Porsche Adds Engaging Driving Experience to New Carrera At No Extra Cost

Porsche may be continually pushing the boundaries of what is technologically possible with each new iteration of its evergreen 911 sports car but it is also keen to retain the characteristics that made it such an icon in the first place.

To that end (and due to strong customer demand), the sports car manufacturer has announced that the 2020 Carrera S and 4S in both Coupe and Cabriolet variants will be made available with a seven-speed manual transmission.

The manual option will initially be available only to US customers, with deliveries expected to begin in Spring 2020. The UK and other markets will follow soon after. Opting for the seven-speed manual over the 8-speed PDK transmission is a no-cost option, which seems a bit unfair if you remember the time when ticking the manual transmission box used to mean a saving over the more complex PDK unit—but while it may not be immediately apparent, you still make a saving.

That is because the stick shifter comes standard with the $2,720 Sport Chrono Package, which includes Dynamic Drivetrain Mounts, PSM Sport Mode, a rev-match function and the mode switch on the steering wheel that allows the driver to select between Normal, Sport, Sport Plus and the customizable Individual mode.

As with the previous generation 911 Carrera S and 4S models, the manual transmission versions come with a standard mechanical limited-slip differential including Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV), replacing the fully variable, electronically controlled limited-slip differential fitted to models equipped with PDK.

The manual Carrera S can accelerate to 60mph in 4 seconds and reach a top speed of 190mph, slightly down on the PDK-equipped S, which gets the benchmark sprint done in 3.5 seconds or 0.2 faster with the optional Sport Chrono pack. Top speed is just 1mph faster for the PDK. Customers who have been waiting for the more immersive manual are unlikely to be too fussed about the slightly slower acceleration figures and the 84lbs lighter curb weight should also make a small difference in the handling and braking departments.

The MSRP (excluding delivery and processing fee) for the 2020 911 Carrera S manual is $113,300, while the 4S Cabriolet manual retails for $133,400. US customers can configure their cars online starting from today.

Images courtesy of Porsche