
Porsche has a manual option for the 911, Ferrari has unveiled a ‘simulated’ manual for the 12 Cilindri, and Lamborghini has shut down any speculation it will follow suit.
In an interview with Road & Track, Lamborghini’s chief marketing officer, Federico Foschini, revealed that while he sees the opportunity for a manual model, it’s not something the brand will pursue.
“There are a few customers that are still in love with this kind of stuff,” Foschini admitted, before shutting the door to the idea. Lamborghini’s paddle-shift automated transmission will remain its only offering.

“This trend at the moment is embedded mainly on hybridization, and [the] automatic gearbox, with [the] possibility to have the actionable shifting at the wheel with the paddle,” He said, referencing Lamborghini’s motorsport involvement. “That’s the way that I think we need to go.”
Lamborghini’s last model with a manual transmission was the V10 powered Gallardo LP 560-2 50° Anniversario (below), released in 2013. The last V12-engined Lamborghini manual was the Lamborghini Murciélago, which ended production in 2010. Its successor, the Aventador, switched to an automated single-clutch automatic as the only available transmission.
Lamborghini’s declaration that it would not pursue an enthusiast-focused manual model comes following Ferrari’s announcement of the limited-edition 12 Cilindri Manuale. Ferrari’s newest model keeps the regular 12 Cilindri’s eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, but adds an electronically-actuated clutch pedal and gear lever with simulated feedback and the potential to ‘stall’ if driven incorrectly.
Koenigsegg offers a similar system on the CC850, which brings simulated manual control, including a clutch and gated gear lever, to a nine-speed automated transmission. In both cases, the manual modes offer six forward gears or the option to hand full automatic control back to the vehicle.

Porsche is one of the last remaining brands with a manual option at the elite end of the market, with the availability of a true manually-actuated six-speed manual on the 911 GT3.
Lamborghini’s declaration also potentially locks the Audi Nuvolari out of the manual race, with the R8 successor owing its mechanical package to the Lamborghini Temerario. Both plug-in hybrid models would be candidates for a simulated manual, rather than a true mechanical manual transmission, owing to their electrified powertrain.
The second-generation R8 skipped a manual option entirely, but the first-generation R8 was available with a six-speed manual.
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