The manual transmission may be fading from showrooms, but among enthusiasts, its appeal has never been stronger. There’s just something about rowing your own gears – the mechanical click, the perfect rev-match, the feeling of total connection. As automatics chase lap times and efficiency, a handful of brands still build manuals that remind us why we fell in love with driving in the first place. Some are purists who refuse to give up the clutch pedal; others master both worlds, pairing great automatics with equally brilliant stick shifts. Whatever their approach, these manufacturers keep the art of the manual alive – and that’s something every gearhead should celebrate. BMW BMWBMW has a strong reputation for creating brilliant driver's cars. That includes some really great manual transmission sports cars. Perhaps the best of those is the Z4 M Coupe. The spiritual successor to the original 'clown shoe' Z3 M Coupe, this car has a 3.2-liter inline-6 with 338 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque in European-spec cars and 330 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque in US-spec cars. It also exclusively has a 6-speed manual transmission. This takes the Z4 M Coupe from 0-60 mph in 5 seconds, and an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.You could argue that BMW has made better sports cars since the Z4 M Coupe. But, there's a unique charm to this car that no other sports car BMW's made since has. Only the original Z3 M Coupe comes close to it, and it's not as refined (or as good-looking!) as the Z4. Lotus Bring A TrailerFor its entire existence, Lotus has been known as one of the prime brands for creating raw, lightweight sports cars. Most of its sports cars have gained near-universal approval. Perhaps the best of those has to be the Elise. It lasted from 1996-2021, and every version of it was based on that classic Lotus philosophy of "simplify and add lightness". The earliest models had a 1.8-liter Rover K-Series engine and a 5-speed manual transmission, producing anywhere between 145-190 bhp. By the time the final Series 3 Elise came around, it was powered by 1.6-liter, 1.8-liter, and 1.8-liter supercharged Toyota engines and 6-speed manual transmissions.The supercharged version produced as much as 240 bhp. While that sounds like a tiny amount of power by modern standards, the Elise always weighed less than 1,000 kg (2204.6 lbs). That means it has a power-to-weight ratio that's more like a supercar's than a regular small sports car.So many enthusiasts insist that everyone should try a Lotus Elise. When you look at how great its power-to-weight ratio is and how much it prioritizes the old-school sports car feel, it's not hard to see why! Chevrolet Bring A TrailerChevrolet may not be associated with making great manual transmission sports cars for those outside of North America. But, this General Motors brand has created some legitimately brilliant sports cars. The best of Chevrolet's manual sports cars has to be the C6-generation Corvette. You could get a manual transmission with every engine option in the C6 Corvette. This included the ZR1, which has a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that produces 638 hp and 604 lb-ft of torque. This made it one of the most powerful and fastest American sports cars you could buy at the time, with a 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds (as tested by MotorTrend) and a top speed of up to 205 mph.With the passage of time, the C6 Corvette has become a bit of a sports car bargain. If you can afford one, that's something you should definitely take advantage of. Honda Cars & BidsHonda has a reputation for being two things. Firstly, it's known for making cars that can almost last a lifetime. Secondly, it's known for creating some of the best performance cars on the planet. That's especially the case with its sports cars and hot hatches.There are plenty of legendary Honda sports cars out there, but the best has to be the S2000. A compact convertible that was designed to rival some of the best European models out there, it has a naturally-aspirated inline-4 VTEC engine (2-liters for global markets and 2.2-liters for North America and Japan) that absolutely loves to rev. It also only came with a snappy 6-speed manual transmission. Couple that with a car that barely has any driver aids and only weighs 2,855–2,864 lbs, and you've got a raw, almost Lotus-like driving experience. S2000s are on the way to getting very valuable, and pretty much nobody can blame them for that! Toyota Barrett-JacksonAnother Japanese manufacturer with a reputation for building some of the most reliable cars on planet earth, Toyota has also built some pretty incredible sports cars. People can argue about what the best sporting Toyotas are, but everyone is going to agree on one that outshines all the rest. That's the A80 Toyota Supra. This car was made famous through Japanese tuner culture and its appearances in the Fast & Furious franchise. While it may not be the most powerful sports car of its era (the twin-turbo version didn't produce any more than around 325 hp), it could be