DreamCarrera

I recently saw a news report that stated that only 1% of new cars sold in the U.S. are equipped with a manual transmission and, only 18% of the population can actually drive a stick shift car.

I wonder what effect this will have on the value of 996s (and all manual sports cars - except the truly rare, high-end cars) going forward considering most 996s have manual gearboxes. After all, if you can't drive the car, why would you buy the car! Also, I'll bet that 18% figure will be much lower 10 years down the road.

wdb

The S54 is an absolute legend of an engine that fully deserves to have a few foibles. Yes it is possible to have a 5 figure rebuild but it takes either astounding stupidity or extraordinarily bad luck. In comparison it is not hard at all to grenade an M96, as many have learned. I love my M96 but it doesn't hold a candle to the S54 in my Z4MC in terms of either reliability or engineering brilliance. That said, S54 cars over 100K miles take a financial hit even if the requisite rod bearings and VANOS work have been done. It isn't logical. But then so many things in the enthusiast car market aren't.

peterp

I definitely think the opposite. The lack of almost any manual shift cars today only makes those older cars with manual transmission more desirable and more difficult to find as time goes on. For a Ferrari 360, for example, a manual 360 sell for about 40 percent more than the same car with F1. And F1 (which is essentially the same transmission as the 360 manual car IIRC) is a million times better than Tiptronic (for anyone with sporting intentions at least). I think manual gets more and more attractive for classic sports cars because it's so different and more fun than what the new cars have. Across all drivers, it's definitely true that fewer can drive a manual, but for those looking of an older sports cars, I think they want the real deal and learn.

GC996

In the US, we currently live in a pansy *** "me-too" state of mind. Folks would rather have self driving electric cars because they make a statement.

But within that world is a large percentage of consumers that still want the freedom associated with driving their own petrol powered car, enjoying the sounds and satisfaction of shifting their own gears and enjoying the orchestration that comes along with it.

Porsche plays to both pansy asses and petrol heads. And the petrol heads will continue to run to the 996. Why, because these folks want to drive the car themselves. No electric engines and no nannies allowed.

wdb

Younger generations are paddle-happy. I would not be at all surprised to see proper paddle-shifted enthusiast cars such as PDK equipped Porsches rise to the top of the desirability list in 10 years, maybe sooner.

wdb

2003 C2 coupe with FSI 'stocker' motor on Cars & Bids.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/KPx...-carrera-coupe

peterp

Time will tell. Young people were the primary drivers of the resurgence of vinyl records. Does vinyl actually sound better on the mid-level audio equipment they typically have? Probably not most of the time, but it's the experience of vinyl and touching it and reading the liner notes that drives them.

Being different and "analog" is good -- listening to vinyl records and driving a legit manual transmission car are a bit of badge of "I'm me" honor, even among those who otherwise wouldn't look up from their phone even if a semi was about to run them over .

Different is good. Different and unobtainable (when manual is truly scarce)? Priceless.

.

GC996

Maybee. But maybee the younger generation gets a little older and watches an old documentary about racing and sees a guy heal toe shifting and wants to try it.

Nothing wrong with automatic 996s or any other model. My beef is with self driving electric cars that take all the fun out of the driving experience. He'll, if you drive the 991s and 992s in automatic, the computer synchronizes the revs and shifts much faster on the track than playing with the paddles yourself or shifting a 7 speed manual.

But what if the younger generation wants the novelty? My bet is they will.

Lady Silver

I guess from a personal perspective, I am happy to be alive at this point in time with resources to drive a fine Porsche automobile the way I enjoy. Were I younger I might be concerned about the ultimate disappearance of fine automobiles like the 996 before I had the opportunity to drive them. And constrained to look a late model Porsche on the showroom floor, which bears only a distant resemblance to my 996, with that resemblance fading fast. I do regret passing on the opportunity to pick up a 911T in 1968, my graduation year. Man I regret that.....

GC996

Fun footage of Senna heel toe shifting in an Acura w/o a LSD. Notice how bad the balance was w/o the LSD. Senna couldn't use the throttle as he normally did.

Will it become a lost art? Hope not.

Mike Murphy

The E46 M3 vs. 911 comparison is a good one. The practicality of the full size trunk and truly usable back seats are just not comparable to a 911, not to mention the M3 is just as fast and capable as a 911. The M cars have tended to go up in value over the years, whereas it can take a lot longer for a 911 to do the same. So it’s really a tough call which one is better. They are both the best in class, although it is fair to mention the M is the top BMW, where a base 911 is the lowest class 911. The top class GT2 and GT3 911s are going to be in a different league though.

peterp

Today, a $60ish-k Tesla SUV goes 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. In the future, if somebody is buying an older ICE sports car (which can't really be rationalized performance-wise), they want the "experience", and my bet is that they'll want the full experience (manual).

Mike Murphy

The B58 engine in our X3 ain’t bad either. Supposedly can handle up to 500HP no problem with just a tune.

Mike Murphy

I love that video Glenn. A lost art for sure, but as long as Goodwood exists, and Civil War buffs like to dress up and play fight, there may always be a time and place for us to run our old cars around a track 😁

GC996

I am beginning to thing that may be me. Dressed up in my old OMP racing suit.