The manual transmission is something that's getting rare each and every year. There's only a relative handful of cars in general that are still available with them. That's especially the case with performance cars, where dual-clutch and torque-converter automatics have become the norm.But, if you're a pure driving enthusiast, don't fret too much. There are still quite a few properly powerful cars out there that'll still offer you a manual transmission. This list contains the most powerful of those out there. The majority of this list is made up of sports cars. There are a couple of supercars thrown in there, though, and even two muscle sedans! Porsche 911 Carrera T Power: 388 hp PorscheWhile other manufacturers are moving away from manual transmissions, Porsche is steadfastly refusing to get rid of it for some of its sportier offerings. One of the most powerful of those that you can still get with a manual is the 911 Carrera T. This 388-horsepower, rear-wheel-drive 911 is only available with a 6-speed manual transmission. That makes it one of the best purist choices out there in the 911 line-up.PorscheThe only thing that really lets the 911 Carrera T down in purist points is that it has the twin-turbocharged version of the flat-6. But, in every other way, this is a dream buy for anyone who wants an old-school Porsche experience in a modern car. Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman GTS 4.0 Power: 394 hp PorscheThe GTS 4.0 variant of the 718 Boxster and Cayman is one of the best offerings in Porsche's current line-up. It's powered by an old-school, 4-liter naturally aspirated flat-6, and it's available with both a 6-speed manual and the 7-speed PDK. Both the manual and PDK versions produce 394 horsepower—slightly more than the 911 Carrera T.PorscheWith all that power going to the rear wheels in a light, mid-engined car, that's a recipe for a proper performance monster. But as you'd expect from a 718, it's still refined enough to drive around comfortably in. It's also practical enough to use every day, if you don't have to carry a lot of things around all the time. Nissan Z Power: 400 hp (Base), 420 hp (Nismo) NissanThe Nissan Z is one of the most underrated offerings in the sports car market today. It's the successor to the always-fantastic 370Z, and much of that same energy has transferred over. The regular Z has 400 horsepower, while the racier Nismo model has 420. Both variants are available with a 6-speed manual transmission, as well as a 9-speed automatic.NissanThe Nissan Z may not be a global car, thanks to ever-tightening emissions regulations. But in the markets where it can be sold, it's genuinely one of the best of the more purist sports cars around. Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Power: 472 hp CadillacCadillac is one of the only American brands left that wants to preserve a pure, old-school driving feel for its performance cars. That's illustrated very well in the CT4-V Blackwing. While it may not have a snarling V-8 up front (it's got a 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 instead), Cadillac will still give you that old-school muscle sedan driving experience through the 6-speed manual transmission.CadillacWhile you can have this car with the standard-issue General Motors 10-speed automatic (and most customers will), the fact that you can order this 472-horsepower car with a proper manual is music to the ears of driving purists everywhere. The Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing is a reassuring sign that the muscle sedan isn't going away in the modern age. BMW M3/M4 Power: 473 hp BMWThe BMW M3 and BMW M4 have both been a cornerstone in the performance car market for a long time. Based on the same platform and using exactly the same mechanicals, they provide a car that's got genuinely fantastic performance but can also be genuinely used as a daily driver.Via: BMWWhile the more powerful versions of the M3 and M4 are automatic only these days, you can still get the base rear-wheel-drive models with a 6-speed manual. This version is still plenty powerful, at 473 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. That makes the base M3 and M4 the most powerful cars in BMW's model line-up right now that are available with a manual transmission. Ford Mustang GT Power: 486 hp FordFord seems to be the only automaker that wants to keep the old-school V8 muscle car alive. That's illustrated very well in the current version of the Mustang GT. This car has a snarling 5-liter V-8 that produces 486 horsepower, it's only available with rear-wheel drive, and you can still have it with a 6-speed manual. In fact, it's the cheapest Mustang you can get brand new with a manual option. If you go for an Ecoboost Mustang these days, you're stuck with the 10-speed automatic.FordIn a world where old-school American muscle really seems to be done, it's refreshing that Ford has decided to not only keep the V-8 alive in the Mustang, but also make sure you can still get it with a manual transmission. Plus, the fact that it's got close to 500 horsepower means that it genuinely is one of the most powerful manuals currently on sale. Ford Mustang Dark Horse Power: 500 hp FordThe Ford Mustang Dark Horse takes everything the Mustang GT is great at and turns it up even more. The 5-liter Coyote V-8 now produces 500 horsepower, and it's got a much more aggressive appearance. It also has unique 19-inch wheels, and a set of special Dark Horse badges. The result of all of this is a car that can go from 0-60 mph in anywhere from 3.7-4.1 seconds. The manual transmission version lies on the slower end of that figure. But that doesn't mean that its performance isn't impressive!FordIn many ways, the Ford Mustang Dark Horse is the spiritual successor of the older Shelby Mustangs. That's no bad thing at all, as those Shelby Mustangs were perfect examples of how to combine the best of old-school and modern muscle car philosophies. The Dark Horse still offering a 6-speed manual in 2026 only helps to honour that. Porsche 911 GT3/GT3 S/C Power: 503 hp PorscheYou might have thought that the Carrera T was the only 911 variant to offer something for the proper purist drivers. But Porsche has something much more powerful up its sleeve for its customers. The 911 GT3 and 911 GT3 S/C are two high-performance 911s focused on maximum performance. It's also got the purest form of Porsche's flat-6—a 503-horsepower version of the 4-liter, naturally aspirated variant. The regular 911 GT3 is only available as a coupe. Meanwhile, the 911 GT3 S/C is an open-top 2-seater, evoking aspects of the 911 Speedsters of old.PorscheThe 911 GT3 is available with both a 6-speed manual and the 7-speed PDK transmission. The GT3 S/C, meanwhile, is only available with the 6-speed manual. That makes the GT3 S/C one of the coolest pure driving experiences you can buy brand new, as well as being one of the most powerful new cars with a manual transmission. Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Power: 668 hp CadillacThe second of the Cadillac muscle sedans on this list, theCT5-V Blackwingis a bit more of a purist's dream than the cheaper CT-4V Blackwing. This car has the 6.2-liter LT4 engine, which is also used in theCadillac Escalade-Vand was also used in theC7 Corvette Z06. This means it has 668 horsepower and a glorious supercharged V-8 soundtrack.CadillacThe CT5-V Blackwing will be going out of production after this year. If you've ever wanted to get a proper, full-blooded V-8 muscle sedan with a manual transmission brand new, you're going to need to be quick! Pagani Utopia/Utopia Roadster Power: 852 hp The Pagani Utopia (and its roadster equivalent) is definitely a car you won't be able to buy brand-new. But it is still technically being produced in 2026, so it does count as a 2026 car. It's also the most powerful 2026 car with a manual transmission. Its 6-liter twin-turbocharged V-12 produces 852 horsepower, a huge jump over the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing we talked about earlier.Interestingly, the Pagani Utopia is the only car here where the manual transmission version has 7 gears instead of 6. That only enhances how unique the Utopia is. It's very rare you'll find a 7-speed manual in anything, let alone a modern supercar!Sources: BMW, Cadillac, Ford, Nissan, Pagani, Porsche