Ferrari's new stick-shift hypercar, the 12 Cilindri Manuale, is only a manual transmission in name. Users can operate a clutch, shift gears, even stall the car, but behind the curtain is the car's dual-clutch automatic transmission.For some, this news means the days of the stick Ferrari have returned. Others, however, have decided to keep things as linear and authentic as possible. Speaking to CarBuzzat the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the company's design director, Nathan Malinick, said its buyers want a connection, not something "synthetic."Hennessey"I think, if you look across the board, what our customers want is the drama," said Malinick. "They want the story. They want the experience. They want something that they can connect with a material, authentic connection with the car, not synthetic."AdvertisementAdvertisementIn Malinick's eyes, there isn't a substitute. The company's latest hypercar, the Venom F5-M, features a true six-speed manual transmission. It's hooked up to matters just as much: a 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged "Fury" V8 making 2,031 horsepower (a full 214 more horsepower than originally claimed).The figure makes the American hypercar the third most powerful in the world, and the only one with a six-speed manual. Only the Koenigsegg Gemera, which makes 2,300 hp, and the Rimac Nevera R, which makes 2,107 hp, produce more power."You see a lot of synthetic attempts at like a six-speed or a gated gearbox, and it's cool. But it doesn't compare to a true linked mechanical, you know, clutch-pedal in, first-gear experience. And you throw in all the five senses, like I said – the sound, the smell, the look, the feel. That's what they want," continued Malinick.HennesseyDemand is strong at Hennessey. Over the next year and a half of Venom production, the company will build nothing but manuals. "It's what people want. Everyone wants a manual."AdvertisementAdvertisementDemand for the transmission is sky-high. The company plans to use the transmission in the F5's successor.This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jul 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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