What's all this about?

One for the driving purists here, and that's in the words of Porsche itself - the 992 version of the 911 now has a manual gearbox option. It's available on the Carrera S and Carrera 4S models with the 450hp motor, and you can have the gearbox in either a tin-top Coupe or the Cabriolet if you so choose.

This is excellent news. Is it a six-speed unit?

No, it's a seven-speeder. It's a no-cost-option alternative to the eight-speed PDK and it is combined with the Sport Chrono package, as Porsche has identified that keener, um, wheelmanship enthusiasts will be the ones specifying three pedals in their S. Further goodies in this manual-gearbox bundle include Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) with variable drive-torque distribution on the rear wheels and a mechanical rear diff-lock. Oh, and a tyre-temperature indicator, too.

A what, now?

A tyre-temperature indicator. Introduced with the 992 Turbo S, it's combined with the tyre-pressure monitoring system and when the tyres are cold (at the start of a journey or in wintry weather), blue bars are indicated in the cluster. As the tyres warm through, however, the indicator goes through blue-white until it becomes pure white once the optimum grip levels are achieved. If winter tyres are fitted, the system is deactivated but as this is only really a consideration for the 911's home market of Germany, it's unlikely anyone in the UK will ever experience the TTI being inactive.

Is that it for the manual 'box stuff?

Not quite. Sport Chrono obviously brings in a rev-matching function for downshifts, as well as dynamic engine mounts, an additional Sport mode for the Porsche Stability Management (PSM), a rotary mode switch on the steering wheel, a stopwatch on the top of the dashboard and the Porsche Track Precision App. Not only that, but the manual models are 45 kilos lighter than their equivalent PDK models (a 911 Carrera S Coupe manual clocks in at the trimmest 1,480kg, for example), although they're not as accelerative as the PDK versions: the 0-62mph time for the rear-wheel-drive Carrera S Coupe is 4.2 seconds, which is some way off the 3.4 seconds a 4S PDK with Sport Chrono and Launch Control will chuck in, but maybe this lack of accelerative force will be a small price to pay for the extra interaction of the manual shift. Also, the Carrera S manual is just as fast flat out, with a 191mph top speed to brag about. Anyway, that's not all - there are more options introduced for the 911 Carrera family, which includes the 385hp entry point 992 as well.

Such as?

Porsche InnoDrive, seen on the Panamera and the Cayenne models, is now available on PDK-equipped 911s. It's an extension of the adaptive cruise control system, which can constantly predict the optimum driving speed up to almost two miles ahead. It uses navigation data to slow or accelerate the car automatically for corners, gradients and roundabouts, and also speed limits if the driver so wishes. Of course, InnoDrive also uses radar to keep a safe, pre-ordained (by the driver) distance from the traffic in front of it. There's also a Smartlift function for all 992s, which allows the front end of the vehicle to be lifted on an electrohydraulic system by up to 40mm; if the button for this is pressed by the driver at the point of Smartlift being activated, the system makes a note of the GPS co-ordinates and the next time the car drives along the same route, it will automatically lift the nose of the car at that point - meaning annoying speed bumps in your street can be mitigated without drama.

Is that all for the 911 for now?

Not quite. The leather package 930, introduced with the Turbo S, is now available on the Carrera models and it evokes the classic 'Type 930' Turbo of 1975-1989. You get quilted seat centre-panels and door cards, as well as a 'coordinated interplay of colours, materials and individual enhancements'. Beyond this, the Coupes in the 992-series 911s can have lightweight and noise-insulated glazing, which saves 4kg over the standard glass, while there's also the option of a seven-colour Ambient Light Design Package for the interior, and a new exterior paint finish which is now available is the luscious-sounding Python Green.