With most car news being a bit depressing (more screens, more weight, more batteries, more rows of seats), we are finally getting something to give us hope.
The future may not be fully as soulless as previously predicted.
Honda is not going to give up on manual transmission cars after all.
Honda’s complicated past with the Civic Si
Honda depressed everybody in July 2026 when it paused two of its models that happened to have manual transmission: the 2027 Honda Civic Si and the Acura Integra A-Spec. At the time, it seemed like Honda was accepting the fate of manual cars and focusing on its more boring vehicles.
Honda claimed it was “due to evolving business conditions.” It’s the fourth time Honda paused production of the Civic Si despite being proud of the vehicle’s impact on the sport compact segment.
“The Honda Civic Si has set the standard for affordable performance for four decades, and the all-new next-generation Civic Si will carry that tradition forward for enthusiast drivers when it returns to the Honda lineup,” said Lance Woelfer, Vice President of Auto Sales at American Honda Motor Co., Inc., during the latest pause.
While it was a bit of a bummer, Honda did claim that it would “return to the Honda lineup in the coming years.”
Honda confirms it’s returning
At the IndyCar Freedom 250 race in Washington D.C., The Drive got further confirmation of this. American Honda VP of Auto Sales, Lance Woelfer, discussed the state of manual transmission in the country.
It’s not very good.
“It continues to be a smaller and smaller portion of the market that gets excited about the manual, and that will probably continue to shrink, honestly,” Woelfer said to a press panel. “But because they’re fun-to-drive, we can continue to have models like the Civic Si or the Integra or the Type R that offer [the manual]. But we don’t see [it] growing.”
While there is “very little demand,” Honda doesn’t want to give up. It currently has the Civic Type R and the Integra Type S. And it seems the other two will make a comeback eventually. Maybe 2028.
American Honda CEO Eiji Fujimura wasn’t fully certain what the automaker had in store for its manual cars, including the Civic Si and Integra A-Spec. But he did add that they are always thinking about driving enthusiasts and “their dreams.”
Not sure if it’s my dream to drive a Civic Si, but I do appreciate the sentiment.
How many manual transmission are left in the United States?
In 2026, there are only about 25 new cars that offer manual transmission. I think I read once that’s about 3% of cars, but it sounds like it’s even a smaller percentage than that.
Most are drivers cars, like the BMW M2, M3, and M4, the Acura Integra Type S, the Lotus Emira, Porsche 911, Mazda MX-5 Miata, and Subaru WRX. But there are also a few more common vehicles, like the Ford Mustang (the best-selling sports car of 2025), Jeep Wrangler, and Toyota Tacoma.
But with electric vehicles falling out of fashion in the United States (for now), maybe we’ll see more make a comeback going forward. Well, unless you ask Woelfer.
