Lamborghini charts digital path as manual transmissions fade

Lamborghini has no plans to introduce a manual transmission—simulated or otherwise—to any of its future cars, Federico Foschini, the company's Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, said in an interview with Road & Track this week. The Sant'Agata Bolognese manufacturer's commitment to fully automated systems marks a departure from the nostalgia that has animated recent debates in the international automotive press about the disappearing manual gearbox.

The decision underscores a widening philosophical gap between Emilia-Romagna's two supercar makers. Ferrari's global marketing director, Emanuele Carando, told Edmunds that the automaker has welcomed strong reactions—both enthusiastic and critical—to its new electric Luce model, framing polarized response as a sign of cultural relevance. Lamborghini's stance is more categorical: the company builds cars aligned with its racing programme, which does not use manual gears, Foschini explained. That engineering logic, rather than market sentiment, guides the decision.

The erosion of the manual transmission has become a recurring theme in international automotive coverage. Motor1 reported this month that fewer than 30 vehicles are available with a factory-installed manual gearbox in America, as manufacturers like Ferrari and Lamborghini have adopted lightning-quick dual-clutch systems. The shift reflects broader industry consensus that automated transmissions offer performance advantages that manual systems cannot match—a calculus that Motor Valley's engineers appear to have settled decisively.