Lamborghini is apparently chomping at the bit to say arrivederci to the manual transmission. Motor Trend had a chance to speak with Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini’s R&D director, and it appears that a manual gearbox doesn’t fit into the automaker’s plans for the future. The immediate future.
Per Reggiani, only one to two percent of the vehicles produced at the Sant’Agata factory come equipped with a row-your-own setup – a shockingly low percentage. Lamborghini’s customers want fast cars, and the best way to ensure it delivers is by removing the human element from the gearchange equation.
A Gallardo replacement is expected next year, and Reggiani tells Motor Trend that it will be available only with an automated gearbox of some sort (the new Aventador makes use of an automated single-clutch seven-speed unit).
Has the manual transmission run its course, or is there still life left for those who hunt for the perfect heel-toe downshift? If the rumormill is correct, Porsche seems to think there is, but other automakers have been mum on development plans for three-pedal setups. What do you think?
autoblog
