When Manual Transmission Enthusiasts Are Still High

Toyota GR Supra 2023. (Doc. Toyota)

The trend of car transmission depends on the geographic area, type of car, and market demand. However, globally, automatic transmission has now become more common than manual transmission, especially in the passenger car and SUV segments.

In some developed markets such as the United States and Europe, the use of manual transmission has decreased over time, and the majority of cars sold are equipped with automatic transmission.

However, some performing cars still offer manual transmission options, especially to meet the needs of car enthusiasts who prioritize interactive driving experiences.

Toyota GR Supra, for example, in the end had to give in to fans who claimed that manual transmission provided them with closer ties to the driven car and finally Toyota provided manual transmission for the 2023 model.

So, when it first announced Supra's return in 2019, Toyota only provided manual transmission options. However, protests from persistent fans managed to convince this automaker to include a three- pedal option, and recent data suggest that this step is true.

Toyota GR Supra can be considered one of the success stories of this spirit, as nearly half of all buyers choose manual transmission options, as reported by Road & Track, August 15.

According to the report, since manual transmission was introduced to models in 2023, 47 percent or about 1,216 Supra units have been sold, whereas manual transmission is only available on more expensive models with 3.0 liter engines.

Meanwhile, a similar incident was also experienced by the 2024 Ford Mustang, which has two transmission options using a manual 6 transmission V8 machine and an automatic acceleration of 10 accelerations.

Ford, quoted from Carscoops, August 16, has received more than 13,000 orders for this seventh-generation Mustang 2024 and a quarter of its buyers chose manual transmission.

Analysts estimate the high interest of fans in the 2024 Mustang is due to the future of combustion engines (not just uncertain V8) and the fear that it could be the end of an era, has prompted buyers to order V8-powered 2024 Mustangs in droves.

To note, the Ford Mustang is now the sole player in the "pony car" car segment, as its main competitors, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger, have stopped production.