Has Ferrari abandoned the manual transmission?

That's progress for you....!

 

Time to switch to Porsche?

 

It seems almost inevitable. There are people on both sides of the issue but Ferrari always loves to trot out the stat about however much percent of a new model will be F1. I can't help but wonder whether it is consumer dictated or dictated by the company. Fast shifts are great and all but I enjoy the satisfaction of executing a shift perfectly. I'm probably just old-fashioned but I just don't see the need for F1 one the road. Hands down on the track I'm sure it's the fastest way around but I don't know if it's exactly brilliant for real life.

While the F1 is nice it is more interested to me to see that Ferrari have adopted a dual-clutch now for their F1 system. To the end user it will probably still look the same but shifts should be significantly faster.

 

I understand that it is no longer possible to order a 599 or 612 with manual transmission. I suspect that will be the same with the V8 range some time soon. Whilst people complain about it, the fact is that very few are actually buying the manual cars. In the UK last year only 6% of F430s were manual and only 4.5% of F430 Spiders.

Jonathan

 

From what dealers in the US tell me allocation for F1 and three pedal cars is set by Ferrari. If you want an F! you will get an allocation much faster. Ferrari may tell the press F1 vs 6 speed is market driven, it seems Ferrari has decided to push F! with allocations.

 

Don't let the door smack you on the rear end on your way out

 

I sure hope the 6spd isn't a thing of the past. Maybe it is more cost-effective to do away with the manual seeing it's a declining market. I just can't see them not at least silently offering a MT for a price.

 

Ha ha. Porsche's will be sprouting paddles too.

 

Ferrari began to phase out the 3-pedal manual with the 575. Paddles are the "wave of the future."

 

When was the last time we saw an F-1 car with manual transmission? Fifteen years ago?
It is not an option for the F-1 drivers. They must drive F-1 paddle shift cars if they want to win.

 

3 pedals is on it's way out. I hope Ferrari realizes there will always be a market for true manuals and keeps it as an option. I personally think paddle shifting is for amateurs, I don't care if it's faster mastering 3 pedals take a lot of skill and determination.

 

We have decades of manual-equipped Ferraris ranging from $40K up to multiple millions of dollars. If you don't care about "faster", grab a 328 or 355, or a 550 if you need more comfort.

Carbs are long gone, but you can always buy carburetted cars if you want one.

Fact is, manual gearboxes are now for amateurs, whereas professional use the F1/paddle gearboxes.

 

Give me a break, are you guys listening to yourselves? Manual transmissions are on their way out? Other than Ferrari and Lamborghini, which companies have switched over to mainly paddle shifters? Even 25%? No one. Reason: People still enjoy manual transmissions. I think that it would not only be bold, but stupid for Ferrari to get rid of the manual transmission option. Sure people will buy the car still if there isn't the option, because it is so much harder to get a manual than an F1, but it is so much of a rarity to see a manual that I would be surprised if manuals from this era are not more sought after than F1s in the near and distant future. If they want to make it a "we don't want to have to carry two transmissions, because we don't think it's cost efficient," type reasoning; then how Ferrari budget doesn't matter does that sound to you?

Peter Hatch

 

Well, the reality of the situation doesn't seem to support your argument. Right now you can specify a manual version of all the cars except the Scuderia. People who order Ferraris over the past few years have voted for F-1. No one put a gun to their heads. And if you look at the trend, F-1 popularity has been growing each year.

It is true that in terms of production cost, it would be cheaper for Ferrari to produce a single transmission. But, I don't think cost is the real objective here. For example, a customer can order a custom color and have ostrich hide instead of leather for the interior. That certainly slows down production. Ferrari makes you pay extra for all of this!

Just look at the brake policy. All the new cars will come with carbon ceramics. I don't think this is solely for profit. I think it is Ferrari's way of keeping the cars up to date in terms of technology and their racing culture.

Those other car companies you mention are appealing to a much larger audience, many of whom don't care about F-1 and race technology.

Manual transmissions are on the way out of standard production at Ferrari. But knowing Ferrari, you will still probably be able to special order a manual for price!

 

???

Road cars are not typically professional race cars, nor are the drivers.

There is a devout contingent of enthusiasts who enjoy the head-to-toe/heel-toe/arm involvement that a 3-pedal experience engenders. That cannot be replaced with the F1 paddles.

People will continue to seek out 3-pedal manual cars despite the trend to phase them out.

