2020 Porsche 911 gives manual fans something to smile about

By Chris Davies/Oct. 31, 2019 2:34 pm EST

The manual transmission may be gradually disappearing, but Porsche knows what 911 enthusiasts want. The German automaker has confirmed that the 2020 911 Carrera S and 4S will be offered with a manual transmission, regardless of whether you opt for the coupe or the convertible. And that's not the only good news.

Porsche is using its seven-speed stick shift for the car, and it'll be a no-cost option. As standard, the 2020 911 Carrera S and 4S comes with the 8-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) transmission.

That's undoubtedly a great gearbox. Indeed, if you want the best possible 0-60 mph time for the car, you should absolutely stick with the PDK. With it, 0-60 mph in the 911 Carrera S Coupe with rear-wheel drive lands in 3.5 seconds. The all-wheel drive Carrera 4S Coupe version cuts that slightly to 3.4 seconds. The convertible version of each car adds 0.2 seconds to that time.

In contrast, Porsche says the manual car will take around 4 seconds to do 0-60 mph in 911 Carrera S form. Top speed is 190 mph, and the curb weight is 3,298 pounds.

Opt for the stick, however, and you get more than just the ability to row the cogs yourself. Porsche is pairing it with the Sport Chrono Package as standard, complete with Dynamic Drivetrain Mounts, PSM Sport Mode, a rev-match function, and the mode switch on the steering wheel. The latter allows the 911 to be switched between Normal, Sport, Sport Plus, and a driver-customized Individual mode.

There's also a mechanical limited-slip differential including Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV), that'll be fitted as standard to the manual cars. It replaces the PDK models' fully variable, electronically controlled limited-slip differential.

While it's getting increasingly difficult to find a manual car these days, there are a few hold-outs in the sports world. Only this month we got behind the wheel of the 2020 Aston Martin Vantage AMR, a manual version of the British sports car. Like the 911, it trades a little performance in favor of a more engaging driving experience. While Aston Martin is only producing a limited number of 2020 Vantage AMR cars, it has confirmed it will be offering the Vantage with a manual transmission option from next year.

Orders for the 2020 911 Carrera S and Carrera 4S with manual transmission are being taken now, with US deliveries expected to kick off in Spring 2020. The 2020 911 Carrera S with manual transmission starts at $113,300, while the 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet starts at $133,400; both have a $1,350 destination fee.