The Last Few Driver’s Cars Still Left on the Planet!

The last proper driver’s cars still sold new worldwide in 2026 are getting fewer and fewer in number by the month – here’s what’s still out there.

Three pedals. A proper gearlever. An engine that responds directly to you, rather than semi-conductors trying to figure out what you desire. If you want a brand-new performance car with a manual gearbox, your window of opportunity is closing fast. Britain and Europe have already lost the Toyota GR86 and Honda Civic Type R. The current Toyota GR Supra has reached the end of the road, while several other great manual cars appear to be living on borrowed time.

Yet look around the world and a few survivors remain. They range from lightweight roadsters and rally-bred hot hatches to a 668bhp V8 super-saloon with rear-wheel drive and a manual gearbox.

These could be the last genuinely great manual driver’s cars you will ever be able to buy brand new.

What defines a proper driver’s car?

For this list, the car needs to have been designed primarily for driving enjoyment, be available somewhere in the world as a new car and offer an actual clutch pedal with a manual gearbox. Paddles do not count. An automatic with a manual mode does not count. 

Unfortunately what’s actually available partly now depends on where you live.

Europe gets the Toyota GR Yaris. America gets the GR Corolla. Britain has lost the Civic Type R, while Americans can still walk into a Honda dealership and buy a Civic Type R OR an Acura Integra Type S.

The Toyota GR86 vanished from European showrooms, but an updated 2027 GR86 has already been confirmed for the American market – with a stickshift as they call it there. 

You can also buy a Nissan Z in the United States, Japan, Australia and parts of the Middle East, but not here sadly.

Strangely, bizarrely and almost ironically, America now offers perhaps the best variety of great manual cars. The choice extends well beyond the US, though, so consider this a global motoring endangered-species register, only with more tyre smoke and some burnt clutches.

The manual cars we have already lost

Let us begin with the casualties.

Toyota’s A90 Final Edition signalled the end of the fifth-generation GR Supra. The manual Supra arrived late in the car’s life, which makes its departure especially frustrating. A turbocharged straight-six, rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual was precisely the combination enthusiasts had wanted from the beginning. And of course that also means the end of the BMW Z4 manual too. 

Britain and Europe have also said goodbye to the Honda Civic Type R with a final set of 40 Ultimate Edition cars but it remains on sale in America and some other markets.

Then there is the Toyota GR86. Affordable, naturally aspirated, rear-wheel drive and hugely entertaining at sensible speeds, its European life was cut painfully short by regulatory pressures. The closely related Subaru BRZ suffered the same fate here, although both continue elsewhere.

Sometimes great cars are killed by production ending, sometimes by lack of demand, and sometimes – the worse reason of all? – by regulations and legislation. 

The affordable survivors

Mazda MX-5 Miata 

Thankfully, Mazda is still holding the line with the MX-5 also known as the Miata and it remains perhaps the purest affordable expression of the driver’s car.

It is naturally aspirated, rear-wheel drive, light, compact and available with one of the sweetest six-speed gearshifts in the business. Power and engine choice vary between markets, while kerb weight depends on the version, but most sit at roughly just over a ton. By modern standards, that is practically light as a feather.

You can enjoy its performance without immediately entering licence-threatening territory. The steering is accurate, the controls are beautifully weighted and the roof comes off. It remains the default accessible roadster choice.

Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ

America, Japan, Australia and several other markets retain the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ.

Both use a naturally aspirated 2.4-litre flat-four engine, rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual. They offer more practicality than an MX-5, along with beautifully balanced handling and enough performance to entertain without becoming intimidating. They’re perfect for our narrow twisty roads – so of course we don’t get them in the UK anymore. 

Toyota GR Yaris and GR Corolla

Then we have Toyota’s two rally-flavoured lunatics.

The GR Yaris remains available in Britain, Europe, Japan and Australia with a manual gearbox mated to a turbocharged three-cylinder engine with GR-Four all-wheel drive in a compact three-door body.

