10 BEST MANUAL 911s OF ALL TIME
10 992 Carrera S (2020-)
Gearbox: ZF 7-speed
As the launch of the 992 appeared on the horizon, there was much speculation whether that venerable concept, the manual gearbox, would still be offered on a 911. There were strong hints from the Motorsport department that GT3 versions would be available with a six-speed, but the plain 911? In the end Porsche did not abandon self-shifting 911 enthusiasts, though the manual gearbox arrived a full year after the start of 992-generation production.
The only disappointment was that instead of a basic 911 manual option (a recreation of the 991 Carrera T), buyers had to spec up to a Carrera S or 4S. However, opting for a manual gearbox gave buyers the very welcome Sport Chrono Package as well as a mechanical limited-slip differential which, twinned with Sport PASM, produced a very capable modern 911 indeed, even weighing 25kg less than the base 911 with PDK.
Critics have lamented the seven-speed manual in the 991, yet pleasingly the shift quality has been much improved since the discouragingly confusing original from a decade ago. Today, the seven-speed manual in the 992 has a wonderful, slick action with a shorter throw and a clutch that’s light to deploy, enhancing the 992 C2S’s all-round capabilities. Porsche may yet reintroduce the Carrera T for the 992, but in the meantime the traditional enthusiast’s choice falls on the 992 C2S.
9 911S 2.2 (1969-71)
Gearbox: 901 5-speed
As many enthusiasts know, for 30 years Porsche built its own gearboxes – by 1960 the company had over 70 patents and derived considerable income from them. Like much of the Porsche, its gearbox and synchromesh
