America’s Getting A New Stick-Shift Porsche 911 That Germany Won’t Have

The Porsche 911 Carrera T is pretty much the perfect new 911 for the road. It has a manual gearbox, it sits on the entry-side of the range, and it comes with all the performance goodies you could really want. But what if you want to row your own and have a little more power or an interior that isn’t black? Previously, you’d have needed to make the substantial jump up to a GT3, but not anymore. In North America, the 911 Carrera S is once again available with a manual gearbox.

It wasn’t that long ago when you could option a manual gearbox in most Porsche 911 models. Then a great rationalization happened. See, it’s excruciatingly expensive to homologate every mainstream model with a manual gearbox and an automatic gearbox, and with PDK dual-clutch uptake strong, Porsche decided to silo. From 2025 onward, the enthusiast-focused 911 Carrera T and the GT3 would be the only regular production models available with a manual transmission. Everything else would be automatic.

This makes a great deal of sense in Europe, where automatic adoption rates are rising, drive-by noise restrictions are tightening, and fleet average emissions really count. However, North America’s a different place. Here, the manual gearbox isn’t standard; it’s a lifestyle choice. One that many sports car buyers are eager to make. As such, bringing the Carrera T’s six-speed manual over to the Carrera S makes a great deal of sense, especially with the wider Carrera S option list. Throwing in extras? Well, that’s just a bonus.

Let’s start with the headline figure: 473 horsepower, a huge increase over the 388 horsepower on tap in the Carrera T. Even with the natural torque interruption of shifting a manual gearbox without unleashing wrath upon its synchros, that’s a difference you’ll really feel. Especially with the row-your-own Carrera S not weighing a whole lot more than a Carrera T. Even with larger brakes, it only has 11 pounds on its little brother.

At the same time, equipment levels are up. Every stick-shift 2027 911 Carrera S will come with four-wheel steering, sport suspension, the Sport Chrono package, and extra-bolstered seats as standard – and the additions don’t stop there. The center-lock wheels come straight off the 911 Carrera GTS, the Sport Design front fascia and titanium exhaust finishers look brilliant, and you still get the lovely wood shift knob from the Carrera T.

Then there’s the length of the options list. Unlike a Carrera T, you can get a stick-shift 911 Carrera S with a tan interior, or a brown one, or a red one, or blue leather. More wheel options join the menu, along with Carmine Red paint and carbon ceramic brakes, so you can really spec one of these out how you’d like. There’s even a special interior package with plaid seats and white accents.

As you might have expected, the manual 911 Carrera S isn’t cheap. It starts at $169,450, a $10,900 premium over a base automatic Carrera S but a slight relative discount when you comparably equip a two-pedal car. If you add the Sport Design bumper, the rear-axle steering, the sport suspension, the Sport Chrono package, the Sport Seats Plus, and the titanium exhaust finishers to an automatic Carrera S, you’re already paying an extra $180 and can’t even get the GTS alloy wheels. In Canada, the stick-shift Carrera S starts at $180,800, including freight and air-conditioning tax, a $330 Canadian discount over a comparably equipped PDK model.

Ever since the current Carrera T launched, I’ve always thought of it as the 911 to have. It’s massively engaging at a far more approachable price point than a GT3, although it’s always had a few compromises. Limited interior color selection, being locked into grey wheels, the sort of stuff that matters a bit when you’re speccing out a brand new car in the mid-hundred-thousand-dollar range. In the grand scheme of things, the new stick-shift Carrera S doesn’t command an enormous premium over the Carrera T, addresses those quibbles, and adds a shedload of power. The only real tell apart from the GTS wheels and some small stickers is a little red S on the back. Sorry, Germany. The best 911 to actually live with might now only be available in North America.

Top graphic image: Porsche

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