GM Is Already Pouring Cold Water on Manual C9 Corvette Rumors

The C8 Corvette was a complete rethink, which naturally led to grumbling from people who don’t like change. One of the biggest sticking points with enthusiasts was the lack of a manual transmission. A clutch pedal and shift linkage would have been difficult to package in the mid-engine C8, and the performance and drivability benefits of the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission Chevrolet went with are undeniable. But with manuals making a comeback in limited-edition supercars, maybe there’s an opportunity to make something happen, at least on high-end versions of the Corvette?

Tony Roma, executive chief engineer for the Corvette and performance cars at General Motors, explained on the latest episode of our show The Drivecast why manual-transmission diehards shouldn’t get their hopes up. Like so many other things in the auto industry, it’s mainly an issue of cost.

“When we had C5, C6, and C7, we could use basically the same manual transmission architecture that had been around and slowly developed over like 30 years,” Roma said. “It was mostly paid for; we were doing slight upgrades on it, and it cost reasonable amounts of money to keep it in production.” There’s no such path forward with the C8, as the restrictive packaging of its transaxle layout means that a new gearbox would have to be developed from scratch. And that would be prohibitively expensive.

At SEMA last year, Tremec revealed a six-speed manual transaxle that the transmission specialist claimed could drop right into a C8. At the time, Roma called it something, “I wish they wouldn’t have shown, that is not real”—a claim Tremec denied. In his interview with us, Roma clarified that, while the manual transaxle might have worked, it wasn’t fully homologated for production the way a manual produced by or for GM would have to be. Almost a year after the reveal, we haven’t seen a working prototype installed in a car.

Talking about the resurgence of interest in manual transmissions among supercar buyers, Roma chalked that up to the need for exclusivity. Those buyers want manuals because they’re rare, just as they once coveted DCTs and other automated manuals when they were new and unusual. Speaking as a manual fan, Roma said that’s not enough of a reason to choose one for a future ‘Vette.

“You don’t do it just because you can. You do it because it makes the car better,” Roma said.

To hear the full conversation, click the embed below or listen to The Drivecast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon Music.