The Last Stick Shift Cars From Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Other Supercar Manufacturers
Car enthusiasts love a good manual transmission car. However, a lot of folks who buy supercars are less car enthusiasts and more, we’ll say, showy. It’s more of a status symbol to many. That, combined with the advancing dual-clutch transmission technology, has effectively sealed the fate of stick-shift cars from iconic supercar manufacturers. Let’s take a look at the final supercars with manual transmissions from some major manufacturers.
The last manual transmission Lamborghini was the Gallardo
The Lamborghini Gallardo was a staple of supercar culture in the early 2000s. It even got a mispronounced shoutout in Akon’s 2006 hit single “Smack That.”
The Lamborghini Gallardo was available with a manual transmission until its final year in 2014, according to MotorTrend. If you happen to be in the market for one, be prepared to pay a premium for a six-speed model.
Ferrari California was available in Manual, but they’re virtually impossible to buy
The 2012 model year brought the final time you’d see a Ferrari with a manual transmission. Both the Ferrari California and 599 GTB were sold with a six-speed manual option in 2012. However, MotorTrend reports that Ferrari only sold two manual Californias during their three-year production run. In 2016, both stick shift cars sold at auction for over $400,000.
As for the 599 GTB, the price is even more upsetting. Front-engine V12 Ferraris are staples of the brand and already carry quite a price tag. So, it’s not surprising that a manual 599 carries quite a price tag. In March 2023, one sold for $830,000, according to Classic.com.
McLaren F1: The first and last manual supercar from McLaren
When it comes to stick-shift cars with eye-watering performance, it’s hard to surpass the McLaren F1. Its manual transmission is perhaps the least exotic part about it, considering there are three seats and the driver sits right in the middle. Let’s not forget its 240 MPH top speed, which made it the world’s fastest car from 1992 until 2005 when the Bugatti Veyron took over.
To this day, the McLaren F1 remains the fastest naturally-aspirated production car on the planet.
The Audi R8 is Audi’s only production supercar, but it once was available with a manual transmission
The Audi R8 was a bit of a weird one on the market. For a while, manual-transmission cars were cheaper because they were largely equipped with the V8 option rather than the 5.2-liter V10 that everyone wanted. There are manual V10 examples out there, but they are extremely rare and extremely expensive.
Now, though, even the V8 models equipped with a manual transmission are fetching pretty hefty price tags.
According to Carbuzz, the final stick shift Audi R8 is a 2015 model year example with over 100,000 miles on the odometer. Knowing it’s getting driven rather than sitting in a garage is rather heartwarming!
Pagani and Koenigsegg are bringing stick-shift cars back to the hypercar realm
The Koenigsegg CCX back in the day was available with a manual transmission. However, most of the Koenigsegg models you’re likely familiar with, like the Jesko, Agera RS, and Regera, all have automatic transmissions.
That being said, Koenigsegg recently put out the CC850, a model made to commemorate Christian Von Koenigsegg’s 50th birthday as well as the 20th anniversary of the Koenigsegg CC8S, the first production Koenigsegg. The transmission is a “six-speed gated manual transmission with automatic shifting available.” Jalopnik reports that it does indeed have a clutch pedal and can be driven as a standard manual transmission.
Finally, the Pagani Utopia is the legendary Italian manufacturer’s newest hypercar. It has an 864 horsepower V12 engine and is available with a true manual transmission.
So, while the mainstream supercar manufacturers seem to be done with the manual transmission, we can take solace in knowing that some are still keeping it alive and well.
