Ferrari has been on a roll of late. The Italian carmaker has a waiting list that extends until 2026. That hasn’t stopped it from working on its very first electric car, slated for release later this year.
But apparently, there’s more to come. Industry-wide rumors have long suggested that Ferrari might have its sights set on bringing back the manual transmission in its cars, after a 13-year gap.
This has now been confirmed, as the brand’s chief product development officer, Gianmaria Fulgenzi, told Carsales that Ferrari is now ready to entertain ideas about bringing the gated manual gearbox back, but only for cars that are deemed suitable.
Ferrari
“In terms of mechanical gear changes, it’s something that could be in the future, depending on the product,” said Fulgenzi. When asked which cars in Ferrari’s stable could be resurrected with manual transmissions, he responded, “Probably an Icona car, because it’s a car that represents our heritage, a car to be admired and to be driven in a certain way.”
He went on to state that the Iconas’ performance would be constrained in comparison to other Prancing Horse supercars and hypercars, because the maximum torque levels would necessitate a “very big leg” in order to handle the heavy clutch.
That’s interesting, considering Icona cars, such as the Daytona SP3 and Monza SP1/SP2, are designed for emotional connection rather than performance specifications. In the past, Ferrari continuously disregarded manual gearboxes because they impair overall performance; nevertheless, it looks like the company may be open to making an exception.
Ferrari
The California, which was discontinued in 2012, was the last Ferrari to have a manual gearbox. Since then, the brand’s staple has been dual-clutch automatics, boosted by improvements in efficiency and performance. Nonetheless, those (like me) who still prefer a driving connection to pure acceleration continue to prefer the tactile feel of a traditional gearbox.
Fulgenzi discovered that manual Ferraris are not just sought after by sentimental collectors. It appears that prominent individuals like seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton have also voiced support for a return to manual transmissions. According to some reports, Hamilton is eager for a modern-day tribute to the legendary Ferrari F40, which he hopes would be called the F44, perhaps in homage to his racing number.
Ferrari’s current crop of cars, such as the SF90 XX, can reach 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 2.4 seconds, which is extremely close to Formula One standards. Increasing performance may also prove needless and physically exhausting for regular drivers, as Fulgenzi stated.
He did, however, state that “all engineering of the car must be enhanced in driving traits.” In the post-peak-performance era, Ferrari emphasizes enjoyment behind the wheel to make sure customers are interested in driving their vehicle as much as possible.
Ferrari
It’s safe to speculate that the great majority of Ferrari’s 13,000+ vehicles sold last year did not end up in the hands of fighter pilots or Formula One drivers. “I don’t think all of our customers want to have to train every morning just to drive our cars,” noted Fulgenzi.
So, the next 10 years for the Italian carmaker are going to be more about driving connections and feel over performance numbers. So far, there’s no official timeline for the new manual models.
Via: Carsales