When Chevrolet introduced the C8 Corvette, it was missing one major thing: a manual transmission. It was the first time in the car’s 67-year history that it lacked the option, but Chevy isn't concerned about offering it again.
In an episode of The Drive’s The Drivecast podcast, Corvette chief engineer Tony Roma explained that the automaker had to ditch the manual in the C8 because of cost. For over 20 years, from the C5 through the C7, Chevy used the "same manual transmission architecture" that it "slowly developed over like 30 years." He said:
