The New Dakar and the Death of the Real Manual

The Dakar Gets an Upgrade — And Maybe a Second Chance The next-generation Porsche Dakar is coming, and this time it's arriving with the full 992.2 treatment plus hybrid technology baked in. Expected ordering windows open late this year with a starting price somewhere around $250k before you even look at the options list. The big question the guys tackle here isn't whether the new Dakar is desirable — it obviously is — it's whether Porsche finally lets people actually buy one. The first-gen Dakar's limited production run was classic Porsche scarcity playbook, and it worked, but it also meant a lot of genuine enthusiasts who wanted one to drive got shut out. No "limited" label has surfaced yet for this new version, and the guys are cautiously optimistic that if you want one, you might actually be able to order one. That's how it should be. Transmission by Wire: The Future of the Manual or the End of It? Porsche is reportedly developing a transmission-by-wire system, and the concept is worth unpacking. Picture a traditional H-pattern shifter with the weight and feel of a real mechanical gearbox — but underneath, it's all sensors and software. Shift when you want to, feel like you're rowing gears, and when you don't want to deal with it, let the computer take over. The guys dig into whether this is genuinely cool engineering or just another layer of abstraction between the driver and the car. There's a real argument that this keeps the manual alive in an era where packaging and electrification are slowly killing it — but there's also the uncomfortable truth that a simulated shift feel is still simulated. Is this the future of the enthusiast car, or just a very expensive compromise? Outro For upcoming events and everything P-car Talk, head to pcartalk.com. Support the show at Patreon.com/pcartalk and follow us at @pcartalk.  The Kimchi Crew: Steve, Leslie, Chris, Ken, Aaron, Sean, and Nik.