GM Said It Won't Build Another Corvette With A Manual Transmission

If you’re still holding out hope for a manual C8 Corvette, it’s time to let go. Chevrolet just made it clear that the mid-engine Corvette is staying automatic.

Speaking at the 12 Hours of Sebring, Chief Corvette Engineer Tony Roma addressed the long-running rumors about a potential manual transmission for the C8—and shut them down directly. Speculation surrounding a three-pedal C8 picked up last year after Tremec showed off a six-speed manual reportedly compatible with the C8 at SEMA.

Given that Tremec already designed the Corvette’s eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, it didn’t seem like a stretch. But according to Roma, that reveal doesn't square Corvette's reality.

“Tremec showed something at SEMA that I wish they hadn’t,” Roma said during a Q&A session following the C8 Grand Sport's reveal just before the green flag in Sebring. "When people say, but there's one [a manual transmission] that's available. There isn't. It's not real. We don't have any plans to talk about a manual transmission."

Chevrolet is standing squarely behind the current setup. Roma emphasized that the Corvette is both faster and better overall with the DCT than it would be with a manual. "All I can say is our our 8-speed DCT is tremendous. It's awesome. The car is faster and essentially better with the transmission we make."

There’s also a business case behind the decision. According to Corvette vehicle chief engineer Josh Holder, demand for manual transmissions had already dwindled by the end of the C7 generation.

AutoGuide's Take:

The lack of a manual hasn’t hurt the C8’s success. In fact, quite the opposite. Chevrolet has consistently moved more than 30,000 Corvettes annually in recent years—figures the previous C7 generation only managed at its peak. Even in 2025, when sales dipped slightly to around 24,500 units, the Corvette still comfortably outsold rivals like the Porsche 911 in the U.S.

New high-performance variants like the Z06, ZR1, and ZR1X have kept interest pegged top of mind and company profit margins fat. In today’s high-performance segment, dual-clutch and automatic transmissions dominate because they deliver faster shifts, better lap times, and improved efficiency—do you think the ZR1X is going sub-seven minutes around the Nurburgring with a 6-speed row-it-yourself job? No shot.

But who cares—engagement is engagement, and as cars become faster and faster, there seem to be louder demands for a visceral connection between a driver and their car through those three little pedals. It's definitely not faster, or better, or optimized, but it makes people feel good, it distracts them from the mundane and quiets the sound and fury that bombards us totally and completely without discrimination every minute of the modern day.

Basically, what Tony is saying is that if you want a manual Corvette you should just go buy an older one, because GM isn't interested in your business right now. The manual has been relegated to the realm of gold-chain wearing guys and Corvettes with round taillights.

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