In recent times, there has been a renewed interest in manual transmissions in performance cars. Just look at Nissan, with the stick shift now available in the NISMO version of the Z sports car. Despite this, not everyone is going down the manual route, such as Lamborghini.
This may come as a surprise to some enthusiasts. During Monterey Car Week 2026, a surprising number of sports cars were revealed with a stick shift as an option. This included the Gordon Murray Special Vehicles S1 and the Porsche 911 Carrera S.
Yet despite having offered manual transmissions in the past, Lamborghini has said it is not pursuing them in the future. The last manual we saw in a Lamborghini was in the 2024 Gallardo. The Huracán that followed came exclusively with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Since then, we’ve seen different varieties of automatic transmissions, but no return of the manual.
This may come as a disappointment to some. Manual transmissions offer an extra level of feel and control that an automatic can’t. But automatic transmissions are better for performance and more convenient. So there is some logic behind Lamborghini’s decision-making.
What Has Lamborghini Said About Manual Transmissions?
Stephan Winkelmann, chairman and CEO of Lamborghini, shared his thoughts on manual transmissions during the Monterey Car Week. Winkelmann said that, as the manual was phased out of the lineup, it had already become a rarely selected option for the supercars. He would even check with every customer who had ordered a manual, just to be sure that they hadn’t ticked the wrong box on the order form.
“For me, this is something which is not on our priority list, because we have a lot in the pipeline,” Winkelmann said. “The manual gearbox is mostly for collectibles, and today we don’t have any plans to do so,” he added. In short, Winkelmann believes that manuals have been relegated to limited-edition and highly expensive cars, like the new Gordon Murray S1. Lamborghini has no intention of producing such a car.
The Italian manufacturer certainly does have a lot in the pipeline at the time of writing. Higher-performance versions of its existing cars are on the way, such as the recently revealed Revuelto SV. This is a car with Lamborghini’s most powerful engine in its history, the 6.5-liter hybrid V12 making 1,065hp and 1,051lb-ft of torque. All of which will be controlled by an automatic transmission.
Why Lamborghini’s Hybrids Also Rule Out Manual Transmissions
One problem that could prevent future manual transmissions, if Lamborghini changed its mind, is its hybrid setup. Not because they wouldn’t be compatible, but because there could be packaging issues. In the Temerario and Revuelto, the engines are mounted in a north-south configuration. The transmission hangs off the back to send its power to the rear wheels. Lamborghini supercars that came before them had the engines mounted oppositely. That left the transmission right behind the passenger cabin.
It meant that it was within much easier reach of a manual shifter in the cockpit. But currently that is not the case. Given that it has no desire to reintroduce a manual, Lamborghini is highly unlikely to reconfigure the design, which would involve a lot of unnecessary work. Even a faux manual shifter, such as in the Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale, appears out of the question. So if you want a new manual supercar or even a hypercar, you might have to spend a ludicrous amount of money.