The Manual Transmission Refuses to Die: 6 New Cars Keeping Stick Shift Alive Until 2027

Does the clutch still have a place in a world dominated by electricity and automatics? The answer appears to be yes, as a select group of manufacturers clings to the pure joy of manual driving. Bugatti is exploring a stick shift behind a V16 engine, while McLaren prepares its first three-pedal car in three decades.

McLaren Revives Three Pedals After a Long Hiatus

McLaren is making a bold move with the reveal of the McL 6GT, a low-production hypercar expected to arrive in 2028. The car will feature a mid-mounted V8 engine with rear-wheel drive and hydraulic steering, but the real headline is a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The numbers are significant. If this car reaches production, it will become the first road car from McLaren with three pedals since the legendary McLaren F1 of 1992. Only around 500 units are expected to be built, with reports suggesting a price near one million dollars — a distant dream for most enthusiasts.

Bugatti Considers a Manual with a V16

At the wildest and most expensive end of this list, Bugatti is studying a return to the manual transmission. CEO Mate Rimak stated that Bugatti is 100% interested in building another car with a stick shift, even floating the idea of combining a real manual gearbox with a naturally aspirated V16 engine.

The very idea is electrifying. We're talking about a modern hypercar with a massive V16, yet with a driving experience that relies on the driver's input for gear selection instead of leaving everything to electronics. This philosophy runs counter to everything modern hypercars offer, which is exactly what makes it so appealing to purists.

Why Driving Enthusiasts Refuse to Abandon the Stick

Can numbers alone measure driving pleasure? Modern automatics are faster to accelerate and can select the perfect gear in milliseconds, but a manual gives the driver something entirely different. Controlling engine revs and shift timing makes the driver an essential part of the process, not just a passenger in the driver's seat.

This feeling is what these companies are trying to preserve. Predictions suggest 2027 may see a surprising continuation of this joy, with new cars or upcoming generations clinging to the manual gearbox, from Japanese sports cars to Bugatti's hypercars. The clutch, it seems, has not refused to die after all — it's gearing up for another round of life.