911 GT3

Make
Porsche
Segment
Coupe

Right now you can go out and buy a new Porsche 911 GT3 with a six-speed manual. Alternatively, there's also the new 911 GT3 Touring Package. And, if you were fortunate enough, the 911 R, which literally reignited this whole hardcore 911 manual craze. But what if you prefer the more hardcore 911 GT3 RS? Will Porsche meet the demands of purists for a manual option in this case as well? Nope. It's just not going to happen. Never.

Speaking to Australia's CarAdvice, Porsche Motorsport Division's head of road car development Andreas Preuinger confirmed the GT3 RS will remain PDK-only. "RS means Renn Sport, which means it has to be quick on the track, that it's all about fast time on the track, and that means the PDK. The PDK has advantages on the track that can't be beaten by a manual, and the ones who prefer the manual transmission are not typically the track rats as we call them, but they are those who like to enjoy their cars on the normal public roads. I would say a GT2 RS with a manual option would have a four or five percent share of the market, we couldn't justify that."

Fortunately, Porsche has been experiencing sales success with manual-equipped GT3s. "I think we'll end up at around a 30 percent share for the manual transmission (in the GT3), although obviously that varies in different markets," Preuinger said.