Another day, another bizarre Porsche 911 rumour. And this time the guys at US mag
have got a cracking one for us - they reckon the next 911 will be offered with a seven-speed manual.
But is this another 'new 911 will definitely get KERS as standard' or will it actually prove to be true? We honestly don't know, but Car and Driver is a fairly well-respected publication, and it does seem an intriguing prospect - even though the received wisdom in the majority of the motoring press seems to be that the next car will get only six ratuios. And with eight-speed an even nine-speed autos around, the humble manual could surely be forgiven for hankering after another ratio...
Joking aside, however, the important bit is apparently that the seventh ratio would offer a tall gear for cruising, reducing engine noise and improving efficiency. As C&D tells it, the new 'box is pretty similar to the current six-speed transmission - only with an extra ratio, obviously.
So...the seven-speed manual 911 - fact or fiction? We'll find out in a few months time, when '991' eventually officially gets revealed, but we must say we're taking this latest rumour with a whole shovel-full of salt