North America gets the larger GR Corolla. Its turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder produces 300bhp and you can change gears yourself.

Toyota may be famous for sensible hybrids bought by respectable people, but someone occasionally allows the Gazoo Racing engineers access to the strong coffee and race overalls.

Honda Civic Type R and Acura Integra Type S

Honda still sells the Civic Type R in America and selected other markets. Its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine produces 315hp in US specification and drives the front wheels through a superb six-speed manual with a limited-slip differential.

The Civic Type R remains one of the most capable front-wheel-drive cars ever built. But North America is spoilt for choice, because it also gets the Acura Integra Type S, using a related engine with a fraction more power and a short-throw six-speed manual.

Hyundai Elantra N

Hyundai has the Elantra N, also known as the i30 Sedan N in some markets. It combines 276hp with front-wheel drive, an electronic limited-slip differential, an available six-speed manual and an actual handbrake lever.

Remember those? You pull them up and the rear wheels lock. Oh, I remember the days…

Subaru WRX

Believe it or not, the Subaru WRX also lives on in markets including America. One of the performance icons of the 1990s, it remains one of the few turbocharged, all-wheel-drive manual sports saloons.

It has matured since the wild, gold-wheeled Imprezas of old, although the essential recipe survives.

The rear-wheel-drive heavy hitters

Now we are talking about more muscular machinery.

Ford Mustang GT and Dark Horse

The Ford Mustang GT and Dark Horse retain a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre Coyote V8, rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual gearbox.

The American Dark Horse produces 500hp, while outputs differ in overseas markets. It also offers Ford’s drift brake, which looks and operates like a traditional handbrake lever while using electronic control underneath.

The Mustang is a technologically sophisticated modern car, yet the basic experience remains wonderfully old-school. Big V8 up front. Driven wheels at the back. Manual gearbox in the middle.

Simple pleasures. Ford has promised to keep building manual V8 Mustangs for as long as it is allowed to do so. Take that, Chevrolet and Dodge!

Nissan Z

The Nissan Z takes a different approach. Its 400bhp 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 produces 400hp and can be paired with a six-speed manual, SynchroRev Match and a mechanical limited-slip differential. 

Its steering uses electric assistance, which is a bit of a downer, but the classic front-engine, rear-drive proportions and three-pedal layout still give it genuine appeal.

Britain and Europe do not officially receive it. Nissan sells the Z in markets including America, Japan, Australia and parts of the Middle East, leaving UK buyers kicking the tyres on a Kicks instead.

BMW M2, M3 and M4

Then there is the BMW M2 – rear-wheel-drive it comes with a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six and a six-speed manual, including in Britain. It has plenty of screens, electronic systems and configurable settings, so calling it analogue would stretch the definition a little.

Yet it is still a compact, rear-wheel-drive BMW M car with a straight-six engine and a clutch pedal. That formula suddenly feels very precious.

The manual M3 and M4 situation shows how complicated this global hunt has become. North America still offers both with 473hp, rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual. But it appears to have been discontinued in Europe. And the Competition models only come as eight-speed autos. 

Lotus Emira V6 SE

The Lotus Emira V6 SE uses a supercharged 3.5-litre Toyota-derived V6 producing 400hp. It drives the rear wheels through a six-speed manual with limited-slip differential.

It is mid-engined, beautifully proportioned and uses electro-hydraulic power steering for actual feel and feedback – a crucial Lotus ingredient, right?

The expensive last stand

Porsche 911 Carrera T and GT3

Porsche continues to offer manual versions of the 911 Carrera T and GT3.

The Carrera T combines the regular Carrera’s 388hp twin-turbocharged flat-six with rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual. Porsche designed it specifically for drivers who value involvement, lighter weight and chassis response rather than big performance numbers.

For that you get the 911 GT3 with its naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six that revs to 9,000rpm and produces 510hp. Buyers can choose Porsche’s PDK transmission or select the six-speed manual at no extra cost. Choosing the manual makes it slower on paper, but makes you happier everywhere else.

