- Ferrari is contemplating the reintroduction of manual transmissions, according to the company’s top product development official who spoke with an Australian publication. Carsales .
- The three-pedal configuration would not return for standard production vehicles; instead, it would only appear on the extremely limited Icona editions.
- Given the current situation, over ten years have passed since the Prancing Horse last utilized a manual gearbox.
Contemporary sports vehicles are achieving new heights. To be honest: Drivers like Max Verstappen and Alex Palou can achieve more with their cars even when they're half-asleep than we could manage during our peak concentration levels. Given this, why would someone invest all their extra funds into a weekend or racecar unless it’s for squeezing out maximum performance from it? It seems the main appeal lies in how these machines make one feel rather than just focusing on achieving the fastest lap times. This brings back the importance of manual transmissions.
For many years, Ferrari has avoided the three-pedal configuration, even removing the manual transmission in 2012 with an emphasis on maximizing overall performance. However, according to Gianmaria Fulgenzi, who leads product development at Ferrari, the manual gearshift might be making a comeback; he mentioned this to an Australian publication. Carsales We are approaching the peak of efficiency with our vehicles.
What matters more is how these contemporary sports cars are challenging the capabilities of their drivers rather than just hitting their performance caps. As Fulgenzi explained, “A typical driver needs to exert significant physical effort during such accelerations, particularly engaging neck muscles and bones, which can be quite demanding over extended periods.” Carsales Additionally, drivers would be required to undergo F1-style training sessions to withstand the high g-forces over long durations.
I don’t believe all our customers wish to undergo daily training just to operate our vehicles.
Given this, Fulgenzi states that Ferrari is ready to explore bringing back manual transmissions, though not for their regular production vehicles. Expect instead to see the clutch pedal appear in Ferrari’s upcoming Icona series.
As per Fulgenzi, Ferrari needs to deliberately reduce the engine’s output; otherwise, clients would require an exceptionally strong leg to manage the robust clutch.
Fulgenzi also confirmed that customers are already putting in requests for the Prancing Horse to revive the gated manual. In addition to the rest of Ferrari's clientele, newly minted Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton has expressed his hope for a revived F40, ideally rebranded as the F44 to represent his racing number.
Considering that the most recent addition to the Icona lineup, the Ferrari Daytona SP3, was unveiled in 2023, the subsequent model might not be long off. It could potentially include Ferrari’s famous gated manual transmission as well.
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