2016: Recently we completed a Ferrari transmission conversion project for a client who bought an F1 Ferrari 575 Maranello, after he was unable to locate a suitable, increasingly-scarce 6-speed manual example. It is not news that many Ferrari enthusiasts are happier driving with a manual transmission vs the steering column mounted ‘paddle shift’ F1 semi-automatic gear-shifting. We were challenged with the assignment to convert the F1 transmission over to traditional manual stick-shift. We were able to locate the necessary parts and custom machined some extras fittings that were needed. End result? A happy customer driving his Ferrari the way Enzo intended. For track driving, F1 shifting is quicker and more efficient. For pleasurable street driving, nothing beats the original manual shifting mechanics. We think it is a shame that more and more manufacturers no longer manufacture models with a manual transmission option.
2024 update: Since this initial blog post publication in 2016 we have had great success converting other Ferraris to 6-speed gated manually shifted transmissions including models: 456, 430, 612, 575 and 599.
2005 Ferrari 599 converted to manually shifted gated 6 speed
2005 Ferrari 599 prior to manually shifted conversion
As the man said: “Real men use 3 pedals.” What do you think?
