The humble manual transmission is quickly disappearing from new-car showrooms, but a top Porsche executive is intent on preserving the stick shift in the face of electrification.
Excluding commercial vehicles and utes, just 24 new models are currently sold with a manual in Australia, after the manual Mazda 2 and Mitsubishi ASX were both recently axed.
Alongside the dual-clutch PDK automatic, Porsche currently offers the option of a manual right across its petrol-powered sports car lineup, from the 718 Boxster and Cayman to the 911 Carrera T and GT3.
However, the do-it-yourself gearbox is set to come under threat when the 718 goes electric later this year, leaving the 911 as the last remaining manual model.
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Despite the imminent demise of manual 718 variants, Andreas Preuninger, the head of Porsche’s GT product line, says the German marque hasn’t forgotten about enthusiasts.
“From my personal point of view, it was always super important to have a manual,” Mr Preuninger told Motor1 at the overseas launch of the new 911 GT3.
“I prefer a manual as a driver’s car. I don’t mind shifting a car even on the track, knowing exactly that the PDK is faster.”
Not only is Mr Preuninger passionate about the manual transmissions from a driving engagement perspective, but he also believes it can help Porsche to meet ever-tightening emissions standards.
“[The manual] is lighter, so it contributes to better consumption and to less emissions, and you have more power at the wheel because the internal resistance of a manual gearbox is substantially lower than on a PDK,” he said.
“In the real world, the manual car uses less gas and therefore puts out less emissions than the PDK. That’s a fact.”
In 2022, manual examples of the Porsche 911 GT3 accounted for 50 percent of GT3 sales in Australia.
While the current generation of Porsche sports cars is safe from the great manual cull, the brand has ruled out developing a simulated manual transmission for its growing electric vehicle (EV) range.
BMW and Ford have stuck with manual-equipped sports cars, but Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari and Lamborghini have all phased out their three-pedal models.
MORE: Everything Porsche 911