 

No one put a gun to their heads. And if you look at the trend, F-1 popularity has been growing each year.

Just try getting a new 6 speed car. I was at FOA last month. They were able to order a total of two 6 speed cars last year by FNA. The rest of the cars had to be F1. 6 speeds may be available but in very limited numbers. I've had a deposit on a 6 speed car for several years, still waiting would have gotten an F! sooner.

 

In every sport, people with little or no real talent like to think they can play like the pros. Hackers buy the clubs Tiger Woods uses. The tennis racquet Federer plays. Kobe's sneakers. So, people who can't drive a manual properly or at all have long wanted to buy a race car, and the F1 makes them accessible and easy to drive.

I've been driving manuals for 35 years, and I still ride the clutch too much, but I like to feather in my shifts and hear the engine revs. F1 is for the pros, but it opens up the world of supercars to people who really need an automatic transmission to drive. There's nothing wrong with that. Probably 75% of new FCar drivers will never go near a track or push the car anywhere near its potential... they like the style, the "prestige" that people talk about. Again, nothing wrong with that, but if Ferrari wants to make cars just for track nuts, poseurs or people who can't manage a shifter, they've lost contact with their history, tradition and the joy of driving.

Modern fighter jets are all fly by wire -- no human could control the aircraft with direct control. Cars aren't there yet. Between the F1/Full Auto transmission, the traction and suspension controls, and all the technology separating the driver from the mechanicals, you might as well hire a chauffeur.

 

Cars with a stick get more "respect" than paddle shift cars.

And for me, they are just more enjoyable to drive.
Since the car is used on the street, enjoyment is what is it all about.

I can see the benefit of the F1 tranny on the track, but these are street cars, not race cars that we are buying.

 

Professional racers aren't driving manual gearbox cars anymore.

Road cars emulate racing technology. All the carbon fibre isn't there to make the car pretty -- it's lightweight technology to make cars faster. Ditto F1 gearboxes.

Manual gearboxes are on the decline. This isn't a moral lesson, just a fact in the current market.

Companies make what people buy in profitable quantities. Dust off your Econ 101 textbook. Somewhere out there, someone likes AM radios tuned by rubber bands because they have more character... Don't look for a spike in production.

 

I heard the same arguement when Fuel Injection replaced Webber carbs. OH NO! No more great Ferrari sounds! I'm sure someone complained when they put syncros in gearboxes in the early sixties -- No more double clutching between first and second! The horror!

Personally, I like the F-1 box. It's less stressful when driving quickly and less stressful when creaping around in traffic. And, I appreciate the association with racing technology. I also credit makers like Ferrari who give us an F-1 box that still delivers a great driving experience over the boring automatic transmission in just about every car made now adays.

 

Not true. You cannot order a manual transmission 612 at this time. I'm not sure you can order a manual 599 either, but I'm certain about the 612 as I tried to order one that way!

I didn't inquire about having one made as a special order, but that was also not presented to me as a possibility.

 

I suspect some of the F1 push is coming due to the looming fuel-efficiency standards. I love my 6-speed Honda S2000 and my F1 F430 for very different reasons. But...I'm not sure I want to row through a 7 or 8 speed manual - which is where these DSG and F1 transmissions are going.

 

Hit the nail on the head

We're not race car drivers...we're driving enthusiasts and shifting for yourself is simply enjoyable to many folks.

There are hi tech fishing rods w sonar devices yet many people still love to fly fish. There are rapid prototype machines that can spit out anything you can imagine but there are still people that sculpt and chisel by hand. There are fighter pilots crusing around in nthe highest tech we can imagine yet on the weekends for PLEASURE (key word there) they are flying their old prop planes.

Ferrari will always sell every car it can make because of status seekers alone,..but its a shame they are forsaking enthusiasts that want to shift for themselves.

FYI - i dont believe for a minute that the loss of the manual is market driven...

 

Customers were able to order 6 speed manual 612's in fact there is a thread with pictures of a blue one for sale at FOW . The thread is on the 612/599 section and has some nice pictures showing the metal knob!

The 612 is now in a lame duck state as a revised model is coming out in a few months. In the meantime, there is the One on One Personalization program where customers can specify a wide variety of details and other options. You can even get the electrophotochromic roof (50k) But you may be right about not being able to specify the 6 speed. Selective Personalization!

But if you really want the manual tranny you might try to see if they would do it if you paid extra.