Manual Mission S a possibility according to Porsche CEO

As one of the most anticipated unveils of the year, Porsche took the covers off its Mission S concept car just last week. 

As well as pointing in the direction of the company’s future, this Mission S concept will eventually become a car that sits above the iconic 911 in Porsche’s pecking order. 

The term “supercar” has been thrown around a lot in reference to the Mission S, and the rumoured flat eight engine would reflect this. 

Given Porsche’s stance on manual transmission across the 911 and 718 model lines, offering a manual transmission in the Mission S wouldn’t be a surprise. 

A the recent launch event, Porsche CEO Dr. Michael Leiters reportedly spoke about the Mission S’ platform and how it can accommodate various engines and transmission configurations. 

According to a report published by Road and Track, Leiters specifically referenced pure internal combustion engines and hybrid powertrains. 

Manual and PDK-style transmissions were also spoken about. 

“Customer demand will define what we build on this platform,” he said.

If Porsche was to offer a manual transmission in its flagship supercar, it would join a growing list of high-end manufacturers to do so.

While the likes of Lamborghini and Audi have moved away from three-pedal offerings in their most expensive cars, Ferrari and McLaren have announced plans to bring back the manual transmission. 

This comes with a caveat of Ferrari offering a simulated manual transmission in a dual-clutch gearbox, and McLaren giving the ultra exclusive mCl 6GT one. 

With this in mind, Porsche would be one of the only mass production manufacturers to offer a manual transmission with a supercar in 2026. 

And given Porsche’s stance on being driver-first, this is not too much of a surprise, but a prospect that gets us very excited.