- Porsche is the Holy Grail
- Good value for the Lotus Emira at CA$127,000
- Aston Martin Valour: A beast in action
The manual gearbox is a rare commodity that has only risen in the desirability stakes with a greater emphasis on driver engagement along with greater consumer interest. Manual sports cars are lusted after and the stick shift has become something of a rare phenomenon in an age where batteries are seen equally along with humble gasoline engines.
In supercars and sports cars, there are some manufacturers which are sticking to the stick shift and here are some of the best ones out there.
Manual sports cars: Porsche 911
The holy grail of sports cars, the 911 has continued to be available with a manual gearbox despite elsewhere the range also having a hybrid powertrain. The hardcore 911 GT3 also continues to have a manual gearbox option which satiates enthusiasts too.
The manual gearbox equipped version has the extra driver involvement and the shift action is smooth too with a light enough pedal for daily use.
BMW M2
The M2 continues to have a manual gearbox and that means it remains one of the best enthusiast sports cars since the 453-hp twin-turbocharged inline-six paired with a stick enables it to be more fun. The M2 is a compact sportscar but the clutch is slightly heavy while the shift action is delightfully precise too.
Lotus Emira
The Lotus Emira is the modern-day successor to the Evora and comes with a manual gearbox albeit paired with the Toyota six-cylinder engine. The Emira is a relatively modern sports car but the driving experience is analogue for sure.
This one is a proper mid-engine analogue sports car with an exotic look although it is pretty good value as well (CA$127,000). The manual gearbox is a bit heavy but is for those long drives with the driver involvement factor right up.
Manual sports cars: Gordon Murray T.33
At the more exotic end, the GMA T.33 retains its voluptuous styling but the talking point is the 617 PS 3.9-litre V12 and a six-speed manual gearbox.
The soulful V12 is perhaps best savoured with the manual gearbox with a light shift but with a precise shift action enabling you to engage with the powertrain further. It is one of the last such hyper cars with a manual gearbox option.
Aston Martin Valour
This British brute has a manual gearbox along with a V12 stuck upfront its massive bonnet. The twin-turbo 5.2-liter V-12 develops 705 bhp and the six-speed manual gearbox is tasked with the job of harnessing that much power.
It is a limited-edition supercar is less about outright performance and more about the sheer analogue driving experience which one gets here.
Somnath Chatterjee grew up around cars and most of his childhood was spent obsessing over supercars. Years later he decided to start writing about them and hasn’t looked back since. While he has had his fair share of cars, the world of automobiles never ceases to amaze him. Travelling all over the world to drive them along with sharing that experience is what ultimately keeps him going. He hopes to drive a Ferrari 288 GTO someday because, well, do you really need a reason?
