drcollie

My Porsche ownership has been like this over the past 44 years - all three-pedal cars:

* 1970 911E - drove that car to 233,000 miles before I sold it. Wonderful in its day. It would rust simply by staring at it, I swear.
* 1973 911 Targa - was not as much fun as the prior one, lost of of the pep due to emissions, weight, etc. also rusted.
<dry spell while getting married, raising kids, buying houses, etc>
* 1996 C4S - gorgeous car, probably the most handsome one I ever owned as I had it kitted like a 993TT. It was slow, didn't handle all that well and was very outdated in the build.
* 2008 Boxster S - really a terrific ride, would run circles around the '96 C4S. Totally enjoyable, a bit claustrophobic with the top up, however.
* 2014 Carrera S Cab - best car I ever owned. It's fast, comfortable, extremely capable and a joy to drive every time I get in it. No turbos - makes great noises.

Porsche has always made the new cars....better ..... than the prior generation. They have a knack for that (OK, OK, so there was the early 996's - but no one is perfect). I suspect the 992 will be terrific in every way. HOWEVER - there is a strong rumor they will discontinue the true manual transmission in the new generation and if they do, I will not be a buyer. My play car has to be a 3-pedal. If so, that makes the current GT3 with manual trans and the 4.0 naturally aspirated engine total future gold.

Argon_

There are spy shots of 992s with 7MT.

subshooter

First I have heard that. Source to your "strong rumors"?

Argon_

It would be an inadvisable decision for them to discontinue the MT.

Remember that AM just released a new Vantage. Lithe and stripped compared to the old one, and it will have a manual.

Killing the stick would deposit a legion of buyers onto AM's lap.

wthensler

Argon_

I think you'd be surprised how many young people still covet the double H.

Most of them are currently rolling around in stick Civics, straight piped WRXes, and E46 sedans, but that won't be forever.

Many will convert their disposable income into cars once they have it. For cars that are A-A enjoyable, I wouldn't write off the MT for a while longer.

Mr.Bourne

HenryPcar

Agree with you here. My 997.2 C2S with manual is everything I ever wanted on a 911.

chuck911

Technically speaking the buggy whip was a whole different technology. Using automobilia metaphoria, the menial transmission will go the way of carborundum headlights, cockpit spark advance, and the hand crank starter.
Pulling the choke, priming the carbs, and the flooded engine. The fuel petcock, manual wiper, manual defogger (rag in hand), and goggles.
Historically speaking we are all the younger generation. I seriously doubt any of us misses any of those archaic technologies. Equally seriously doubt very many of those who never had to master the menial task of pushing on a pedal will prefer to waste time on that when they can just flick a paddle.

But wait! We've had the choice for like a decade now. Results are in- people not only don't miss it, they don't want it so much they happily pay $3k (and a significant weight penalty!) to get rid of it!

Oh well.

Argon_

Tell that to the fifty percent take rate on the 6MT GT3, the smash hit of the Cayman GT4, or the massive premium that a Singer commands. Oh well, they're just facts.






To this day there are still horse breeders; people simply love to ride, and are willing to pay.



The big difference between four wheel drive nonruminant herbivores and our beloved stick gearbox, is that a stick car is every bit capable of keeping pace with automatics, EVs, and self driving vehicles.

Anachronism or not, people want them. Capitalism will provide.

/rant

mb1

I used to think that also when I owned my 997 MT. Thought that I liked the rawness of the 997. I even posted that same thing on a 997 forum a few years back. Then I drove a 991. After that, my 997 didn't feel "raw", it just felt underpowered and dated.

speed_kills

When I upgraded from 997.1TT to 997.2TT, I thought this was all the car I could ask for.

But after I got my 991.2 C2S, the 997 indeed felt old instead of raw. While the 991.2 C2S doesn't have the TT's top end, it was just SO MUCH better in every way.

Porsche really has a way of improving in every generation and I'm excited to see the 992.

Marv

I would agree with you on that. They are better cars, in a way, but there are more metrics than simply performance figures.

And after a long run of buying and selling Porsches starting in 1988, getting the 996 GT3 in 2006 ended that streak for me.

The truth is I haven't bothered testing newer cars, but my gut tells me that the improvements in performance over the years have come at the price of scrubbing away the rawness and simplicity of the GT3—more so than I would like.

The alternative might be a new RS, but my old reliable ride is long, long paid for and slamming down that kind of money is simply not in the cards for me.

Argon_

With an old reliable like that, powered by a legendary engine that contends with the 2J, I'd probably say the same.

GVA-SFO