The last vehicle Ferrari officially produced with a gated manual transmission came out in 2012. Since then, it’s been corporate policy to build cars with paddle-shifted, dual-clutch gearboxes that maximize performance specs and tie the brand back to its beloved Formula One. However, that might change as customers have been asking Ferrari to bring back the manual transmission for years. The Italian brand says it’s actively considering doing so, allegedly because leadership feels that the laws of physics won’t allow modern cars to get much faster than they currently are.
One of the very first articles I ever wrote about the automotive industry pertained to Ferrari confirming that it was officially done with the manual transmission. At the time, the company insisted that demand for be-clutched automobiles was not sufficient to rationalize their existence. Not enough customers wanted them and they were supposedly too difficult (see: Expensive) to integrate with modern safety regulations and the associated technologies. Ferrari likewise asserted that they effectively capped the maximum performance of their vehicles.
Ferrari’s chief product development boss, Gianmaria Fulgenzi, has since told the Australian Carsales that the company is changing its approach. The new claim is that Ferrari products have reached the outer limits of automotive performance. Vehicles are approaching the peak of what current technologies can allow, as well as what the average human body can withstand.
“We are reaching the limit of performance in our cars,” Fulgenzi explained. “In Formula 1, it’s 2.3 seconds for zero to 100km/h. With the SF90 XX we are at more or less 2.5 seconds or 2.4 seconds — and that’s with four-wheel drive.”
From Carsales Australia:
The Ferrari tech boss went on to suggest that when it comes to its rear-wheel-drive supercars, like the 610kW 296 GTB and 296 GTS, that anything beyond 900bhp (671kW) is too much for modern tyres and chassis, and even for the latest driver aids.
Fulgenzi said the brand hasn’t ended its horsepower war with the likes of McLaren, Lamborghini or Bugatti, but that the gradient of power gains will be less pronounced over the next 10 years.
Then there’s the physical toll on owners themselves.
“For a normal driver you have to physically support yourself for this kind of acceleration and in terms of muscles and bones in your neck, it’s not easy for long [periods of] time,” he said, adding that drivers would require F1-style levels of training to endure the g-forces involved.
“I don’t think all our customers want to have to train every morning just to drive our cars.”
Anyone who has driven a car exceptionally hard knows that things like neck strength become surprisingly relevant. While your author certainly doesn’t own or spend time in any cars capable of matching the Ferrari SF90’s G-forces, decades of riding motorcycles has proven that there is a very firm limit to how fast you can safely go when you’re not in the best shape. There’s a reason racers are considered genuine athletes and it’s not just because they look better in the safety gear.
Fulgenzi is alleging that Ferrari has already achieved peak performance and now needs to consider heritage and catering to the experiential nature of driving. Such vehicles would reportedly need to be limited production, akin to the special-edition Icona heritage models (e.g. Daytona SP3). This would allow the brand to offer manual transmissions to satisfy demand — as Ferrari customers are requesting such vehicles — while also charging significantly more for the privilege.
Ferrari suggested that the resulting products may need to be toned down, with horsepower artificially de-tuned for shifting so that the clutch pedal isn’t ludicrously heavy. While perhaps slightly disappointing, it makes sense if the broader concept is to create vehicles that are engaging and enjoyable to drive.
Nobody expects Ferrari to pivot the entire business toward building retro-inspired throwbacks. But there is certainly an appetite among enthusiasts for vehicles that prioritize mechanical feedback over lap times. If the brand thinks it can make some money off their backs, it seems plausible that it’ll give it a go.
[Images: JoshBryan/Shutterstock; Ferrari]
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