2013 Porsche 911 GT3 won't be available with a manual gearbox?

If you were in the market for a Porsche 911 that could play dual roles as track toy and daily driver, the GT3 always fit the bill. And it was a given that you'd find a proper manual gearbox between the seats. According to the latest report, that might not be the case in due time.

InsideLine sat down with the 911's product chief, August Achleitner, who confirmed that the next GT3 is on the way and that Porsche's motorsports division is testing both a manual and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. However, only one gearbox will make it to production in 2013 and Achleitner believes the PDK will win out.

Whether that decision will be limited to Europe, while a manual option would still be offered in the States (similar to what BMW is doing with the M5) isn't clear, but Achleitner contends that putting the PDK in the GT3 is only logical, particularly given that less than one-third of 911s are fitted with a stick shift.