A manual transmission C8 Corvette has been a white whale ever since Chevrolet unveiled the mid-engine Vette in July 2019. GM said from the get-go that the C8 was not designed for a manual transmission and would not offer one throughout its lifecycle. But then something strange happened.
Exactly one year ago, auto transmission manufacturer Tremec—the supplier of the C8 Corvette’s factory TR-9080 8-speed dual-clutch transmission—brought a C8-compatible 6-speed manual transaxle to the SEMA Show.
It was only a matter of time before someone put the Tremec TR-9060 manual gearbox into a C8 Corvette, and it looks like the first outfit that has accomplished this complex task is Peitz Performance.
The World’s First Manual C8 Corvette Is a Track-Day Racer—For Now
Specializing in high-horsepower aftermarket upgrades, the performance and tuning shop based in Tomball, Texas, is showcasing its manual transmission C8 Corvette at the SEMA Show. Described as the “world’s first manual C8 Corvette,” the show car on display at Tremec’s booth in Las Vegas is a spectacular technical achievement.
Fitting the manual transmission to a C8 Corvette and making it work was an incredibly complex task given that the vehicle was never developed to accommodate a stick shift gearbox. As company founder and owner Alex Peitz told Hot Rod, fitting the TR-9060 was actually the easy part as Tremec had already proved that possible by installing one in the C8 Corvette in November 2025.
The problem was that the C8 Corvette’s electronics, engine management, chassis controls, shift strategy, clutch operation, and other systems were all designed around the factory DCT. Replacing the dual-clutch setup with a manual one meant Peitz Performance had to find solutions for every one of those critical components.
But Alex Peitz said his company was in a unique position to do so because it had already made extensive modifications to C8 Corvettes, including several race car builds, so the entire car had been scanned. That came in handy when the team set about planning the shifter, linkage, clutch pedal, and all the supporting parts.
Porsche-Derived Shifter and Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Clutch Pedal
Peitz Performance used a Porsche shifter as a starting point to build its six-speed manual shifter. For the clutch pedal, they took one from the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing and modified it, adding a pedal stop and hydraulic clutch assist.
The flywheel was custom made by McLeod using the ring and teeth from a C8 flywheel and adding a clutch to the equation—a combination described as working “flawlessly.”
Obviously, the factory electronics had to go so Peitz Performance replaced them with a MoTeC plug-and-play setup designed for the C8 and compatible with restomods, kit cars, and race cars. A MoTeC M182 engine management system controls the engine, while a MoTeC M150 PCM handles the factory DCT control or ignition cuts for upshifting and downshifting with a manual gearbox.
Finally, the manual C8 Corvette prototype also uses the factory C8 wiring harness modified with custom connectors to make the swap easier in late-model Corvettes.
The C8 Manual Swap Costs As Much As a Brand-New 2027 Stingray Coupe
Peitz Performance says the final production unit will work with the factory dash, ABS, power steering, and other stock car systems. And that brings us to the most painful part of the C8 manual swap: pricing.
For now, the world’s first manual C8 Corvette is a track-day racer. Alex Peitz runs it in several series, including Gridlife, as part of the development process. But the end goal is to offer customers a manual conversion for customers to buy with one part number.
A look at Peitz Performance’s website reveals that such a swap is projected to cost a whopping $75,000—roughly the same amount of money that buys you a brand-new 2027 Corvette Stingray Coupe.
