Fast cars and racing vehicles have packed delightfully engaging manual transmissions throughout automotive history. However, not every performance vehicle enthusiast wants to clutch and shift in tear-inducing traffic and up hellacious hills. Don’t fret; plenty of properly quick new cars don’t offer a manual at all, like the 2023 BMW M240i xDrive, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, and Audi RS 3.

Which fast cars don’t have a manual transmission?

While some tenured performance nameplates like the Ford Mustang and BMW M3 refuse to give up the three-pedal application, some seriously swift vehicles go without a manual gearbox. 

• 2023 BMW M240i xDrive
• 2023 Jaguar F-TYPE
• 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
• 2023 Audi RS 3

Is the M240i dual-clutch?

The 2023 BMW M240i’s eight-speed Steptronic Sport automatic transmission is the model’s sole gearbox option, per BMW Group Media. Moreover, the only way to get a 2-Series with a stick shift is to opt for the fire-breathing M2. 

However, the missing manual isn’t necessarily a bad thing; the M240i xDrive is a fiendishly fast car. For instance, the M240i xDrive’s grippy all-wheel drive (AWD) system and 382-horsepower B58 3.0L inline six-cylinder engine are enough to fling the German coupe to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. In fact, the M240i xDrive is faster than a GR Supra, with which it shares a powerplant. Better yet, at $51,895, the BMW model is one of the best performance bargains at its price point. 

Is the Jaguar F-TYPE a fast car without a manual transmission?

The 2023 Jaguar F-TYPE goes without a manual transmission at any trim level, including the raucous 575-horsepower R variant. However, the taut, opulent Jaguar model’s grippy AWD system, supercharged V8 library, and eight-speed automatic transmission can launch the F-TYPE R with urgency. 

Specifically, the automatic-only Jaguar F-TYPE R can hit 60 mph in as little as 3.5 seconds. Moreover, unlike the BMW M240i, the F-TYPE R launches with an orchestral V8 soundtrack. Of course, the R trim starts at around $109,775, much more than a comparable Chevrolet Corvette or base Porsche 718 Cayman.  

When did Corvette stop using manual transmissions?

Chevrolet stopped offering Corvettes with a traditional manual transmission after discontinuing the seventh-generation model in 2019. As a result, every Corvette Stingray since 2020 has gone without a manual. The latest C8 Stingray, the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette, channels its 490 horsepower LT1 V8 engine with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Still, with 0 to 60 mph times under 3.0 seconds and a well-balanced mid-engine platform, the Corvette is a prime example of a fast, fun car without a manual transmission.   

Does the 2023 RS 3 come in manual?

The 2023 Audi RS 3 has just one gearbox option: a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Still, with 401 horsepower and a razor-sharp AWD system, the RS 3 is just as snappy as world-class sports cars. Specifically, an RS 3 can sprint to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds.  

Moreover, the RS 3 isn’t Audi’s only grippy, fast car without a manual transmission; the marque has stopped producing three-pedal cars for the American market altogether. Enthusiasts who want a manual in their Audi will have to look back into the archives, like the B8.5 generation S5. 

For many petrolheads, the dwindling number of manual-equipped sports cars is a saddening prospect. Still, the possibility of faster and smoother-shifting automatic transmissions is an exciting proposition.