MANUAL TRANSMISSION CONVERSION

Sports and performance cars were generally always only available with manual transmissions because the automatic alternatives were woefully slow at changing gears and provided no driving engagement whatsoever. The lack of a clutch meant that enthusiastic drivers could not heel and toe the car to rev match, and a combination of these factors robbed the driver of the feeling they were really ‘driving’ the car. There is something very rewarding about hustling an older car along to its ultimate pace using a deft combination of performance engineering and human skill.

In the early 1990s, Ferrari successfully developed a semi-automatic transmission for its Formula 1 cars, and by the mid-90s, every car on the grid was using similar technology. It was also Ferrari who successfully migrated the technology to a road car for the first time, with the F355 F1 debuting in 1997. It’s arguably the most prominent example of a motorsport innovation making the jump to production cars.

There is no doubt that the semi-automatic technology now being used in Ferrari and Lamborghini cars was better suited for performance driving than the previous torque converter-based gearboxes, and the ability to shift via steering wheel-mounted paddles was a novelty that felt very Formula 1.

However, the F1 and E-Gear systems were far from perfect even then, and manual cars were still desirable for the ultimate driver engagement. Fast forward 15 years, and transmission technology had improved no end, with dual-clutch gearboxes taking milliseconds to change gears and auto-blipping engine revs on downshift. This was the start of a new era and a different experience: the PlayStation era!

So to answer the original question, why would you convert an automatic gearbox to a manual? Well, it only really applies to cars that fell into the timeframe we speak about above, where earlier semi-automatic variants deprived an enthusiastic owner of getting the maximum feel and enjoyment out of their car. With manual variants of most supercars having more value than their automatic counterparts, it proves that this opinion is popular.

Of course, if you have ever heard the noise a Ferrari manual shifter makes as it changes gear with the clicking of metal coming together, or felt the break in power of a Lamborghini as it shifts through the gates, followed by a relentless bark from its engine, then it will all make sense.

We have a wealth of experience in converting Ferrari F1 cars to 6-speed gated manuals. Our conversions use a blend of factory genuine parts and remanufactured CNC-machined parts, depending on availability and application. Where genuine parts are no longer available, we stay as close to the original manufacturer’s design as possible. For instance, our Ferrari 599 manual conversion does not use a cable shift mechanism like other kits we have seen, as this cheaper and easier alternative does not provide the same reliability or shift experience for the user. Ferrari produced a very limited run of manual 599 cars, and our conversion kit is so faithful to their original design that parts are interchangeable.

In addition to the mechanical parts needed, a manual conversion Ferrari will require some ECU work to adjust parameters relating to rev blipping and torque requests. SBR Engineering has the necessary software and experience to precisely tune your Ferrari to optimise the manual gearbox conversion, often making it an even better experience than a factory manual car.

We do not supply kits to DIY users or other workshops. Each conversion we perform is on a bespoke basis, to be installed and set up in our workshops. This is because we often find that Ferrari themselves have changed certain components and parts on the assembly line. Each car and each Ferrari manual conversion is unique.

We have converted Lamborghinis from around the world from E-Gear to 6-speed manual transmissions, with cars being shipped in from the USA, Bahrain, and South Africa, to name a few.

We are especially known for our Lamborghini Murcielago manual conversion work, with some experts previously claiming it was not possible.

Our approach to converting these cars from e-gear to manual is unique. We have compiled a comprehensive parts list, with over 130 individual parts needed to complete the conversion. 95% of the parts used are genuine Lamborghini and the 5% of the items which are no longer available from the factory are mainly brackets and fixings, which we have had manufactured to the exact OEM specification.

We also supply and fit a new genuine clutch assembly as part of our conversion.

Additionally, we go further than any other company we know of, changing the internals and exterior casing of the gearbox to factory manual specification and not leaving these items as e-gear variants, which we know other conversions tend to do.

Thanks to this approach, our converted cars drive and perform with the precision and reliability of a factory manual car.

SB Race Engineering are now positioned as the global leaders in Lamborghini Muricelago gated manual conversions, converting cars from all over the world.

We have full IPR authorisation in place, which means cars arriving from overseas can go through customs without any implications of import taxes.

Additionally, SBR Engineering is fully equipped with the latest Lamborghini software, which enables us to precisely tune the ECUs in your car to accept and work correctly with the manual conversion. This is a very important part of the whole process to get the car driving as a factory car would, and often even better.

We do not offer this service in kit form for end users or other specialists; the manual conversion must be carried out in our workshops. We find each car is unique, with parts often fitted on the production line that are from different years and model variants. Therefore, each Lamborghini manual conversion we perform is bespoke for that car.