Porsche is giving driving purists something increasingly rare these days: another new sports car with three pedals. After many asks from their customer base, Porsche has announced a 911 Carrera S with MT Package brings a six-speed manual transmission back to the Carrera S lineup, exclusively for the North American market.
The decision is notable not simply because manual transmissions are becoming increasingly scarce, but because Porsche says this particular model exists in response to overwhelming customer demand. The 992.2-generation Carrera S initially arrived exclusively with Porsche’s eight-speed PDK transmission. For 2027, enthusiasts can once again choose the more involved experience of managing the clutch and gear changes themselves.
Debuting at Monterey Car Week, the new Carrera S with MT Package pairs its six-speed manual with a 473-horsepower 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six and rear-wheel drive. Rather than simply swapping the transmission, Porsche has built the model around a manual-driving experience, making rear-axle steering, PASM Sport suspension with a 10 mm lower ride height, Sport Chrono, unique exhaust tuning and a walnut shift handle standard. Center-lock wheels are also standard for the first time on a 911 Carrera S, reducing unsprung weight by more than 17 pounds.
The result is a Carrera S that prioritizes engagement over outright acceleration. Porsche says the new model weighs just 3,327 pounds in coupe form, only 11 pounds more than the lighter 911 Carrera T, positioning it as something of a middle ground between the Carrera T and the more focused GT3.
The manual Carrera S will be offered in both Coupé and Cabriolet body styles, with extensive personalization available through Porsche’s paint and interior programs. Pricing starts at $167,100 USD for the Coupé and $181,000 for the Cabriolet, before the delivery, processing and handling fees and deliveries are expected to start at the end of this year.
The timing is fitting. At a moment when electrification, hybridization and increasingly sophisticated automatic transmissions are reshaping performance cars, Porsche is doubling down on one of the most analog pleasures left in modern motoring. The decision also speaks to something that became increasingly apparent throughout Monterey Car Week: for many enthusiasts, the appeal of a sports car is still as much about how it feels to drive as how quickly it accelerates.
And for North American Porsche buyers, at least, the manual is not going quietly.
