Consumer demand for automatic gearboxes has seen the number of cars offered with a manual drop to record lows in the past few years. However, Porsche has made it clear that it isn’t giving up on the shift-it-yourself transmission just yet.
The man in charge of the 911 and 718, Frank Moser, recently told US publication The Drive that he wants to keep the manual transmission alive at least until the end of the current generation of models, giving its customers and driving enthusiasts such as ourselves a glimmer of hope for the future of fun cars.
“Manual transmission is always what the customer wants in the 911, so we have been and are working as long as possible to save the manuals,” says Moser.
“That’s absolutely relevant for the 911. That’s why we have the 911 T with a manual gearshift, and now the 911 S/T with a stick shift, and that’s really because customers want a stick shift.”
So the demand is clearly there, what else needs to be said? Well, regardless of how many people want a manual Porsche, the biggest headache the German carmaker currently faces is tightening emissions regulations in Europe.
We should probably mention that the manual gearbox will eventually be phased out because of this due to their higher carbon output, or at least once electrification replaces purely petrol-powered vehicles.
However, there are ways around this, such as the faux shifter Toyota demonstrated on a fully electric Lexus earlier this year. But Porsche wants its cars to be “authentic” so don’t expect this from the sports carmaker any time soon.
“What we want, and that’s the key for Porsche, is to make it authentic. So therefore, I don’t know that there’s a way for us to have a stick shift in an electrified car,” Moser said, via The Drive.
For now, at least we get to enjoy the manual for a little bit longer thanks to manufacturers like Porsche.
