The Porsche 911 is considered by many as the ultimate, must-have sports car. Every iteration of the 911 delights the senses. They sport an iconic design and provide an exhilarating driving experience. The 2023 Porsche 911 range lives up to the expectations and retains stick shift as standard for the Porsche 911 Sport Classic, GT3, Targa 4S, Carrera S, and Carrera T. The Carrera S and GTS sport seven-speed manual transmission, while the 911 GT3 has a six-speed manual gearbox.
Performance
| 0-60 MPH | 4.3 Seconds |
| Top Speed | 181 MPH |
| Curb Weight | 3,254 Pounds |
| Horsepower | 379 Horsepower |
| Torque | 331 Pound-Feet |
We put the spotlight on the 911 Carrera T. Porsche touts this two-seater is driver-centric and performance-focused with measures taken to shave off some weight, sports seats plus, 20/21-inch wheels, sports suspension, and sport exhaust system to ensure a resonating vroom. It relies on its powerplant with 379 horsepower and 331 pounds-feet of torque mated to a seven-speed manual transmission that’s engineered to have short distances between gears. This combo brings the Porsche 911 Carrera T from 0 to 60 MPH in 4.3 seconds and a top track speed of 181 MPH.
The debate among gearheads over whether all-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive is best suited to sports cars has raged as long as those technologies have existed. Each side has dedicated adherents, ready to defend their preferred engineering against all comers. Just about the only thing drivers do agree on is that a manual transmission is always preferable to an automatic for maximum performance, whether in sports models or other performance cars.
That’s what makes it such a surprise that just one AWD sports car with a manual transmission is still available on the American market. The last car standing is a German thoroughbred that may come as a surprise to car fans accustomed to associating specific brands with RWD or AWD designs.
The Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Is The Last Manual Transmission AWD Sports Car In 2024
Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Specs
| Engine | 3.0L flat-six |
| Transmission | 7-speed manual transmission |
| Horsepower | 443 HP |
| Torque | 390 LB-FT |
| Top Speed | 190 MPH |
| 0-60 | 3.2 seconds |
| MSRP | $138,600 |
The last of the AWD manual-shift sports cars, at least as of 2024, is the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S. Seasoned gearheads can enjoy the irony: the 911 has historically been a hero to RWD diehards, and both the stock 911 and the top-end GTS performance package send their power to the rear wheels. Splitting the difference is the 911 Carrera 4 and 4S, two different trim levels that wave the flag for all-wheel-drive performance.
The new Targa variants also have a 4S option with all-wheel-drive and optional seven-speed manual transmission.
In part, that decision seems to be based on sheer driving experience. The HotCars review of the 2024 Porsche 911 Turbo S (particularly relevant to any Dads reading) found the all-wheel-drive satisfyingly sticky, though it should be noted Porsche sent us a RWD version instead of a 4 or 4S. Delivering maximum performance with minimum waste has always been Porsche’s strongest point, and we found having all four tires digging into the blacktop achieved that in spades.
We’ve yet to lay hands on a 4/4S to compare the automatic with the seven-speed manual beloved by Porsche purists. The reviewer did note that the acceleration at the highest trim level of the 911 Turbo S – 640 horsepower in a car the size of a lunchbox means 2.1 seconds from 0 to 60 – was so comically fast that it likely required an automatic. The reflexes of anyone short of a professional F1 driver would lag behind Porsche’s automatic gearbox.
As the review demonstrates, however, the Carrera 911 4 and 4S aren’t top-of-the-line. Why do they rate all-wheel-drive when the top-end Turbo gets by fine with the rear wheels? And while we’re on the subject, what’s the difference between 4 and 4S?
