Lamborghini kills manual hopes, prioritises a hybrid future

Key highlights:

• Lamborghini has no current plans for a manual transmission
• Ferrari and McLaren have revived three pedals
• Lamborghini will keep developing its hybrid supercar architecture

Lamborghini has no plans to bring back the manual transmission, even as rivals return to three-pedal supercars; instead, the Italian brand wants to keep developing the hybrid architecture behind its latest models and follow its electrification strategy.

Lamborghini chooses hybrid technology

Temerario product line director Paolo Racchetti reportedly told CarExpert in Milan that Lamborghini knows some customers still want a manual gearbox.

“I think there will always be Lamborghini customers asking for a manual transmission, and for everything that is rooted in our tradition,” Racchetti said.

But he made it clear that Lamborghini’s priorities lie elsewhere. He said the brand defines itself by evolving and looking towards the future, while aiming to remain an innovative force in the super-sports-car segment.

Lamborghini now wants to develop its new architecture further, building on the performance and emotion already delivered by its latest hybrid supercars. That means Lamborghini will continue following the product philosophy outlined under its Cor Tauri strategy for now.

What is Lamborghini’s Cor Tauri strategy?

Lamborghini first outlined Direzione Cor Tauri in 2021, and its strategic roadmap focuses on:

• Electrifying Lamborghini’s product range
• Decarbonising the company’s operations
• Reducing enterprise emissions by 40% per car by 2030

Lamborghini has already moved its supercar range into plug-in hybrid territory. The Revuelto and Temerario are Lamborghini’s two PHEV supercars so far, while the Urus is also transitioning to plug-in hybrid power. The Cor Tauri roadmap does not mention bringing back a manual transmission.

Also read: Bentley says no to automated car making, backs human touch

Lamborghini hasn’t offered a manual for years

Lamborghini’s manual era ended with the Gallardo, which finished production more than a decade ago, and Racchetti’s comments suggest the company currently has no plans to return to a conventional three-pedal setup in future models, and that puts Lamborghini at odds with some of its rivals.

Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale marks the first factory-built manual model since the California. Ferrari’s solution does not use a conventional manual gearbox, but a ‘Manuale By-Wire’ system which combines a traditional-looking gated gear shifter, a clutch pedal and Ferrari’s existing eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

McLaren is preparing its own return to three pedals with the McL 6GT, and this ultra-exclusive production supercar is scheduled to enter production in 2028. That will come more than three decades after the legendary F1 became McLaren’s last manual road car.

Manual transmissions have become increasingly uncommon across modern supercars, and manufacturers now tend to reserve them for limited-run models and special projects, rather than offering them as mainstream powertrain choices.

Lamborghini’s attention, however, remains on extracting more performance and emotion from its new hybrid architecture rather than returning to the traditional manual gearbox.