- Lamborghini says manual transmissions no longer fit its philosophy.
- Ferrari now stands alone among Italian V12 supercar makers.
- The decision favors speed over driver involvement and skill.
There was a time when Lamborghini built cars that demanded respect before you even turned the key. They weren’t always polished, they certainly weren’t forgiving, and they occasionally reminded drivers that several hundred horsepower without a safety net came with consequences. Those days are long gone, and Lamborghini’s latest comments about manual transmissions only reinforce how the brand has embraced outright performance over driver involvement.
No Stick For Lamborghini
Speaking to Road & Track at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Lamborghini’s chief marketing and sales officer, Federico Foschini, dismissed the idea that the company could follow Ferrari’s surprise return to a gated manual gearbox. While he acknowledged that a small group of buyers still wants a stick shift, he made it clear that’s not where Sant’Agata Bolognese is headed.
Read: Ferrari’s New 12Cilindri Manuale Has A Gated Shifter And A Clutch And It’s Also An Automatic
“There are a few customers that are still in love with this kind of stuff,” Foschini said, “And I think that it’s an opportunity… but it’s not the trend. Because such kind of — let’s say, performance and driving engagement — you cannot experience with this kind of gearbox, you know?” It’s an argument that’s difficult to accept if your definition of engagement extends beyond lap times and acceleration figures. Especially when so many modern supercar owners never spend a single second on a race track.
Yes, a dual-clutch transmission will shift faster than even the most talented driver ever could. It will also make every launch more consistent, every upshift cleaner, and every performance statistic easier to brag about. In fact, they’re so effective that plenty of very good drivers still can’t make the most out of those gains on a track. But that’s never been why enthusiasts continue asking for manual transmissions. The appeal has always been about participation, not optimization.
A Simulated Compromise
Ferrari appears to understand that. By introducing the limited-production 12Cilindri Manuale, Maranello has acknowledged that there remains value in building a car that prioritizes the experience behind the wheel over shaving another tenth from a sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h). Not that Ferrari’s version is a true manual. The gated shifter and clutch pedal are real, but there’s no mechanical link to the powertrain, so the whole thing is a simulation running through an eight-speed dual-clutch and a system Ferrari calls “Manuale by Wire.” Whether or not the business case is limited to a special edition almost misses the point. Lamborghini, meanwhile, seems content to leave that niche entirely.
When Lamborghinis Bit Back
For decades, Lamborghini’s appeal wasn’t simply that it built the fastest cars, but cars that felt like an event. They demanded concentration, intimidated their owners, and rewarded those willing to master them. Today’s Lamborghinis use increasingly sophisticated electronics to make four-digit horsepower accessible to almost anyone with enough money to buy one.
That’s great for lap times and even better for influencers trying not to crash as they speed through Miami. It’s less convincing for those who believe the driver should still play a meaningful role in the experience.
