Ferrari might reintroduce manual transmissions with gated shifters on some of its most exclusive cars, offering it as an option. This news has been circulating online for several days. While it pleases enthusiasts, others have received the news with surprise.
Will Ferrari bring manual transmission cars back to market?
Performance levels have reached such heights that they require absolute concentration, which is difficult to reconcile with the romance of a manual transmission. However, some customers have long been requesting a return to the past in this area. The Maranello-based automaker might accommodate them.
It appears that the Prancing Horse is considering the possibility of bringing back the clutch pedal to its brand’s cars after about 13 years of complete absence. The manual option would be reserved only for expensive and limited-edition models in the Icona Series, which celebrate the great supercars of the past. These four-wheeled works of art could resurrect the knob and gate-style shifter in the future, last offered on a 2012 California. This would mark the return of an evocative solution, in tune with the spirit of the exclusive range mentioned earlier.
Gianmaria Fulgenzi, head of product development, reportedly left the door open, admitting in an interview on the Australian Car Sales website that Ferrari might listen to requests made by some customers. However, if the manual transmission were to return, it wouldn’t be available on “normal” lineup vehicles, but on special models like those in the aforementioned Icona Series, which represent the best tradition, including in terms of driving emotions.
Even Lewis Hamilton makes no secret of his desire to see a tribute to the legendary F40 with a manual transmission. This solution, although gratifying on a sensory level, would pose limitations beyond those related to active safety already mentioned. Its installation would impose restrictions on the torque developed by the engine to make the clutch manageable.
The virtual successor to the F40 might be tasked with bringing back the manual transmission as an option on a modern-era Ferrari. Unlike in the past, this time such a configuration would cost more than the standard electroactuated version, in line with what happens in the used car market. In the latter case, however, the rarity of recent-era Ferrari supercars equipped with gated shifters also plays a role.