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Porsche's first 5-speeds had reverse above first gear on the left of the double-H. There were no lock-outs, and compounded by the wobbly, imprecise gearshift of the time, made it easy to get reverse when hunting for second. Downshifting from 4th to 3rd also could be an adventure with 1st gear the occasional outcome.
In any event, customer complaints led the the eventual change to positioning reverse below 5th on the right-hand leg of the double-H. This pattern involves it's own compromise as Perfectlap points out, plus it puts reverse on the other side of the shift pattern from it's logical partner, 1st.
With the 6-speed something has to hang off the double-H pattern, and it seems logical that Reverse be put there next to 1st.
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