When it leaked that the 2012 Porsche 911 was getting a 7-speed manual transmission everyone immediately wondered how they were going to lay it out. We think we've got an answer.
That curious 7th-gear's going on the upper right of the gearbox according to The German Car Blog, who provided this image (it may or may not be the Porsche). Anyone who has driven the current 6-speed 911 transmission will recognize this as basically the same setup with a seventh gear tacked on.
Given the lucky gear's most likely there for fuel economy it's easy to support the placement. It's a mechanical afterthought that says "Oh, you're on the highway? Why not just rest your transmission over here. You'll save on that über expensive premium dino juice."
This is the only time we envision using it unless it provides some sort of magic boost power a la Knight Rider. (Hat tip to Wowbagger!)