Purists take note: As long as customers ask for it, Porsche will offer the 911 with a manual transmission. This sigh of relief comes from the mouth of the company's CEO Matthias Muller, speaking with Motor Trend editor-in-chief Angus MacKenzie.
The news will undoubtedly come as welcome to those who feared that the smooth-shifting PDK dual-clutch transmission would obviate the availability of a traditional three-pedal stick-shift gearbox. Porsche did, after all, just develop a new seven-speed manual for the new 911, even though the PDK is both smoother and quicker than even the most seasoned heel-and-toer could ever be.
While they were at it, Muller and MacKenzie also confirmed that the new 911 GT3 will remain a manual-only affair, superseding earlier reports and allaying fears that the beloved enthusiasts' favorite would lose a pedal for the clutch in favor of a second automated one.
