Each time Trader Joe’s launches another one of its tote bags, a line wraps around the block and turns everyone from kindergarten teachers and kind-hearted grandmas into chair-chucking WWE wrestlers. The five-figure asking prices for ‘limited edition’ striped totes for sale on eBay only further prove the passion of these hardcore fans.
But we can’t throw stones, since we’re the ones that tell you why each new Porsche 911 to debut is the coolest one yet, assuming you have the funds to afford one. The sentiment is no different with the latest Carrera S, which is available with a new manual-transmission-focused package for 2027. However, at least hear us out before calling us hypocrites.
At $167,100, The Manual Carrera S Is 6th In Line
The full name of Porsche’s latest 911 variant is the Carrera S with MT Package. Making the manual versions stand-alone models is partly how the brand justifies the $10,900 price hike over the standard automatic-only Carrera S. The cost puts it in the number-six spot within the 911 price chart, sitting $31,600 above the $135,500 base Carrera, and $19,100 over the cheapest 911 to come with three pedals, the Carrera T.
The manual-equipped Carrera S models pack the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six, producing 473 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, as the standard seven-speed dual-clutch PDK models. Porsche lists the 0-60 MPH sprint at 3.9 seconds, while the automatic version takes 3.3 seconds.
The 0.6-second acceleration difference probably wouldn’t be enough to dissuade a customer from choosing the MT Package over the PDK model. Someone choosing the manual likely wants greater engagement before they want a faster car. But how much more enjoyable is a $167,000 911 than a cheaper sports car built for the same purpose of enjoyment over speed?
Since we haven’t tested the new shift-it-yourself Carrera S, we can’t comment on the experience yet. But the price difference between the base Carrera and the new Carrera S is exactly the cost of one Toyota GR86. The Japanese coupe follows a similar recipe to the original 924, 944, and 968 with its lightweight chassis and four-cylinder engine.
Not only does the manual Carrera S cost a whole GR86 more than the standard Carrera, but it also costs 5 GR86s on its own. That’s enough to get one in every single grayscale paint offered, but your total amount is cut short if you opt for the GR86 Premium, in which the 4.8 cars you could get for the same money don’t quite make our math work.
The point isn’t that you should buy five cars instead of one. We’re raising the comparison for you to consider whether the new Porsche is really worth five times as much as one of the best interpretations of a sports car today.
Fuzzy Logic: Five Toyotas, Or One Porsche
2027 Porsche 911 Carrera S with MT Package – Aubergine ExteriorPorsche2026 Toyota GR86 Yuzu Edition side angle in yellowToyota
Not only can five examples of Toyota’s base-trim GR86 be had for the price of one new 911, but you could also get 5 Mazda MX-5 Miatas, 5 Ford Mustangs (3.5 if they’re GT models), 6 whole Toyota Corollas, or 8 Hyundai Venues. However, we wouldn’t recommend this practice for the sake of space and the preservation of the sanity of your loved ones. We talk a big game about the other cars you can pick up for the same money as one model, but never about how much better they really are in quantifiable terms.
The new Porsche isn’t five times bigger than the GR86 (though it might certainly appear that way) and its horsepower isn’t quadruple that of the Toyota’s, so what does it have more of? To start, it has considerably more power than the 388-horsepower Carrera T, using a detuned version of the same twin-turbo flat-6, and packs all the same standard features, including matrix LED headlights, powered 4-way sport seats, and Porsche’s iconic Sport Chrono lap timer package. Other standard equipment shared by the Carrera T and the new Carrera S includes Porsche’s lowered PASM sport suspension, rear-axle steering, and rear-wheel drive only.
You could match the price of a Carrera S with a Carrera T after ticking the boxes of some expensive features like wheels, premium paint colors, and other interior trimmings, but the money is going towards the hopped-up powertrain on offer in S-badged Carreras. After we drove the Carrera T, the last thing we said it needed was more power. In fact, we called it “flawless,” leaving just one thing on our list of wants: the car itself.
I’m here to tell you that the Carrera T is not some consolation prize for car lovers who weren’t born into wealth, couldn’t get a job on Wall Street, and didn’t hit the lottery. All we need to do is hope that enough wealthy people today can swallow their pride, realize they don’t need GT3-levels of power on the street, and order a new Carrera T so we can buy it used in the future.
The Carrera T quickly became one of our favorite new cars—to say nothing of it being our favorite 911 of the range. And the new Carrera S doesn’t change that. It offers a 911 with a manual gearbox and greater opportunity for customization. The near-$20k charge for the manual Carrera S gets you 85 extra horsepower from the same engine, as well as a longer menu of options to choose from.
Beyond the powertrain changes, only a few standard S features are costly optional extras on Carrera models. The premium Porsche charges are simply for owners who want the ability to spend more money.
The Carrera S Is Shaping Up To Be Our Second-Favorite
Porsche’s new Carrera S variant falls in line with its efforts to reintroduce manual gearboxes back into Carrera models. The total list of manual variants is now up to seven, some of which come in coupe and cabriolet form like this new Carrera S. What makes this one slightly special, however, is that it’s only being sold in North America. The list of vehicles on sale globally with performance versions specific to this continent rarely grows, and we’re glad this new edition of the Carrera S is joining it. The machine’s rarity could be enough to sell it, but we’d like to think other factors are worth more to buyers.
Few sports cars costing between $135,000-$285,000 deliver a unique, reliable experience like the 911. Unfortunately, used 992 models don’t offer any respite here because they hold value so well and can even appreciate. They can still cost as much as new models, which means older examples with 7-speed manuals – available on both RWD and AWD models – could be had for the same amount of money as a new 6-speed one. Any manual in a 911 will always make it one of our favorites.
However, adding a six-speed to the Carrera S doesn’t make it our favorite 911, but it’s on the list. Nothing tops the Carrera T for its price and limited options to keep costs low, but the 18% power boost the Carrera S offers, along with its higher entry fee, helps make a case for it. We don’t care much about the extra options, but we do think the Carrera S with the MT package is the one to get if you want all the trimmings. It’s a compelling price for what’s on offer and only makes a good thing better, something only Porsche seems to be able to do these days.
Sources: Porsche, Toyota
