Why the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Won't Get a Manual

We car enthusiasts can be an ungrateful bunch. Porsche finally gives us a Cayman with the full-fat 911 GT3 engine and all we have to say is "Cool, but does it come with a stick?" (This might be an exaggeration for the purposes of this story, but the irritating "no manual, no care" crowd always makes its presence known.) The answer is no, and there are two reasons.

One, Porsche for years now has been firm in saying that its RS cars will be dual-clutch only. Andreas Preuninger, head of Porsche GT cars, said as much at the launch of the 991.2 GT3 back in 2017. That car was notable for bringing the manual back to the GT3, but it also saw the beginning of the GT department bifurcating its offers to satisfy its two main types of customers. For the purists, it makes cars like the GT3, 911 Speedster, Boxster Spyder, and Cayman GT4, all of which can be had with manuals (or in the case of the Speedster, the manual is the only 'box); for the "track rats," it makes RS cars. The thinking is that track folk are going for ultimate lap times, and PDK is far quicker than three-pedals and a clutch.

But, let's imagine that this wasn't the case. Even then, a manual wouldn't be in the cards for the GT4 RS. In a media roundtable before the car's reveal, Preuninger said Porsche doesn't have a manual gearbox that fits behind the GT4 RS's engine. "[I]t's just not possible," he said. So that seems to preclude any future Cayman variants with this engine and a manual.