Serious question about Manual Transmissions
 

So my brother is contemplating the purchasie of a new Cayman or 718 with manual trans that he will keep a min. of 5 and a max. of 10 years. He asked me a question that really got me to thinking: will having a a manual transmission hurt the resale in the future? Cuz let’s face it - even though many of us see the stick as highly desirable, there’s a reason why so many PDK’s are now sold – fewer and fewer people know how to drive a stick anymore.

That’s gotta limit potential buyers, yes?

Any thoughts appreciated!

It might have a nostalgic appeal?

Good question.

The folks that purchase brand new Porsches are a bit different demographic than those buying a 10 or 20 year old Porsche.

Enthusiasts and collectors mostly prefer manuals. Look at the difference in prices between manual and tip 964 and 993 (the first 911s where autos were common). The very last manual trans Ferraris command a premium over the same cars with an auto.

Now, the PDK has been very popular over a Tip but they are also quite pricey to make right when they fail.

Possibly. People today think of SMG as ' manual', but may scoff at an actual manual trans. I would suggest him buying what he wants if it's new, less worry about resale later.

A 10 year old manual trans will be more reliable than a 10 yo PDK, IMO

The question I would ask is even if the resale goes down and I doubt it will, will he get more enjoyment out of driving the manual during those 5+ years than it might cost in resale?

Honestly, the rarity of a manual will probably make it worth more.

It may become a historic collectable ;)

Which would you rather buy from him in 5-10 years? That's what I would talk my brother into.....

Any answer that you might arrive at is pure speculation. I'd rather buy what I want to drive and not worry about some future potential price hit that probably wouldn't be more than $2-3k in today's dollars. It's not like the car will be impossible to sell... unless IC vehicles are banned, in which case you're hosed either way.

A few years ago I was listening to a local DC car show called Goss’ Garage.

He is also on Motorweek: Goss' Garage | MotorWeek

His basic point about manual transmissions was that auto companies are not investing a lot of R&D funds in improvements, focusing on the real market, automatic transmissions.

I would not buy anything new with a manual transmission unless it was a dedicated fun car.

All that said, ten years from now manuals could be the hip thing. My son is in his first year of law school and his 2000 Tacoma with a five speed manual is a big hit.

He has taught three classmates how to drive it. Who knew?

this falls into the "should I do this to my car" category I see on Technical all the time. My answer is simple: It's always best to get the transmission that the next owner will love driving. or in other cases: It's always prudent to save your car for the next owner.

And of course, always paint your car the favorite color of the next owner.

like

Theft prevention.

Exactly, just look at the data. Used Porsches with manual transmissions carry a huge premium. Just look at the 997 GT3 4.0, 911R, and the new GT3 manual. 993 values are crazy, but I'd say that the tiptronic are a good 25% cheaper. Enthusiast buyers buy used, and enthusiasts still prefer a manual.

If he is thinking of down the road re-sale value, who is going to want a down the road old Porsche?

It is going to be a car enthusiast, and one that is likely shopping for an older car with a manual transmission.

Not disagreeing because you're right about the 993s and 964s but one thing to consider is that the PDK is in a different category than the old Tiptronic in terms of enthusiast appeal. I personally think that there will not be a big difference in resale value but the PDKs are already in hugely bigger demand, probably 20:1 across the entire Porsche sports car line.

I have a couple friends w 991 manuals, actually one already traded or sold his and it definitely had reduced resale value w manual. This will only get worse w time, IMO.

That said, if someone can afford a new Porsche and is worried about a few dollars in resale value years from now, their head isn't on straight. :cool:

My last P-car and all of them in future will be Tips. I'm done with manuals.

I had an interesting discussion about manual vs automate E39 BMWs this past weekend: it seems 6MT's are getting easier to find, as the automatics crapped out and it wasn't worth it to fix them so they got scrapped.

He's def an enthusiast - owns a 64C and a SWT - but I thought it was an interesting question. At least, not one I'd thought of before.

Thanks for all the input - appreciate the range of opinions.