According to the Corvette Chief Engineer, “it’s a dying industry.”
Although it might not surprise many, Corvette chief engineer Tadge Jechter confirmed to Motor Authority what most expected: The 2020 Corvette Stingray won’t get a manual gearbox option. Juechter replied that a row-yourself gearbox would not be coming to the C8.
Motor1.com reported that Chevrolet had responded to Motor1.com stating, “We have nothing to add other than confirming that the 8 speed DCT is the only transmission available on the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.”
Although the news is disappointing for some, it’s not surprising. Jeuchter stated that manual transmissions have a very low take rate. He also said that Porsche’s success in introducing manual transmissions to the GT3 was proof of its ability to do so. However, the engineer did not believe the same would happen for Corvette.
The C8’s automatic shifting mechanism is located in a tight package, just a few centimeters from the infotainment wheel. It would take a lot of effort to redesign the section to allow for a manual box.
Tremec developed the 8-speed dual-clutch C8 in collaboration with Tremec. This is a first for Corvette. The Stingray can reach 60 mph in three seconds when it is equipped with the performance exhaust. Chevrolet explained last week that the first gear was for acceleration runs and gears 2-6 are for track use. Seventh and eighth aim for fuel efficiency. Although it lacks the traditional driving experience of a manual transmission, the dual clutch transmission is one key ingredient that makes the C8 such an incredible performance car, even in its base form.