News has been trending that there will not be a manual transmission Porsche 911 for 2024. And honestly, I’m kind of mad at myself for not being more mad. But look – I was at a Porsche / Brumos Collection event this past weekend, listening to Brian Redman tell old racing stories. Stories from an era where pit lane was littered with cigarette butts lol. And it occurred to me…
The new models from Porsche just don’t interest me…
I’ve become entirely disconnected with them. I can’t keep up with the specs, nor do I care to. And there’s nothing about a hybrid automatic Porsche 911 that I find appealing. As an 80s-era Porsche owner, maybe I’m just too nostalgic. Maybe this is what getting old feels like lol. Or maybe, I’m just too poor to play in the new arena, and this is my way of adapting and finding inner peace. It’s probably Option D: All of the above. But the gritty edge of Porsche… seems to be in their past. I’m not talking lap times or shift times, I’m talking about viscerality. Because what’s the appeal of fast… without guts. So honestly…
I’m ok that Porsche has become…
More of a prestige brand than a true unwavering sports car brand. And thus, I’m ok with the fact that Porsche is not making 3-pedal 911s in 2024. Hell I can’t afford one anyway, so it (sadly) doesn’t affect me lol. It also doesn’t inspire me, but I understand that Porsche needs to appeal to the type of customer they’ve groomed. That’s just my opinion of course; you’re totally entitled to yours & there’s many valid points of view. I am, however, incredibly grateful that…
I got so much exposure to Porsche in the ‘80s as a kid…
And that I grew up in Jacksonville FL around legends I had no idea were legends. Back to Brian Redman, my dad would visit Brian’s shop/dealership, and I was more enamored with the bubbles in his water cooler. Hey I was 6 lol! I’m grateful that today, I get to drive my ’80s Porsches every day of my life. They are more than cars… they’re soul-stirring… built by kindred spirits from decades before. And it’s unfortunate that a lot of people that drive the new ones… don’t have any perspective of vintage comparison. I do have confidence that Porsche will get a manual transmission back in the pipeline soon. Or hell, maybe not.
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