tuned up to a ridiculous level. That tuning potential from the 2JZ engine was enough to turn it into a legend, and keep it highly regarded in car culture to this day. Ferrari Bring A TrailerFerrari may not produce manual transmission cars in any form anymore. But, in days gone by, the Ferrari gated manual was one of the most iconic shifters you could get in any car on the market! While there have been many great Ferrari sports cars over the years to have a manual, the best has to be one of the last Ferraris that was ever offered with one. That's the F430, Ferrari's mid-engined V8 option for the mid-2000s. That 4.3-liter V8 could rev up to 8,500 rpm, producing one of the most unique engine sounds you'll ever hear. You also get the satisfying click-clack of the gated shifter, making you wonder why Ferrari abandoned manual transmission cars so quickly. It's also a surprisingly usable supercar, especially for its time. Mazda Bring a TrailerWhen it comes to the Japanese brands, there aren't many that have embraced the sports car more than Mazda. The brand has produced several iconic sporting models in the past, and they always came with three pedals and a stick, including the brand-new Miata. And while that's definitely one of the most iconic and successful manual sports cars Mazda has ever made, the best has to be the FD-generation RX-7. This car has a legendary reputation, and it's gained that for all the right reasons.Unlike the other cars on this list, it doesn't have a conventional internal combustion engine. Instead, it uses the 13B-REW turbocharged twin-rotor Wankel engine. This is widely considered to be one of the best engines Mazda's ever made. That's hard to argue with, considering it puts out up to 261 hp and that it revs up to a screaming 8,000 rpm! That power is delivered incredibly smoothly, too, thanks to how the rotary engine operates.Enthusiasts often love cars that aren't afraid to be quirky. The FD RX-7 is definitely one of those! Its rounded design is so typically '90s without looking dated, and that rotary engine gives it so much charm that other manual sports cars just don't have. It's not surprising, then, that they're starting to become incredibly valuable. Nissan NissanNissan is another Japanese manufacturer that you might not immediately associate with building great sports cars. But, not only has it managed that, but it's also one of the few manufacturers that has insisted on keeping manual options around in its sporting models! There have been many great Nissan sports cars, but none will ever beat the R34 Skyline GT-R. This was an absolute monster for its day, and it can still keep up with some of the best sports cars now. That's especially the case when they're tuned. Like the A80 Toyota Supra, these cars can be boosted up to over 1,000 hp if you really want to go crazy! The R34 GT-R's tech was also genuinely impressive for its time, including sophisticated traction control systems that make it feel like it almost never runs out of grip. Subaru SubaruSubaru is a bit of an outlier here. It's typically known for building rally-style performance cars or brilliantly practical family cars and crossovers. But it has produced a couple of sports cars in its time, and one of them is really good. That's the Subaru BRZ, the other side of the joint venture that spawned the Toyota GR86. It shares its 2.4-liter flat-4 engine with its Toyota sibling, producing 228-232 hp (depending on what market it's sold in) and 184 lb-ft of torque. That gives it a 0-60 time of 5.4 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 140 mph. Most crucially, though, it's always been available with a 6-speed manual transmission.The Subaru BRZ doesn't seem like the most fun car in the world by its figures alone. But, it has gained a deserved reputation for being a great driver's car. It's also massively tuneable, with aftermarket tuning parts and kits all over the place that can take this car's power-to-weight ratio into the stratosphere. Porsche PorscheIf there's any manufacturer that has consistently held the flag for keeping the manual transmission alive, it's Porsche. In an era where even Lotus is starting to abandon it, Porsche is steadfastly refusing to let the choice to row your own gears die out. It's also created some of the greatest manual transmission sports cars ever. The best of that bunch has to be the absolutely sublime Porsche Carrera GT. It's often considered as the last properly analog supercar, and one of the best along with that. There are barely any driver aids, and there's absolutely no commitment to trying to make it environmentally friendly. You get a screaming V10 mounted just behind the cabin, and a slightly unusual but brilliant 6-speed manual transmission.The Porsche Carrera GT isn't easy to drive. Get on the wrong side of this car, and it will punish you. But, those who are skilled enough to tame it are rewarded with a driving experience that no modern sports car or supercar can match.Sources: BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Honda, Lotus, Mazda, MotorTrend, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Toyota