Apparently Porsche has also announced the return of a manual 911 Carrera S with 473bhp for 2027, but again, only for the US market. 

Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing

America also has the Cadillac Blackwings in stickshift flavours, and they sound magnificent.

The smaller CT4-V Blackwing uses a 472hp twin-turbocharged V6, rear-wheel drive and six-speed manual, although availability is becoming increasingly limited as it’s on run-out.

Then there is the CT5-V Blackwing, which is a monster. Its hand-built, supercharged 6.2-litre V8 produces 668hp and sends it to the rear wheels through a Tremec six-speed manual. 

It seats five people, has a usable boot and can behave like a civilised luxury saloon. Then you press the accelerator and it attempts to rotate the Earth beneath its rear tyres.

It may be the ultimate manual super-saloon send-off. And it is American. A plush Caddy will be the last bastion of the manual super-saloon, who’d have thunk it?

The uncompromising machines

For an even purer experience, Britain still produces some wonderfully eccentric alternatives.

Caterham Seven

The Caterham Seven 360 and 420 use naturally aspirated 2.0-litre Ford engines, five-speed manual gearboxes and weigh roughly 560kg, depending on specification.

There is no power steering and driver safety features are largely down to your own sense of self-preservation. The Seven places you centimetres above the road, with the exhaust beside you and the front wheels visible from the cockpit. It feels like driving a racing car on the road. It’s very demanding, and very very naughty. 

Morgan Plus Four

Morgan’s Plus Four can still be ordered with a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine and six-speed manual. It combines modern BMW power with familiar vintage style and considerable charm.

Ariel Atom 4

The Ariel Atom 4 goes further still, using a turbocharged Honda engine, exposed chassis and an available six-speed manual. Doors, roof and weather protection? Those are all for wimps.

What about the stratospheric manual supercars?

At the stratospheric end, we could mention cars including the Pagani Utopia, Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 and Donkervoort P24 RS. Proof that even the very filthy rich occasionally like to stir their own gears – or perhaps they have a driving butler sit next to them to do it instead?

Anyway, for the purpose of this feature, we’re going to most ignore them because they’re ridiculous and mostly unattainable. Billionaires aren’t reading this. 

Which manual driver’s car would I buy?

The Mustang would tempt me immediately. I have always loved Mustangs and came very close to buying one when I lived in Dubai. I still regret not doing it.

Then there is the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. I have never driven a Blackwing, although the old CTS-V was one of my favourite cars to drive at the time. So the new one is deeply enticing.

I would happily take the Lotus Emira V6 as well. The Toyota GR86 also deserves serious consideration. I have driven versions of the 86 extensively over the years and always enjoyed them.

Then there is the BMW M2 which, as a BMW fan, does make me salivate.

However, if I could choose only one car from this entire list and had to live with it every day, it would be the Honda Civic Type R.

It gives you one of the finest manual gearshifts fitted to any modern car, more than enough performance and space for passengers and luggage. It can cope with the daily commute and function as a perfectly usable family car. Then, when the right road appears, it transforms into a proper weapon.

It’s kinda the best of all worlds really. And it’s reliable!

Britain and Europe have already lost it, which rather proves the point of this entire feature. If you live somewhere that still sells the Civic Type R, you have access to something we can no longer buy new here. You are blessed.

Why the manual gearbox still matters

Future performance cars will be faster. Electric motors and hybrid systems will deliver astonishing acceleration. Clever transmissions will continue changing gear more quickly than any human being could, while some future cars may have no conventional transmission at all.

Driving involvement is something else though. A manual gearbox asks you to participate. Every perfectly timed downshift feels satisfying because you did it. Every clumsy gear change is down to you as well. You are operating the machine, learning its rhythm and becoming part of the process. Man and machine   – poetry in motion right?

Proper manual driver’s cars are still out there in the new-car market, but the list becomes shorter every year. So if you want one new – act fast. 

But before you do that, tell me in the comments: which one would you get?

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