs., just 11 lbs. more than the Carrera T despite the extra power. Standard brakes are cast iron discs measuring 408 mm up front and 380 mm in back, with six-piston calipers on the front axle and four-piston calipers on the rear. Buyers who want to shed a bit more weight can step up to Porsche’s Ceramic Composite Brakes and carbon fiber bucket seats, options the Carrera T doesn't offer. Center-lock wheels, offered on a Carrera S for the first time, save more than 17 lbs. over the standard wheels. Personalization runs deep Porsche offers 17 exterior paint colors for the manual 911 Carrera S, plus Paint to Sample and Paint to Sample Plus for buyers who want something outside the standard palette, along with more than 70 leather interior combinations. Among the unique touches inside is a walnut shift handle. Two optional packages are also available: an exterior package with black HD-Matrix headlights, Ceramica-finished wheels, and puddle lights that project the six-speed shift pattern onto the ground; and an interior package with Plaid Sport-Tex seats and matching stitching throughout the cabin. Pricing starts at $167,100 for the coupe and $181,000 for the Cabriolet, before a $2,350 delivery, processing, and handling fee. Porsche expects deliveries to begin before the end of 2026.