Newest Porsche 911 GT3 Brings Back Stick-Shift Option

Manual gearbox puts you back in the driver’s seat.

It’s back! Porsche took its lumps from car purists who were upset with the removal of the manual gearbox on the prior generation GT3 911. Upon hearing the cries of disdain, Porsche is once again offering a manual option on the newest 2018 model. The return of the manual and the new, lighter, pushed back, carbon fiber wing will have track-loving Porsche enthusiasts clamoring to get in pole position.

Weighing 3,116 lbs., the manual is lighter than the paddle-shifted PDK transmission, which weighs in at 3,153 lbs. and can go an additional mile per hour at maximum speed. Going from 0 to 60 in 3.80 seconds, the manual is a wee bit slower than the PDK transmission that can get to 60 in 3.20 seconds. A mere sacrifice of 0.6 won’t damper the joy of manually controlling the stick shift, though.

In addition to the return of the manual, Porsche has dressed up the interior with striped seats and has kept the popular 14.1 steering wheel, which is also available on other Porsche models.

Speaking of steering, active rear wheels now can turn in either the opposite or same direction, depending on speed and need for stability, allowing for better cornering. They have also added, as standard equipment, the Porsche Track Precision app that allows the driver to keep and upload a record of their driving preference to their smartphone.

All this comes at a starting price tag of $143k. The 2018 GT3 911 is set to hit dealerships in late 2017. Of course, the PDK transmission is also available, but if you want to feel like you’re driving the car, instead of the car driving you, then you definitely want to go with the manual option.