Manual Transmissions May Be Better For Your Brain Than Automatics

A Disappearing Skill

Manual transmissions have become increasingly rare over the past decade. Automatics have taken over the showroom floor, leaving the stick shift clinging to a few sports cars and budget rides for die-hard fans. Even Ferrari, of all brands, just rolled out a 12Cilindri with a manual (sort of) – proof that the three-pedal faithful aren’t extinct just yet.

For most of us, driving stick is all about being in the moment. Nailing a gear change, blipping the throttle, and dancing on the clutch pedal – these are things an automatic just can’t fake. But it turns out there might be another reason to love the manual life.

Japanese researchers now say that rowing your own gears could actually keep your brain sharper, and maybe even help fend off dementia. So yes, all that extra thinking and coordination isn’t just fun – it’s a legit brain exercise.

Shifting Gears Keeps the Brain Busy

The research comes from Professor Ryuta Kawashima of Tohoku University’s Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), where he serves as director. Kawashima is widely recognized as the neuroscientist behind Nintendo’s popular Brain Age and Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training series, which introduced millions of players to cognitive exercises.

Best Car reports that Kawashima’s team put drivers in both manual and automatic cars, then checked out what was happening upstairs. The verdict? Manuals light up the prefrontal cortex – the part of your brain that handles memory, focus, and making fast decisions – way more than automatics do.

“You have to judge and then pick the optimal gear according to the situation, and this puts a better load on the brain’s cognitive functions than driving a passive automatic transmission car,” said Kawashima, as quoted by Best Car.

Driving stick means you’re always on your toes – scanning traffic, picking the right gear, juggling the clutch, shifter, gas, and steering, all at once. It’s a full-body, full-brain workout compared to just slapping an automatic into Drive and cruising.

Fun Today, Healthier Tomorrow?

Kawashima thinks that driving anything with gears – manual cars, motorcycles, you name it – can seriously help keep your mind focused. With more people aging in Japan and beyond, finding ways to keep their brains busy is a big deal.

Interestingly, Kawashima isn’t just a brain expert – he’s a serious biker, too. He regularly takes his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R for a blast through the twisties near Mt. Zao and even hits the track with it. He loves the thrill, but he’s big on safety, saying the risks make riders own their choices.

Nobody’s saying driving stick is a magic bullet for dementia, or the only way to keep your brain firing. Gaming, picking up new activities, working out, and hanging with friends all help, too. But Kawashima’s research gives gearheads another reason to keep fighting for three pedals. Manuals might be rare, but maybe they’re worth more than just a good time behind the wheel.