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For those of you hoping to get a chance at having a manual gearbox available for the new 2020 C8 Corvette, it looks like all hope is lost. Tadge Juechter has gone on record and given a few reasons as to why the stick shift will not be finding its way into a C8 Corvette.
Juechter says only about 15 percent of C7 Corvettes were optioned with the 7-speed manual. Tadge stated “Every year it goes down, down, down, down.”
Why C8 Corvette Manual Transmission A Big Deal?
For some this is a huge deal, for others it doesn't matter. As with anything in life, people have their preferences and as long as the manual option isn't your "cup of tea" then losing it as an option isn't going to affect you.
However, those who really prefer the driving experience with a manual (such as myself) don't like to hear this kind of news. I was holding on to the last shred of hope that GM would find a way to make a manual transmission happen in this new C8 Corvette but it seems all hope is lost.
We are rapidly approaching a future where dual clutch transmissions are king and the manual gearbox is an option no longer. I was hoping that future would be a little longer delayed but it's already arrived. Juechter obviously knows Corvette and he undoubtedly knows the customers that buy Corvette so when he says the manual is not going to be an option due to low take rate in the past, then I believe him.
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“It’s a dying business,” Tadge said. “The people who make a living building manual transmissions, they see that it’s not a bright future for them. It’s low volume, very expensive. The reason is it’s a low-volume industry. That industry is dying, building manual transmissions.”
Of course, with the new 8 speed DCT that propels this rocket known as the C8 Corvette into the 60mph range in less than 3 seconds, the manual won't be missed by most. Still I'm sad to see it go and while I mourn the loss, I'm excited for the future of mind bendingly fast Corvettes.
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Justin Nohe - My name is Justin and I am a car fanatic. Everything automotive is my passion. Ever since I was a little kid owning a Corvette was my dream and I recently achieved that dream with a 2015 Corvette Z06. I have such passion for the automotive world and enjoy sharing it with anyone who will listen! You can contact me, send me tips and follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube.
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Comments
They say that nobody was
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They say that nobody was willing to build a manual transmission for the new Stingray Corvette, and I believe that. One thing about the previous manual transmissions is that they can have their development cost spread across many different cars. Plus there is a large aftermarket business for front engine rear wheel drive cars from buyers who want to swap out an old automatic for a slick new manual, to people who want to do a restomod on a classic car. But for a mid engine design there are far fewer new car that would share the transmission, and there is virtually no market for older car retrofits. Maybe a few kit cars, but certainly not enough to justify the development costs. For me it is a lot more involving to manually control the gears, and two of my cars have manual transmissions, but I have to admit that I would probably choose the automatic in the Corvette Stingray simply because it has distinct performance advantages.
This is pretty much why GM
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In reply to They say that nobody was by DeanMcManis (not verified)
This is pretty much why GM decided to not put a manual option out there. The take rate was so low they found it to not be important. I'm sad that they are going to discontinue it but it was bound to happen sooner or later.
The amount of retro fit or
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In reply to They say that nobody was by DeanMcManis (not verified)
The amount of retro fit or other models in the GM line that could use the C7 is Zero. The aft mounted transaxle will not fit into anything. You have to go back to the C4 to get something that would be easy to retro fit.
Cost is BS as well. If I remember correctly the C4 got the 6 speed in 1989, The price of the engine with the aluminum heads was about $3,200.00, the cost of that transmission was well above $9,000.00. Kind of hard to justify, but they did. If you want to use Zora as a guide line, the one midengined prototype with the midengined small block using the Toronado transaxle was probably the closest to production, but Zora stated that it would not be acceptable to build a Corvette with only an automatic transmission.
I think the paddle shifter
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I think the paddle shifter for the C8 Corvette is much better than manual if you want to go fast.
That may be true, but it's
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In reply to I think the paddle shifter by Ken (not verified)
That may be true, but it's not all about speed for some people. There are many other factors to think of.
But boring to drive unless
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In reply to I think the paddle shifter by Ken (not verified)
But boring to drive unless you are some one that can't drive a manual.
Agreed. The manual will
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In reply to But boring to drive unless by Harold Thompson (not verified)
Agreed. The manual will definitely be sorely missed.
With out a manual
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With out a manual transmission it is not a Corvette. I currently own two Corvette and would have purchase a mid engine car, but not without a manual transmission. They do not want me as a customer. Sad.
I agree. It really does make
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In reply to With out a manual by Eugene Leicht (not verified)
I agree. It really does make the sportscar mean less to me without a manual. I know the dual clutch transmissions are faster shifting, etc but I still would love to have that manual option even if it is slower.
But it is most definitely a
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In reply to With out a manual by Eugene Leicht (not verified)
But it is most definitely a Corvette, You don't make them GM does and it put millions into the C8, you may not like it, but it's a Vette, don't you worry. They've been making automatic Vettes for decades.
I have always had a stick
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I have always had a stick shift car. It’s simply a lot of fun to shift through the gears. I was considering the new corvette until I heard that no manual will be offered. The talk about the new dual clutch being faster is silly because if you are capable of using the power(few drivers are), you will lose your license or worse if you do. Paul
I agree. The lack of a manual
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In reply to I have always had a stick by Paul Hiles (not verified)
I agree. The lack of a manual transmission is a real shame. The manual may be a hair slower but it's more fun to drive for sure.