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Automatic Manual Gearboxes Could Spell the End of Stick-shift Supercars

A decade ago, paddle shifters seemed like more of a gimmick for supecar makers like Ferrari to use as marketing tools, linking their F1 exploits to their expensive road-going cars. However, slowly and steadily, the trend has changed, and computers are increasingly take over the job of the left foot.

So could manual gearboxes be gone from the supercar picture in a few years’ time? We don’t think so, as the feel of the car will override a few seconds on the track and a tenth to 100 km/h (62 mph). However, one expert does!

"There will always be a market for manuals in Europe as long as legislation allows them, but it is interesting that we are now being asked to design AMTs [automated manual transmissions] that don't have a manual option,” said Paolo Mantelli, the automotive transmissions chief for Italian manufacturer Oerlikon Graziano, according to Just-auto.com.

Who are they to talk? Well, only the suppliers of the McLaren MP4-12C’s new Sequential Shift Gearbox (SSG), which is reportedly sets new standards for the refinement and durability of a Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT).

“McLaren has a very clear understanding of its brand and of the type of cars that it should make. This is reflected in the technologies and innovations that are chosen for their powertrains,”
explained Graziano in a recent official statement.

But wait, there’s more: an Oerlikon Graziano transmission also helps the 700-horsepower Lamborghini Aventador races from a standstill to 62 mph (100 km/h) in under three seconds.

"The need for a manual option is disappearing at the supercar end of the market, where we have recently introduced three new transmissions for vehicles that do not have a manual option," stated Mantelli. "It is inevitable that this philosophy will be increasingly reflected in lower cost segments."
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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