Manual 911 Carrera S Proves Numbers Aren't Everything
While most continue to shun manual transmission cars, it makes the 992 911 much more fun and engaging to drive.
The One You Want
There was a time when the Porsche 911 wasn't even available with an automatic transmission, mainly because it's always been a driver's car. But today, the manual transmission has nearly gone extinct, which is a real shame. However, the newest 992-gen 911 can still be had with a row-your-own gearbox, and though it may considerably slower to accelerate than the automatic, it's the one you're going to want.
Photos: Porsche
Sweet Spot
This isn't to say that Porsche's 8-speed PDK isn't a brilliant transmission, because it is. But there's just something special about the 992 911 Carrera S with the standard seven-speed manual. This spec in particular hits the sweet spot in Porsche's newest 911 lineup - for us anyway - with its balanced performance and reasonable price tag.
Photos: Porsche
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Big Difference
The Carrera S makes do with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six that produces a solid 443 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, which makes it quick no matter what transmission you choose. However, the manual takes roughly 3.6 seconds to hit 60 miles-per-hour, while the PDK can do the deed in just 2.9 seconds.
Photos: Porsche
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All About Numbers
That 0.7-second gap is obviously quite large and noticeable. And these numbers have always been something that people tend to fixate on, but in all honesty, there are a lot of quick cars on the market today, and not all of them are sports cars. Or even cars for that matter. And truthfully, how many of us are drag racing Teslas at every stoplight or competing at the drag strip every weekend in our new Porsche, anyway?
Photos: Porsche
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What Matters?
If that sort of thing is important to you, by all means, buy the PDK. But if you're buying a Porsche because you enjoy driving a Porsche, by all means, stick with the stick. You likely won't miss that extra 0.7 seconds, and you'll definitely enjoy the driving experience more. It doesn't hurt that the latest iteration of Porsche's seven-speed gearbox is virtually perfect.
Photos: Porsche
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Mechanical Feelings
The seven-speed is immediate and engaging, with a superb clutch feel to cap it all off. It slides into gears with a satisfyingly mechanical feel and is devoid of all that electronic trickery we find far too often in manual cars these days. No, the manual requires the driver to pay attention and execute perfect shifts to extract the most out of the car, and that invites us to hone our skills by actually driving the darn thing.
Photos: Porsche
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Easy Choice
While the manual transmission used to be the go-to choice for 911 buyers, today, only one in five Americans opt for one. And that's truly a shame. But you can count us among the 20% that will choose to row our own gears over letting a computer do it 100% of the time - unless we're buying a drag racer, that is.
Photos: Porsche
>>Join the conversation about the manual Carrera S right here in the Rennlist Forum!
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