Even though the automatic transmission is still pushing the manual transmission further and further out, Porsche refuses to let go. The three pedals are 'super important', the brand says.
Porsche insists that manual transmissions are an important part of their cars, especially at a time when automatic transmissions dominate the market.
Andreas Preuninger, head of Porsche's GT department, says that it is important to him that the manual transmission is always an option.
– For me personally, it has always been super important to have a manual gearbox.
Although the manual gearbox is a dying breed, and even in Denmark, where it was once the most common due to taxes, it is becoming a thing of the past, Porsche is holding on to tradition.
In the future, there will be at least one model with a manual transmission in the Porsche 911 range. Preuninger, who himself prefers manual transmissions, confirms this in a new interview .
"I don't mind changing gears, even on the track, knowing that PDK is faster," he says.
This announcement comes shortly after Porsche removed the manual gearbox from the base model 911 Carrera S. This makes the GT3 and Carrera T the only remaining models with manual transmission in Porsche's model range.
The GT3, which is facelifted in 2025, is now the only Porsche where the buyer can choose between manual transmission or Porsche's PDK dual-clutch transmission
In the US, one of the most important markets for the Germans, customers are divided into two camps. 46 percent choose manual transmission in the regular GT3, while 75 percent want three pedals in the more 'subdued' Touring model.
Preuninger emphasizes the importance of options and says that he already put the manual transmission on the table during the development of the 991 generation of the 911. It was supposed to be an option. That's what happened with the 911 R.
– The 911 R was more or less the development project for the gearbox we still have today, he says.
Despite the fact that dual-clutch transmissions have improved, Preuninger is not worried that manual transmissions will disappear due to emissions requirements.
He argues that manual transmission actually contributes to lower consumption and emissions.
"The manual transmission is actually lighter, which contributes to better consumption and fewer emissions, and you have more horsepower available because the internal resistance in a manual transmission is significantly lower than in a PDK transmission," he explains.
Preuninger adds that in the real world, a car with a manual transmission uses less fuel and thus emits less CO2 than a similar car with PDK.
The manual transmission seems to be staying in the GT3, and the highly revving six-cylinder boxer engine is not going anywhere either. However, to comply with the increasingly strict emission regulations, Porsche has to use no fewer than four catalytic converters.
To maintain the 502 horsepower that a GT3 should have, the engineers have given the engine new cams, new throttle bodies and a number of other small changes. According to Preuninger, it's a challenge worth taking on.
