The manual transmission is dying. Pick your reason: improved technology in automatic gearboxes, (lazy) driver preferences, cost-cutting or the onset of electric and (potentially) self-driving cars. But the result is the same: the manual transmission has never been less relevant than it is today. Things look so bleak that an uptick to 1.7 percent of all car purchases being manual gearbox models in 2023 was viewed as a sign of optimism.
There were some important wins for manuals in 2023. Acura kept one in the Integra Type S. Toyota added one for the Supra, and BMW added a stick option for its Z4 counterpart. The all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma kept its manual for the new generation (although after driving both versions, I’d say you should probably select the automatic).
But the string of crushing losses for the stick shift still continued unabated. Here are the manual transmission options buyers lost this year.
Chevrolet Camaro
The Camaro no longer offers a manual because Chevy no longer offers a Camaro. Production of the sixth-generation model ended in December 2023.
