Porsche is one of the few companies that champions the manual transmission but don’t go looking for a stick in a hybrid variant.
Speaking at the unveiling of the third-generation Cayenne, Porsche engineer Dr. Gernot Döllner told Road & Track the company won’t offer a manual transmission on models equipped with hybrid technology. As he explained, hybrid and electric powertrains can only be efficient when paired to automatic transmissions.
The reasoning seems to make sense as modern automatics are more fuel-efficient than their manual counterparts. Offering a less efficient transmission on a hybrid model would seemingly negate the purpose of the vehicle.
While it’s doubtful that Cayenne and Panamera hybrid owners would mourn the absence of a manual transmission, it brings up some interesting questions about a possible 911 hybrid. Döllner’s statement seems to suggest the model would only be available with a PDK gearbox like a handful of other 911s.
Of course, we don’t have to worry about the issue quite yet as Porsche’s head of 911 development recently confirmed plans for a plug-in hybrid variant have been dropped. The decision was reportedly made last year as the “disadvantages outweighed the advantages.”
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