While Others Kill The Manual, Porsche Just Brought It Back To The Carrera S
Porsche announced this morning that the six-speed manual transmission is returning to the 911 Carrera S in North America — and it’s bringing a serious performance package with it. The new 2027 911 Carrera S with MT Package, revealed at Monterey on August 13, is exclusive to this market, available in both coupe and Cabriolet, and built around the premise that three pedals and a walnut shift knob are still worth engineering around.
The move is a direct response to customer demand. When the 992.2 generation Carrera S launched, it came exclusively with the eight-speed PDK. Enthusiasts pushed back, and Porsche listened. The result isn’t a stripped-down entry point — it’s a fully loaded, analog-focused variant that sits above the Carrera T in power and well above it in personalization options.
473 Horsepower, 3,327 Pounds, And A Six-Speed
The MT Package is built around the same 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six found in the standard Carrera S, producing 473 horsepower. The six-speed manual gearbox is shared with the 911 Carrera T, and the car is rear-wheel drive only — no all-wheel drive option.
Weight discipline is a clear priority. The coupe comes in at 3,327 lbs, just 11 lbs more than the Carrera T coupe. A significant contributor to that number is the fitment of center-lock wheels as standard equipment — a first for any Carrera S model — which save more than 17 lbs over the conventional Carrera S wheels. The Cabriolet is also available for buyers who want open-air rowing through the gears.
A Standard Equipment List That Goes Beyond The Carrera T
The MT Package arrives with a notably elevated base spec. Standard equipment includes rear-axle steering, PASM Sport suspension (which drops ride height by 10 mm), the Sport Chrono Package, unique exhaust tuning, four-way Sport Seats Plus, and titanium exhaust outlets with black trim. The SportDesign front fascia is also standard, along with a red “S” designation on the rear — a detail Porsche says was inspired by a modification popular among North American enthusiasts.
Where the Carrera T keeps personalization relatively constrained, the MT Package opens things up considerably. Buyers can choose from 17 exterior colors, more than 70 leather interior configurations, and — subject to availability — Paint to Sample and Paint to Sample Plus options. Optional upgrades include Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) and carbon-fiber folding lightweight bucket seats, both of which are unavailable on the Carrera T. Porsche also offers optional exterior and interior appearance packages: the exterior pack adds HD-Matrix Design headlights in black with a white color ring, Ceramica-finished wheels, and puddle lights that project the six-speed shift pattern onto the ground.
Porsche’s Counter-Cultural Stance On The Stick Shift
Timo Resch, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, framed the announcement in terms that will resonate with anyone who has watched manual options disappear from the market. “While some brands are abandoning the manual, we are proud to continue offering three pedals in a range of products that speaks to different use cases,” Resch said. “Managing a clutch and shift lever isn’t for everyone, but for the drivers who want it there really is no substitute.”
With this addition, Porsche now offers seven variants of the 911 with a conventional manual in North America. The lineup spans from the Carrera T at the entry point, through the new Carrera S MT Package in the middle, up to the GT3, GT3 Touring, and GT3 S/C at the top. It’s a broader manual range than most brands offer across their entire lineup.
The 2027 911 Carrera S with MT Package starts at $167,100 for the coupe and $181,000 for the Cabriolet, excluding a $2,350 delivery, processing, and handling fee. Orders open today at Porsche Centers, with deliveries expected before the end of 2026.
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