Words: Andrew Sluys
Published 6 July 2026
Ferrari has finally answered the prayers of the uber-wealthy driving enthusiasts of the world, and unveiled a new “manual” transmission.
I use speech marks there as although it does feature three pedals and a gated shifter, it’s a far cry from the basic manual transmission we know and love.
Unveiled as the “Manuale By-Wire” system, it’s only set to be offered with the 12Cilindri at first, and still uses the same eight-speed dual-clutch transmission as the standard car.
Instead of only having two pedals, the upcoming 12Cilindri Manuale will get all the controls for a manual transmission, but they will just be used to select gears by wire.
That means no part of the shifter or clutch pedal is actually connected mechanically to the transmission, it just sends signals to a computer.
Think of it similar to a driving simulator, where the pedal and stick doesn’t actually change gears, but it offers the same sensation.
According to Ferrari the extra equipment required for these manual transmission only totals an additional 5kg.
It consists of an aluminum shifter, which sits in the aluminum shifter housing. For all intensive purposes, it still looks like a real manual.
So while this should appease the 0.1 per centers that are still after manual shifting, it also still works as an automatic.
This means drivers can leave the shifter in neutral, select “D” with one of the buttons, and drive with just two pedals.
Manual mode also is only available below 100km/h where after that the automatic system will select seventh and eighth by itself.
Ferrari claims it has spent a lot of time and money making sure the system feels authentic to what a manual should feel like.
And while it is easy to pass this off as another marketing gimmick, it’s refreshing to see a manufacturer with such pedigree listening to the enthusiasts.
