The mid-engine C8 Corvette brought a major change to America’s sports car, but one thing enthusiasts still miss is the manual gearbox. Unfortunately, those hoping for a clutch pedal aren’t likely to get their wish.
Tony Roma, GM’s executive chief engineer for Corvette and Performance Cars, explained that the biggest problem is cost. Earlier Corvettes could use a manual transmission architecture that had been developed over decades, keeping development and production expenses relatively low.
The C8’s mid-engine layout is different. Its transaxle packaging would require an entirely new manual gearbox, making the investment difficult to justify.
Tremec did reveal a six-speed manual transaxle at SEMA that appeared suitable for the C8, but Roma explained that it wasn’t fully homologated for production and therefore couldn’t simply be fitted to a road-going Corvette.
Roma also believes the renewed interest in manuals among supercar buyers is partly about exclusivity. But that’s not enough for GM.
“You don’t do it just because you can. You do it because it makes the car better,” Roma said.
Source: The Drive
