Manual Transmission May Return to Some Ferrari Models

Ferrari is one of the most synonymous names in automotive engineering. When this brand comes to mind, you think of power, a growling engine, and bright red paint. The Italian brand is at the top of its game and frequently pushes the boundaries of modern automotive engineering. But one thing it never does is add a manual transmission to its cars.  

The Last Manual Ferrari

It has been well over ten years since Ferrari had a manual transmission in one of its cars. The last Ferrari model to have one installed is the Ferrari California, which offered a manual transmission until 2012. From that, only three vehicles made it to the customers out of a production line that created approximately 17,000 cars. So it is understandable why the vaunted gated gear selector or manual transmission was removed from production. 

A Change in Thinking: Ferrari Reconsiders Manual Transmissions

But this may change in the future, according to Ferrari’s chief Product Development Officer, Gianmaria Fulgenzi. He has released a statement that includes a musing that Ferrari may be reaching the “limit of performance,” and due to these limits, they are considering reintroducing the manual transmission to their cars. They are aware that many of their customers, while they might like the idea of a powerful engine, do not want to train like an F1 driver just to go to the store.

Many of their road-worthy vehicles are so powerful that they are capable of hitting the same speeds as race cars. Now that’s not to say that Ferrari will stop pushing the boundaries of vehicle engineering and keeping on the toes of rivals like Lamborghini. Still, the intensity at which the horsepower increases with every new model could start to grow at a slower pace. 

This shows that Ferrari is rethinking what performance means to them. This is incredibly relevant, as one of the reasons why they chose to scrap the manual transmission is that they believed it hindered the vehicle’s performance. But that was when they were focused on race times, horsepower, and plenty of torque. It seems like their focus is now changing to the day-to-day driver rather than the race car driver. 

The Return of the Gated Shifter: Reserved for Icona Models

In a plot twist that only Ferrari could do, Fulgenzi has revealed that if they are to add the manual transmission back into their cars, it will only be in specific cars and probably be marketed as an “Icona” car. These “Icona” cars are the most exclusive Ferraris you can buy and will show up at various high-ticket events like the Ferrari Daytona SP3. They often carry a hefty price tag that would be set to go into the millions. 

Manual Transmission: Reserved for the Few—for Now

As the absence of a manual transmission has become an iconic part of the Ferrari experience, and for that reason, they will not want to change the specialness and uniqueness of their vehicles. So, for now, this transmission would only be available for the hardest-to-reach models. Other models may change in the future.   

Looking Ahead: A Slow but Intriguing Shift

Change can be a slow process, and returning to something you have already moved on from can be even harder. This is an interesting direction for Ferrari to take, but I, for one, am intrigued by the future.