Ferrari has long been celebrated for its supercars and astonishing performance. For decades, the Italian marque has led the way in automotive technology, phasing out manual transmissions in favor of faster-shifting automatics to maximize performance.
But according to a recent interview with an Australian automotive outlet, Gianmaria Fulgenzi, Ferrari’s Head of Product Development, said that the Prancing Horse is considering the return of manual gearboxes. However, this manual option won’t be available on standard production models. Ferrari is evaluating it exclusively for limited-production “Icona” series cars, such as the Monza SP1/SP2 and Daytona SP3.
The last Ferrari to feature a manual transmission was the California, which went out of production more than ten years ago. Since then, the company has fully adopted automated manuals and dual-clutch gearboxes throughout its range.
It turns out that Ferrari’s affluent customers have been quietly asking for it. Even Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion who recently joined Scuderia Ferrari, has voiced his interest in seeing the brand build three-pedal sports cars once again.
Bringing back the manual transmission on limited-edition models makes perfect sense from a business perspective. These cars will become instant classics for purists and collectors.
