🏁 Manual vs. PDK: The Eternal Porsche Debate That’ll Never Die

“Where horsepower meets conversation”

By Paul Kramer · October 30, 2025

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Let’s get one thing straight: PDK is incredible. It shifts faster than a hummingbird’s heartbeat, never misses, and can make even a mediocre driver feel like Walter Röhrl on a qualifying lap. But here’s the thing—it’s too good. It’s clinical.

The manual, though? That’s where the soul lives. That’s the sweaty palms, the missed shifts, the perfectly timed heel-toe downshift that makes you feel like you just unlocked a new level in life.

Now, if you’re hopping out of your 99x whatever and have never driven a pre-1990 manual, then you’re in for a treat. One hour driving a 901 or 915 transmission (Porsche 911 transmission code names from 1964 to 1986) you’ll be screaming uncle to get back into your modern cushy Porsche luxe-barge where all you have to worry about is dinging your manicure on those flappy paddles.

However, if you are patient (think Mr. Miyagi from Karate Kid) and are willing to learn the skill of driving an early air-cooled 911 it will actually make you a better driver in your modern PDK Porsche. Yes, that’s right. You will learn the subtle art of weight transfer.

And, I’m not talking about laying down vs standing up so you look less fat, but rather where the weight is in the car and how that impacts grip in a corner.

PDK drivers talk about lap times. Manual drivers talk about moments.

On the other hand, I live in the Los Angeles metro area where over 6 million drivers (18 million inhabitants) are vying for every inch of pavement to place their A to B-mobile. Try driving even the easiest manuals in this cluster f*$k of a nightmare. You’ll then understand the value of a PDK or even Porsche’s Tiptronic transmission (1989-2008).

Ultimately, manuals are inconvenient. That’s the point. You have to think, move, time everything. It’s a dance, not an algorithm. The PDK may win the race, but the manual wins the memory.

So sure, the PDK might be Porsche’s best gearbox. But the manual? That’s Porsche’s best experience.

— Paul Kramer, AutoKennel

PS: Every generation thinks they’ve nailed it. But sometimes, progress just means losing a few fingerprints.

🎙️ Full Throttle Talk Podcast Plug: If you love this kind of debate (and who doesn’t?), tune into Full Throttle Talk this week—we get into the glorious battle of PDK vs. stick shift and why some hills are worth dying on. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

🏁 Porsche 992.1 GT3 RS Market Outlook: What’s Hot Now—and What’s Next

By Tim Harris · October 30, 2025

The quick take

Today’s prices (U.S.): Typical trades hover around the high-$300Ks to low-$400Ks, with premium specs (PTS, Weissach, ultra-low miles) pushing higher. Hagerty’s current “Good” (#3) condition benchmark sits near $395k for 2024–2025 cars and has nudged +2–6% year over year. (Source: Hagerty)
Production: Porsche doesn’t publish model-specific totals for the 992 GT3 RS. The car is not numbered, and reputable guides note that official figures are undisclosed; independent estimates put global output in the several-thousand range. Treat any hard number as speculative. (Source: Porsche Newsroom+1)
Collectibility tier: Blue-chip modern RS, but not the apex of the GT3/RS hierarchy (that crown still sits with ultra-limited cars like the 997.2 GT3 RS 4.0). Long-term desirability is strong thanks to the last-of-its-kind NA engine + radical aero, but breadth of production keeps it below “museum-grade” rarities. (Source: Autofolio)
Our call: Hold to slight gain over the next 3–5 years for well-specced, low-mile, no-stories cars; stable to mild depreciation for average examples as supply normalizes and 992.2 variants gather attention.

What the market is actually doing

Benchmark values: Hagerty’s valuation tools show #3 (“Good”) condition ~$395,000 for 2024–2025 GT3 RS, with the highest recent auction prints for the model range reported up to ~$744k (exceptional, likely spec/charity/market-peak cases). Directionally, the guide has trended modestly positive in the last year.
Real-world comps: Public auction logs through 2024–2025 have included high-$300Ks to $600Ks depending on spec, with some headline Weissach cars attracting $600K+ bids (not always meeting reserve).

