Good news – there are at least five cars you can buy right now that have a manual transmission. Nile Bijoux tells us more.

Mazda MX-5

Mazda’s MX-5 sports car has long been one of the benchmarks for a quality manual transmission and that still rings true today, more than three decades after it first debuted. Mazda has kept the throws between gears short and the feedback of finding a cog precise and satisfying. Thankfully, while the do-it-yourself gearbox remains, the rest of the car has seen updates going more than skin deep. For 2020, the standard 1.5-litreequipped MX-5 makes 97kW and 152Nm of torque while the 2.0-litre found in the RF pushes out 135kW/ 205Nm. Not mindblowing figures but considering the car weighs a maximum of 1089kg with the manual, it’s still a proper sports car.

Ford Mustang GT

Ford’s mighty Mustang has only sold new in New Zealand since 2015 but for five glorious years (and counting) we’ve been able to drive a good old American muscle car with a manual gearbox. While Ford now offers its 10-speed automatic, which is rather good, it’s difficult to say no to a V8 with three pedals. Especially if you get one of the special editions, like the Bullitt from 2018 or the upcoming Mach 1, which is set to put out nearly 375kW, or 500 horses in old money. We won’t talk about the epic GT350R or GT500 as they aren’t built in right-hand-drive and that wound is still raw. Now if only Ford would offer the High Performance Ecoboost with a manual as well . . .

Ford Fiesta ST

Ford is doing well by enthusiasts at the moment. Not only does it have the Muzzy, Ranger Raptor and Focus ST, but it also offers the hyperactive Fiesta ST. Powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged triple connected to a six-speed manual, the Fiesta ST is a wheel-cocking, snarling little hatchback designed to embarrass larger and faster cars on twisty roads. Needless to say, we’re big fans. Best of all, it costs less than $40k, which is what you’d pay for a base Audi A1.

Toyota Hilux

Originally I had the Toyota GR Yaris down in this spot but that car isn’t actually on sale just yet and therefore doesn’t qualify. In its place is the not-at-all comparable Hilux, which can be had with a manual in the SR and SR5 2WD and 4WD variants. You save around $2k by avoiding the auto, though you do lose 80Nm of torque (420Nm versus 500Nm). The manual compensates with improved fuel consumption, 7.4L/100km combined versus 7.9L/100km, and both are able to tow 3500kg.

Oh, and you also get a feature usually reserved for sports cars – automatic rev matching on downshifts that is incredibly good when towing.

All Porsche 718 Cayman and Boxster models

You’re not just limited to the Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder if you want a Porsche with three pedals – all 718 Cayman and Boxster models can be specced with a manual and there isn’t much between it and the PDK version.

You do lose 0.2 seconds in the 0-100kmh sprint (0.4s with the Sport Chrono pack) and, unlike the Hilux, the manual consumes

0.5 litres per 100km more than the automatic. Since Porsche doesn’t directly quote weight on its website, I’ll go ahead and say the manual weighs less than the automatic and therefore makes up the acceleration deficit by way of lightness.