Porsche There's no denying that the manual transmission isn't nearly as popular as it once was, but that doesn't mean there still isn't a huge enthusiast market for it. That's clearly evidenced by the fact that Porsche is bringing back the stick-shift 911 Carrera S for the 2027 model year, something I'm sure 911 Carrera T owners are going to absolutely love. The German automaker isn't just doing this for fun, either. It says there has been "overwhelming" customer demand for a manual Carrera S, so it's just giving the people what they want. By "the people," I just mean North American people, too, because the 911 Carrera S with MT Package is exclusive to North America, baby. Sorry to the rest of the world. You're just not on our level, I fear. This car marks the return of the manual transmission to the Carrera S, which is the most popular 911 variant globally. Porsche dropped the stick from the model when the 992.2 facelift debuted, leaving it with just the admittedly brilliant 8-speed PDK automatic gearbox. Those days are behind us now, because there's a 6-speed stick shared with the Carrera T in its place. (You get the same wood shifter, too.) Real Porsche Nerds™ will undoubtedly notice that this new model foregoes the 7-speed manual found in the old 992.1 C2S, probably because a seven-speed stick is a bit overkill. This marks the fourth 992.2 model available with a stick, joining the aforementioned Carrera T and the much more expensive and race-y GT3 and the 911 GT3 S/C. What you get Porsche Porsche didn't just stick the manual in the C2S and call it a day. That would be far too simple. After all, it needs some way to justify the $10,900 price delta the MT Package commands over the standard car, so there are a ton of added extras that come with it. I suppose that does make sense. If you're springing for a manual 911, you certainly care about driving, so there are a slew of driver-oriented options that come as standard with the package. Right off the bat, you can't get the manual with all-wheel drive option. It gains rear-axle steering, the Sport Chrono package, and the PASM Sport suspension that drops the car's ride height by 0.4 inches, all of which are usually optional. The MT Package also adds standard center-lock wheels, a first for a Carrera S, which save 17 pounds over the standard units. Out back, you'll find titanium exhaust outlets with black trim and unique tuning, as well as a red "S" model designation that complement the standard SportDesign front fascia. Porsche says the MT Package is offered with some unique styling packages, like one that adds white exterior accents and badges, Ceramica wheels and puddle lights with a manual logo. The big six Porsche On the inside, drivers are greeted with a lovely walnut shifter, a standard Sport Chrono package and four-way Sport Seats Plus from the get-go. 14-way Sport Seats, 18-way Sport Seats Plus and folding carbon-fiber lightweight bucket seats are also optional. That styling pack adds Plaid Sport-Tex fabric with Chalk stripes, which look great along with Ceramica trim pieces. You also get a white ring for the Sport Chrono package. While there are some feature differences, the engine remains largely the same: a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six that pumps out 473 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. That's a big jump over the Carrera T's 388 hp and 331 lb-ft, which it shares with the base Carrera. Porsche says the whole package weighs just 11 pounds more than the Carrera T coupe, something owners of that car are definitely going to lose sleep over. Iron brakes are standard, but unlike the Carrera T you can get the manual Carrera S with carbon-ceramic brakes. It's a good deal, actually Porsche Order books are open now, and if this all sounds good to you, be prepared to lay down some serious cash. We all know 911s are getting more expensive with what seems like every passing day, and Porsche will never miss an opportunity to make its dear customers pay just a little bit more than they were already going to. The 2027 911 Carrera S with MT Package will start at $169,450 for the coupe and $183,350 for the cabriolet. That's a $10,900 price delta over the standard car. But add the rear-wheel steering, Sport Chrono, PASM, titanium exhaust and SportDesign fascia to a regular Carrera S, and that's already $10,610. So if you think about it, the MT Package is actually a good deal. At the very least, we've gained back another manual car, and that's never a bad thing. You can all thank rich folks with good taste, painful as that might be.
