Will Lexus Actually Build a Manual Sports Car?

Making a Comeback?

Like the V8 engine (not to mention the V10, V12, etc), the manual transmission has also been seemingly dying a slow death in recent years, appearing in fewer and fewer vehicles as time goes by. The reason behind this is simple - not many people want manual gearboxes anymore, and modern automatics shift far quicker than we humans can. But that apparently doesn't mean we won't see a row-your-own Lexus model in the future at some point, as Koji Sato, president of Lexus International, told Top Gear in a recent interview.

Photos: Lexus

Seeking Engagement

Sato, it seems, wants to capture the fun of driving a manual transmission-equipped ICE vehicle in Lexus' future EVs, which seems like a daunting task, but one worth pursuing, regardless. "It's a hobby of mine, a crazy thing," he said. "I'm looking for better engagement, even in an EV, I want another link from the car to the driver. It's not just about efficiency. I love cars and want something different."

Photos: Lexus

Multiple Gears

EVs typically don't use multi-gear transmissions because of their efficiency in terms of producing linear power across the entire rev range, meaning that a single gear is good enough to get them from a standstill to their top speed. However, EVs also tend to lose steam at higher RPMs, which is why some - like the Porsche Taycan - employ multi-speed gearboxes.

Photos: Lexus

In the Works

"Vehicle response is one of the advantages of the e-motor, the sudden torque is a very unique character with a BEV - the driver can expect a quicker reaction to their input," Sato said. Thus, that's precisely why he's tinkering around with the idea of using a multi-speed transmission in the production version of the luxury brand's yet-to-be-named Electrified Sport Concept.

Photos: Lexus

Leg Up

The trick here is to simulate the feel of a manual transmission using software, which is a daunting task, but perhaps a doable one. And if Lexus manages to pull it off, they would have a big leg up on the competition in terms of producing an EV that offers the same sort of engagement that we enthusiasts covet. 

Photos: Lexus

Carrying the Torch

The electric LFA successor will reportedly do 0-60 in in the low two-second range and travel 435 miles on a charge thanks to solid-state batteries, but it will also reportedly handle like a dream, too. It would certainly carry the torch left behind by the beloved LFA, and that's precisely what Lexus wants as it enters the brave new era of electrification.

Photos: Lexus

Proper Halo

"I really want this car to be a halo, a showcase for the future of Lexus driving dynamics, to express the overall Lexus driving signature," Sato said. Whether or not that means going back to the past with a row-your-own gearbox, well, that remains to be seen.

Photos: Lexus

>>Join the conversation about Lexus's potential manual sports car right here at ClubLexus.com.

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