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Next Porsche 911 GT3 to Bring Back the Manual, Purists Rejoice While Racers Cringe

Half a generation. That’s how long it took Porsche to realize that offering driving-intimate 911 editions such as the GT3 in PDK paddle shift-only form was a necessity. Fortunately, Zuffenhausen seems to have realized the GT3 badge goes well with a performance clutch and now plans to bring back the manual on the next incarnation of the model.
Porsche 911 R spyshots 1 photo
Photo: CarPix
As Car and Driver, who spoke to Porsche GT division boss Andreas Preuninger, puts it, the next-gen GT3 will “almost certainly” come with a stick alongside the current seven-speed PDK double-clutch.

Nevertheless, don’t expect the 7-speed manual fitted to the Carrera to show up in the GT3. While that final ratio is all about softening up the fuel consumption discussions with your friends, the GT3 should pack Porsche’s all-performance six-speed cog swapper.

It is our long-term goal to have the customer decide between the two approaches,” Preuninger told C&D.

The head of Porsche’s GT arm admitted that while the GT3’s intelligent electronics make full sense on the track, they “may” miss the purist customer base target.

The kind of people who secretly wear Martini colors under the business suits that allow them to make enough money to buy such Porsches make up an important part of the company’s clientele.

The carmaker has already acknowledged the glitch in their driving matrix and is currently working to complete the development of a 911 R. Basically a GT3 with a manual and no wing, the vehicle has recently been spied, but this is expected to be a limited edition, so getting one might be more difficult than you’d expect.

Despite making the Neunelfer 45 lbs (20.5 kg) heavier, the PDK increases performance, both in a straight line and on the track, being able to outshift even the quickest of heel-and-toe dancers. But sometimes you care more about what happens in the process of beating the guy in the 458 Speciale than about the result itself.
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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