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<\/p>\nThree-pedal purists have something new to celebrate, thanks to Porsche. The automaker announced today that the 911 Carrera S will once again be available with a six-speed manual transmission in North America\u2014a first for the current 992.2 generation, and a move that runs directly counter to the industry-wide exodus from manual gearboxes.<\/p>\n
The new 911 Carrera S with MT Package pairs the 6-speed manual gearbox already found in the 911 Carrera T with the Carrera S’s more powerful 473-horsepower, 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six. The enthusiast variant is offered exclusively with rear-wheel drive, in coupe and Cabriolet body styles, and\u2014apologies to those outside of this part of the world\u2014is a North America-only variant. That sales decision says a lot about how much of the global demand for manual 911s is concentrated in the U.S. market.<\/p>\n
“While some brands are abandoning the manual, we are proud to continue offering three pedals in a range of products that speaks to different use cases,” Timo Resch, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, said in a statement. “Managing a clutch and shift lever isn’t for everyone, but for the drivers who want it, there really is no substitute.” [Historical note: Porsche adopted “Porsche. There is no substitute” as a marketing slogan from 1975 to 1989. The phrase was cemented in pop culture in 1983, after Joel Goodsen, Tom Cruise’s privileged character in Risky Business, delivers the line “Porsche. There is no substitute” while driving his father’s 1979 Porsche 928.]<\/p>\n
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The 6-speed manual in the Porsche 911 Carrera S MT<\/p>\n
The manual Carrera S isn’t new territory for Porsche\u2014it’s a comeback. The 992.1-generation (2020-2024) Carrera S offered a 7-speed manual as a no-cost option starting with its arrival in the 2020 model year (a reintroduction that followed years of PDK-only availability earlier in the 991 era for that trim). However, that option disappeared when the 992.2 Carrera S launched for the 2025 model year exclusively with an eight-speed PDK automated gearbox, leaving the Carrera T and the track-focused GT3 as the only manual-equipped 911s in the U.S. lineup. The new MT Package effectively restores the manual Carrera S to the range less than two years after it vanished.<\/p>\n
The Carrera S MT is more than just a gearbox swap. Porsche has tuned it for driving enthusiasts, bundling the package with a very desirable standard equipment list including rear-axle steering, PASM Sport suspension (drops ride height 10mm), center-lock wheels (this is actually a first for a Carrera S model), walnut shift knob, Sport Chrono, four-way Sport Seats Plus and unique exhaust tuning (with eye-catching titanium tips). Low mass was also an engineering goal, and at 3,327 pounds for the coupe, it’s only about 11 pounds heavier than the Carrera T. In terms of pricing, the base MSRP is $167,100 for the coupe and $181,000 for the Cabriolet. Expect the first customer deliveries around the holidays.<\/p>\n
News of an additional 911 model isn’t a surprise, but the debut of a manual gearbox is remarkable. Of the nearly 400 new models\/trims for sale in 2026, only 29 model-year 2026 vehicles are sold new in the U.S. with a manual transmission\u2014down from 32 in 2025.<\/p>\n
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The new Porsche 911 Carrera S MT in Aubergine overlooking Los Angeles<\/p>\n
And within that shrinking pool, manual availability above the $125,000 mark is especially scarce. Counting the new Carrera S with MT Package, Porsche alone offers manual gearboxes across several 911 variants priced well above that threshold, including the Carrera T, the new Carrera S and the track-bred GT3. Beyond Porsche, only a handful of very low-volume makers still pair manuals with six-figure-plus price tags. And the reality is that all of those fall into the “hypercar” category\u2014most with seven-figure sticker prices\u2014which means they are barely driven.<\/p>\n
The bottom line is that it is refreshing to see Porsche\u2014an automaker recalibrating its entire lineup after the challenging EV wave\u2014offer its legacy core customer, the driving enthusiast, another well-conceived model.<\/p>\n