Remember when a Lamborghini demanded fear?
They weren’t soft. They weren’t polite. You had to respect them. If you forgot that three hundred horsepower comes with a price, the car reminded you. Fast. Those days are gone. The new comment on manual transmissions just confirms it.
Lamborghini isn’t looking back.
Federico Foschini, their chief marketing guy, talked to Road & Track at Goodwood. He basically laughed at the idea of a manual gearbox returning to Sant’Agata. Sure, some people still want one. A small group. But that’s not the plan.
“There are a few customers that are stillin love with this kind of stuff… but it’s not the trend.”
He argues that real engagement requires performance that manual gears just can’t match. You know. The numbers. It’s a tough sell. Most of us don’t drive supercars on race tracks. We drive them on roads. Engagement isn’t just about how fast the computer shifts.
Yes. A dual-clutch gearbox is faster than you are. Always.
It launches better. It upshifts cleaner. The bragging rights are sweeter because the stats are perfect. In fact, most pros couldn’t beat the machine’s shift times anyway. So why do we still want a stick?
Because we want to drive. Not be driven.
Ferrari gets it. Sort of.
Their new 12Cilindri Manusale has a gated shifter. It has a clutch pedal. But there are no cables linking them to the engine. It’s all wire. A simulation running on top of an eight-speed automatic. Ferrari calls it Manuale by Wire. It’s not real. But it acknowledges that something matters besides the quarter-mile time.
Lamborghini leaves that niche open. They don’t care.
For decades, Lambos were dangerous. They bit back. You had to focus. They rewarded skill with speed, not just money with throttle. Now? Electronics do the work. Four digits of horsepower are easy to manage. Almost anyone with the cash can buy the dream.
Great for lap records. Better for Instagram reels in Miami where people don’t crash.
But less interesting for anyone who still believes their hands have something to do with the wheel.
