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Sure, you can still get the perennial favorites with a manual transmission. The Porsche 911 and Mazda MX-5 with a stick in the center are still available for 2026. However, there are other spicy, smile-inducing new cars out there with a manual option you may not have considered. 
Let’s face it. The manual transmission is a dying feature in the modern car market. Hell, even the Volkswagen Golf GTI, a stick-shift staple of a hot hatch over the years, doesn’t offer the option anymore.
But that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck if you want a brand-new, six-speed car with three pedals and a gear shifter in the middle. As for our favorites, all of these cars offer tire-roasting driving dynamics with manual transmission options to accompany their automatics.
For starters, the BMW M2 (and M2 CS) returns for 2026, and it refuses to give up its stick shift. But it’s not alone. The M3 and M4 also offer rowable gears, along with the Z4 and its costly upgrade.
Then there’s the Cadillac CT5-V and its smaller sibling, the CT4-V. Both angry Caddys offer a six-speed transmission and three pedals. And in the CT5-V, like the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 of the previous generation, packs a volcanic supercharged 6.2L V8 engine producing 668 horsepower.
While the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger bowed out of the modern muscle segment, the Ford Mustang refuses to ride off into the sunset. Better yet, the pony car faithful can get a 500-horsepower Ford Mustang Dark Horse, or the less potent Mustang GT, with a six-speed stick. Of course, only the Dark Horse offers the stouter TREMEC TR-3160 like the discontinued Shelby GT350.
We reviewed the Nissan Z last year, although it was in the Z NISMO guise. That meant no six-speed manual in the middle. Still, sports coupe fans can snag a 400-horsepower Z with a six-speed unit if they’d rather.
Finally, for those budget-minded sports car aficionados, the three-pedal Toyota GR86 returns for 2026. Don’t like the Toyota badge? Its mechanical sibling, the Subaru BRZ, is also back for the new year. 
Erik Sherman is a MotorBiscuit Staff Writer, an admitted petrolhead, a survivor of classic cars, and an avid motorcyclist. Erik covers Tesla daily, including the Model Y and Cybertruck. Erik also covers Toyota, often discussing the Tundra, Tacoma, RAV4, 4Runner, and Camry. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and Humvees. Erik is a United States Marine Corps combat veteran, a former water survival specialist, and a former firefighter/EMT. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

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