Why values remain resilient

Engine & ethos: 4.0-liter, 9k-rpm NA flat-six with genuine motorsport hardware and DRS aero makes the 992 RS a technological outlier in a turbo-hybridizing world.
Performance receipts: It’s not just theater—the car has set production-car lap records (e.g., Road America), cementing halo status.
Allocation dynamics: While not numbered, the GT3 RS remains capacity-constrained, which has supported secondary prices. Porsche has not released official production totals.

Production & scarcity (what we know—and don’t)

Official stance: Porsche’s public materials detail technology and performance but do not disclose 992 GT3 RS build totals.
Estimates: Various market blogs and forums speculate global production in the low-to-mid thousands over the run. Use these only as rough context, not gospel. Lineage context: Prior RS generations had clearer tallies (e.g., 997.2 RS 4.0: 600 units), which is why they occupy a higher scarcity tier than the 992 RS. (Source: Northwest European)

Where it sits on the Porsche collectibility scale

Top tier (modern): 997.2 GT3 RS 4.0; 911 R; ultra-limited motorsport specials (rare paint-to-sample unicorns also apply).
Upper tier: 992.1 GT3 RS (especially Weissach pkg + PTS + delivery miles + clean provenance).
Strong enthusiast tier: 991.2 GT3 RS, 992 GT3 Touring/wing cars, etc.

The 992 RS scores high on technology, performance, and emotional appeal, but lacks the ultra-limited production or manual-only mystique that pushes certain models into “instant blue-chip” territory.

12–36 month outlook (our projection)

Base/average spec (non-PTS, higher miles): Sideways to −5% as more cars cycle through second owners and 992.2 buzz grows.
Desirable spec (Weissach, PCCB, buckets, tasteful PTS, sub-2k miles): 0% to +5%; exceptional provenance can outperform.
Outliers (showroom delivery miles + rare PTS + perfect options + no-stories): +5% to +10% possible on a longer (3–5 yr) horizon, especially if future emissions rules tighten NA supply.

Key swing factors

Macro: Liquidity, rates, and risk appetite in the broader collector market.
Porsche roadmap: If the next RS iteration leans heavier on electrification or loses NA character, 992 RS desirability strengthens; if it stays NA and becomes quicker/more special, it may cap upside.
Recall/maintenance optics: Any high-profile issues (e.g., the center-lock recall affecting several 992 variants) can briefly dent sentiment but usually resolve without lasting price impact. (Source: BILD)

Buying & holding guidance

Buy the spec: PTS that photographs well, Weissach, and low verified miles remain value levers.
Documentation: Full paper trail, no over-track abuse signs, clean DME over-rev report.
Storage & originality: Keep OEM parts (even if you run a Manthey kit), preserve paint, and avoid irreversible mods; these affect exit values. (Manthey’s factory-endorsed kit is a plus for some collectors.)

Tech & performance references

Porsche’s official reveal and tech brief (engine, DRS aero, downforce figures).
Porsche Newsroom photography and details (engine specs, aero, suspension, DRS).
Road America production-car lap record news (performance bona fides).

Market & value references

Hagerty Valuation Tools for 2024–2025 992 GT3 RS (benchmark values, price movement, top auction prints).
Hagerty past-sale logs showing six-figure bids/sales on high-spec cars.
Active auction landscapes indicating live bids around high-$200Ks to $600Ks depending on model/spec across GT3/RS listings. (Source: Bring a Trailer)

Bottom line

The 992.1 GT3 RS is a top-shelf modern Porsche with the right ingredients for long-term desirability: rarified NA soundtrack, record-book performance, and dramatic aero.

Because it’s not numbered and likely built in the several-thousand range, we don’t expect a moonshot trajectory like the rarest RS or 911 R. But for well-specced, low-mile, documented cars, we expect values to hold with a slight upward bias—especially if the next generation steps away from the 992’s purist formula.

— Tim Harris

🏁 The Full Throttle Talk Team