2012 Porsche 911 gets shifty with 7-speed manual gearbox

We're all clamoring to get our greasy mitts on the new seven-speed manual transmission in the 2012 Porsche 911. Porsche has officially released a video of exactly how the gearbox works. As expected, engineers opted to use shorter ratios for gears one through six while leaving seventh gear nice and wide. That strategy is the same one employed in the company's optional PDK, and it essentially operates as a six-speed manual with a seventh gear over drive. Porsche says the design allows the 2012 911 to deliver buyers the acceleration and performance that the vehicle has come to represent while also serving up improved fuel economy.

The Porsche marketing machine calls the new manual "puristic," which, given the company's enthusiasm for the PDK, we assume to mean "dated." We're fine with that, though. We're not whipping the car around Le Mans, so Porsche can keep the faster-than-human shifts of the double-clutch box. We want our third pedal. Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself. Thanks for the tip, GT6!