There was much ado last year when the current Porsche 911 rolled into its mid-cycle 992.2 update and dropped stick shifts from the base Carrera model, the S, and the GTS. It felt like an existential moment—if Porsche of all brands is starting to give up, how far behind could the rest of the auto industry be in letting three-pedal setups fade to black? Who knows. What we do know is that today, Stuttgart is taking a step back towards the light by reintroducing the manual transmission to the 2027 Porsche 911 Carrera S.
Borrowing the six-speed manual from the “entry-level” Carrera T, the 911 Carrera S with MT Package (actual name) also adds a batch of extra standard features on top of the normal Carrera S. You get rear-axle steering, the Sport Chrono package, a retuned exhaust with titanium tips, center lock wheels, PASM sport suspension, and of course, that sweet walnut shift knob Porsche’s been rocking lately. Coupe or cabriolet, the choice is yours.
The lighter center lock wheels shave 17 pounds of unsprung mass and help the manual Carrera S coupe clock in at 3,327 pounds, just 11 pounds more than the Carrera T. It’s rear-wheel-drive only, and it’ll also be exclusive to North America when deliveries begin at the end of the year. Yes, this is one of those rare cases where we get the manual and the rest of the world doesn’t. Thank the thousands of 911 buyers on this continent who specced their cars with stick shifts at rates far higher than Europe this decade.
As we pointed out when the 992.2 S debuted last year with a significant power bump to 473 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque from its twin-turbo 3.0L flat-six, the 911 Carrera S is now basically the 992.1 GTS. Same brakes and everything. Now that the GTS is an automatic-only hybrid and the manual makes its return here, it’s obvious: if you want a spicier analog 911, you get the Carrera S with MT Package.
This is undoubtedly great news. The world is getting steadily worse, but it’s just a bit brighter with another manual Porsche 911 in the mix. That said, salvation isn’t free. The manual package adds $8,550 to the Carrera S coupe’s starting price, bringing it to $167,100, while the manual cabriolet jumps nearly $11,000 to $181,000. It would cost you more than that to add all the new standard features a la carte, but it is also effectively an “I love driving” surcharge. Keep in mind the manual 911 GTS started at $150,900 in 2024 before it disappeared, and the manual was available as a no-cost option. Times have indeed changed.
But when you’re the only company on the planet making rear-engine sports cars with three pedals, you can price them however you want. And if a little more margin on 911s helps Porsche get back on track after a rough couple of years and keeps the model existing in its pure form for longer, are we really going to complain?
I mean, yes. It’s what we do. But we also applaud Porsche for a lovely bit of fan service here. And here’s a tip: the 388-hp manual Carrera T starts around $150,000, and because it inherited the bigger turbos from the old GTS, it’s not hard to get it up to S levels of power with a simple tune. See? You still got some options.
Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com
Loading comments…
Comments couldn’t be loaded. Please refresh the page.