There’s not much missing from the modern Chevrolet Corvette C8. From the base model to the hybrid E-Ray and the record-breaking ZR1X, it delivers stupendous performance for the money. Throw in exotic-car looks and supreme grip and handling, and there’s not much to complain about—except if you want a manual. The Corvette C8 has only ever been offered with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, but rumors of a Tremec manual have floated around for some time. Tony Roma, Chief Corvette Engineer, has quickly shut down those rumors at this year’s 12 Hours of Sebring.

No Manual Corvette Is Coming

At SEMA last year, transmission specialist Tremec revealed a six-speed manual transmission that can be equipped to the Corvette C8. Tremec already manufactures the eight-speed DCT in the C8, so this only raised hopes that a manual Corvette could become a reality.

“Tremec showed something at SEMA last year that I wish they wouldn’t have shown. It’s not real,” said Roma at a Q&A session held at the Sebring International Raceway. “We don’t have any plans to talk about a manual transmission. I love manual transmissions. All I can say is our eight-speed DCT is tremendous. The car is faster and essentially better with the transmission we make.”

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Roma was answering questions alongside Josh Holder, Vehicle Corvette Chief Engineer, who was completely transparent about why the C8 has no manual. “We are in a for-profit business. We make Corvettes so all you guys can enjoy the affordability and attainability of America’s supercar," said Holder. "But one of the things that makes that true is making good business decisions. And, at the end of the seventh generation lifecycle, the penetration rate of manuals was super low. The market was voting with their wallets and we didn’t get enough votes.”

It couldn’t be any clearer than that, so if you want a manual Corvette, it’ll have to be one of the previous-generation models.

Corvette C8 Sales Still Strong

Despite not having the option of a manual gearbox, sales of the C8-generation Corvette have consistently been higher than the C7, which was available with a seven-speed manual. Chevy has regularly sold over 30,000 Corvette C8s annually over the last few years, something the C7 last achieved back in 2015. The C8 typically outsells rivals like the

Corvette C8 Won’t Get a Manual—Here’s Why