Top 5 Coupes that still offer manual transmission as an option in SA

The manual transmission is dying a slow death. With each new generation, refresh, and model year change, the availability of a manual transmission keeps diminishing. Manual enthusiasts have a small win to celebrate in 2023 because there are still remarkable vehicles that offer manual transmission as an option.

Image: Porsche

The act of manually shifting gears hasn’t gone completely extinct but it’s certainly not as popular as it once was. With only a few niche models keeping it on life support, the forces at work against the manual transmission are insurmountable. Vehicles like the Porsche 911 and Subaru WRX still have manual transmission options due to the demand of driver engagement. Ford has also just revealed the new Mustang Dark Horse which is paired with a unique six-speed TREMEC manual transmission. But most manual transmission stalwarts are faltering, that is just the reality of it.

Related: Ford’s all-new seventh-generation Mustang Dark Horse

Throughout automotive history, manual transmissions have almost exclusively featured in ICE-powered vehicles. Automatics were more commonly a luxury, designed to relieve drivers of the skill and attention needed to shift gears. Today there the self-shifting transmission has taken over the majority of the market. Here is our Top 5 list of remarkable coupes that are mated with a manual transmission:

Toyota GR86

The Toyota Gazoo Racing team spent late nights in the garage under flickering fluorescent lights to enhance performance on the new GR86. Sports car purists already love the six-speed manual transmission, with the push of a button, MT drivers can engage Track mode or switch off Vehicle Stability Control. The shape of the shift lever is optimized for smooth, enjoyable shifting, whether you’re moving from 2nd to 3rd or downshifting from 5th to 4th. Additionally, a carbon synchronizer was added to improve shifting into 4th gear. The MT uses new low-viscosity oil and bearings for smooth shifting operability with the higher torque output of the 2,4-litre boxer engine.

Image: Gazoo Racing

BMW M2

The two-door machine embodies an unadulterated racing passion that owners can enjoy day in and day out. As an option, the Bavarian six-cylinder inline engine can also link up with a six-speed MT, creating a performance experience in the classical mould, rooted in the intense interaction between the driver and car. The gear ratios and gear spread are perfectly matched to the performance characteristics of the engine. A precisely defined shift action enables rapid, easily executed gear changes. Plus, the Gear Shift Assistant uses engagement speed control to ensure slip-free operation when downshifting under braking into corners.

Image: BMW

Porsche 718 Boxster

Paired with a precise, low-effort standard six-speed manual transmission is a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that provides the muscle at the entry of the 718 Boxster range. Powering the 718 Boxster and the 718 Boxster T is a turbocharged 2,0-litre 4-cylinder boxer engine delivering 233 kW of power. The smooth-shifting manual provides quick and seamless shifts, the gearbox also has short throws that tactfully click into position. The Boxster’s transmission communicates and connects with the driver creating a more exhilarating driving experience.

Image: Porsche

Porsche Carrera GT

The Porsche Carrera is paired with a sweet seven-speed manual transmission that is offered as an option but you’ll have to shell out for an S or GTS to get it. The coupe and cabriolet have standard rear-wheel drive, but they can be fitted with all-wheel drive for four-season, high-performance driving. The MT is eerily prescient in its operation regardless of what drive mode is selected. This specific gearbox is renowned and said to perform a flawless slip of the clutch in the manual guise and it rockets off the line with the same ferocity as the dual-clutch version.

Image: Porsche

Porsche GT3

The GT3’s six-speed MT is a different beast compared to the seven-speed manual transmission in other 911s, tracing its lineage back to the 2016 911 R model. According to Porsche, the six-speed manual feels frictionless until the soft crunch of engagement tells you you’ve hit the next cog. This manual gearbox suits a machine that’s so thoroughly devoted to an unfiltered driving experience. 

Image: Porsche

Manual transmissions will probably not disappear completely from the market in the near future but with the death of combustion engines and the rapid rise of electric vehicles, it will not come as a surprise when the good old manual transmission faces the axe in the long run. Electric cars require no multi-gear transmission at all and it looks like we are all heading to an electrified future.

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