Last week, Porsche introduced the latest 992-generation 911 GT3, which attracted a lot of fanfare with its impressive spec sheet. Powered by a high-revving, naturally-aspirated 4.0 litre flat-six that makes 510 PS (503 hp) and 470 Nm of torque, it’ll get from zero to 100 km/h in just 3.3 seconds, with 200 km/h arriving in 10.8 seconds.
Those are impressive times, but you’ll only get them with a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission driving the rear wheels. Should you go for a six-speed manual that Porsche offers as an option, the century sprint time dips to 3.9 seconds, while the run to 200 km/h takes 11.9 seconds.
The PDK first appeared on a 911 GT3 with the 991-gen model, outright replacing the manual that was standard with the previous 997- and 996-gen cars. This was a controversial move, so much so that Porsche brought back the manual as an option with the facelifted 991.2 GT3.
It was clear to the company that despite the superior performance provided by the PDK, customers still wanted a more engaging driving experience that came with rowing their own gears. As it turns out, this decision was a wise one, as the sales data clearly showed there was a strong demand for the manual transmission.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Luke Vandezande, product spokesman at Porsche Cars North America, revealed that the take rate for manual versions of the previous 911 GT3 globally was 30%, but in the United States, it was a whopping 70%.
He added that this is considerably more than the 20-25% of buyers who choose manual versions across the standard 911 line-up. Vandezande also noted these results “are illustrating exactly how meaningful the connection to the car associated with a manual gearbox is.”
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