--- title: "Honda Will Keep Building Manual Cars Even Though Demand Is Dying, Executive Says" date: "2026-08-25" modified: "2026-08-25" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/honda-will-keep-building-manual-cars-even-though-demand-is-dying-executive-says" categories: - "Car Tech" - "Honda News" - "Manufacturing" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Civic" - "compact" - "honda" - "sedan" --- # Honda Will Keep Building Manual Cars Even Though Demand Is Dying, Executive Says ![]() *\Jerry Perez\* Back in July, Honda announced it'd pause production of [two models with manual transmissions](): the 2027 [Honda]() [Civic]() [Si]() and its fancier sibling, the [Acura]() [Integra]() A-Spec. The move was initially seen as a bit of a death certificate for the fun-to-drive compacts, but the automaker later [clarified]() that the Si will undoubtedly return with the next-generation Civic in 2028—even if it didn't specify it'd do so with a manual. While attending the [IndyCar]() Freedom 250 race in Washington, D.C., American Honda VP of Auto Sales Lance Woelfer shared the current reality of the manual transmission, which isn't exactly great. "It continues to be a smaller and smaller portion of the market that gets excited about the manual, and that will probably continue to shrink, honestly," Woelfer told media, including *The Drive*. "But because they're fun-to-drive, we can continue to have models like the Civic Si or the Integra or the [Type R]() that offer \[the manual\]. But we don't see \[it\] growing. "We see very little \[demand\] going in, but we’re going to have them in the \[assembly\] line. ![]() **Jerry Perez** Currently, Honda offers four models with a manual transmission across its two brands: the Civic Si, a longtime staple of the sporty compact sedan segment that's always catered to enthusiasts. Then there's the Integra with the A-Spec package, which, unlike the Si, offers it as optional equipment. The six-speed manual is also found in the more hardcore versions of those two, the track-ready Civic Type R and spicy Integra Type S. Historically, Honda has remained committed to selling fun-to-drive cars across its lineup, so, given its previous statements that the production pause is merely a hiatus and the comments above, it's safe to assume the next-generation Si will retain the manual. I'd feel less confident about a non-Type S manual Integra, but only time will tell. If it does return, it would also be for the 2028 model year. Following Woelfer's comments, I pivoted to American Honda CEO Eiji Fujimura and asked if he could promise enthusiasts that Honda would continue making manuals for years to come. He gave a less specific but more poetic answer: "Sometimes I need to get back to Soichiro Honda \[on some things\], but we always think about \[the enthusiasts\], and we always think about their dreams." *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()