See, there are a handful of attributes the automotive community praises to no end. For instance, gearheads would take a naturally-aspirated engine over a powerful forced-induction four-cylinder engine that's junk any day. Others have a specific brand preference, for example, Ford. They reckon that there is a cluster of classic Fords that'll soon be worth a fortune. Yet again, this is somewhat of a subjective matter.
A matter on which the entire car world agrees is that a manual transmission is much more fun than an automatic one. Sure, it might not be quite as quick or consistent, but then again, the satisfaction you get when rowing through your own gears is like no other.
That brings us to our topic of discussion today, supercars with manual transmission. Finding a stickshift supercar in the modern world is as difficult as it is to find a European car immune to depreciation. So, let's get right into it!
10 Lamborghini Murciélago
The word Murciélago is Spanish for "bat", and once you know that, you can't unsee the true menacing beauty of the Lamborghini Murciélago. Beauty aside, the Murciélago has much more reasons why it's one of the most beloved Lambos of all time. In 2001, the stunning Murciélago rolled out the factory floor with a naturally-aspirated 572-hp 6.2-liter V12 strapped behind the driver's head.
Of course, it had a manual gearbox, but this wasn't any ordinary standard transmission. No, the Lamborghini Murciélago had a gated manual gearbox, meaning it was partially exposed and had a mechanical feel to it.
9 Ferrari Enzo
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That's right ladies and gentlemen. Way back when, before Ferraris like the 296 GTB came with powerful V6 engines, Ferraris were naturally-aspirated monsters with stickshift transmissions. The Enzo is hands down the golden child... after all, it's named after Ferrari's founding father, Enzo.
The Enzo engulfed a striking 6.0-liter V12 that churned out 651 hp and 484 lb-ft of torque. In turn, this was enough to catapult the Enzo from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds.
8 Lamborghini Miura
Of course, standard transmissions will be more common in older cars, but it's still a miracle that a traditional 5-speed gearbox appeared in a car as important as the Miura. See, the Lamborghini Miura was one of the world's first supercars ever, if not the very first.
The Miura featured a mid-mounted 6.0-liter V12 engine with 350 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. In today's day and age, those figures might sound pitiful, but back in the day, this 2,851-lb masterpiece ran up to 172 mph and could clock in a 0-60 time of just 6.7 seconds. Not half bad for a car from the '60s.
7 Ford GT
There are very few cars as visceral and unforgiving as the Ford GT. Although the modern Ford GT appoints a twin-turbocharged V6, the 2000s Ford GT made use of a surreal supercharged 5.4-liter V8 that put out 493 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque.
Complementing that insane power figure was a lack of traction control, a bare-bones interior, and a 6-speed manual gearbox. Keeping this rear-wheel-drive supercar in a straight line is a task that sounds much simpler than it really is.
6 McLaren F1
To this day, the McLaren F1 remains one of the most prestigious automobiles ever built. Its over-engineered BMW-sourced naturally-aspirated 6.0-liter V12 generated 618 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque. On top of that, it weighed just 2,509 lbs, and every ounce of power got translated to the rear wheels.
As a result, the McLaren F1 broke the production car speed record by achieving a top speed of 241 mph - a record that still stands regarding naturally-aspirated vehicles. And to think this supercar came with a stickshift shoved in between the three-seat configuration of the cockpit.
5 Audi R8 V10
Although the outgoing Audi R8 never sported a manual transmission, the first generation did, and it was one of a kind. Much like the aforementioned Murciélago, the first-gen Audi R8 had a gated stickshift gearbox showcased in the center of its interior.
This generation Audi R8 came with either a mid-mounted 4.2-liter V8 or a 5.2-liter V10, but for the purposes of this list, we'll only be shining a light on the latter. The naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10 generated up to 518 hp, which when coupled with Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system allowed the Audi R8 V10 to reach 60 mph from a standstill in 4 seconds flat.
4 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0
To this day, Porsche offers their 911 range with a standard transmission, but one specific 911 shines above the rest, the 997-generation GT3 RS 4.0. As its name suggests, this GT3 RS contained a naturally-aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six that was good for 493 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque.
Contributing to its race car prowess was a rear wing, front canards, revised suspension setup, lightweight chassis, and of course, its 6-speed stickshift gearstick.
3 Koenigsegg CCX
The second most dangerous car on our list is the Koenigsegg CCX. Not only will you most likely spin out driving through mundane traffic with the CCX, but even the legendary Stig from Top Gear did too.
Its vicious personality is thanks to a rear-mounted supercharged 4.7-liter V8 engine that puts out 795 hp and 678 lb-ft of torque. In turn, this means that the Koenigsegg CCX can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, and dash past the quarter-mile in under 10 seconds... that is if you can keep all four wheels on the tarmac.
2 Pagani Zonda C12
The Pagani Zonda C12 is another one of those cars that left an impression on every single one of us, no matter our age. In the year 2000, Pagani showed the world that Ferrari and Lamborghini aren't the only Italian supercar makers who mean business anymore.
They borrowed a 394-hp V12 engine from Mercedes-AMG and stuck it in the middle of its chassis. This allowed for optimal track performance, and the 6-speed standard transmission just added to the Zonda's fun.
1 Porsche Carrera GT
Hands down, the Porsche Carrera GT is the most savage car on our list today. It's been ruthlessly involved in endless accidents and was even responsible for fatal ones surrounding popular Hollywood stars such as the beloved Paul Walker.
Its merciless persona exists due to its lack of stability control, and its dangerous, yet rewarding mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive setup. The engine found in the Porsche Carrera GT is a naturally-aspirated 5.7-liter V10 that pumps out 604 hp and 435 lb-ft of torque. In the hands of an inexperienced diver, the stickshift Carrea GT is a weapon capable of wreaking havoc wherever it goes.
Sources: Ultimate Specs, Car and Driver