Pagani joins Ferrari in celebrating manual transmission with V12 roadster

Pagani, the Modena-based hypercar manufacturer, has unveiled the Huayra 70 Derecho, a V12 roadster equipped with a gated manual transmission, according to Motor1. The car is the second of three special editions created to mark the 70th birthday of Horacio Pagani, the company's founder and chief designer. The Derecho combines the twin-turbocharged AMG V12 engine—the same unit powering the standard Huayra—with an open-air configuration and a traditional three-pedal gearbox.

The release places Pagani alongside Ferrari in a deliberate countercurrent to industry standardisation on dual-clutch and continuously variable transmissions. Motor1 reported that Ferrari launched its 12Cilindri Manuale earlier this year as a limited-production celebration of the manual gearbox, signalling that both manufacturers view driver engagement and mechanical directness as differentiation points in an era of electrification and automated shifting.

The manual transmission has become a rarity in high-performance automotive segments. Motor1 noted in a separate analysis this month that fewer than 30 vehicles are available with factory manual gearboxes in the American market, with manufacturers increasingly reserving the option for limited-run models or bespoke commissions. For Emilia-Romagna's supercar builders, the manual remains a symbolic and practical anchor to engineering heritage.