9) 2010 Honda CR-Z
Okay, the CR-Z didn’t do anything to reinvent either manual or automatic gearboxes. But it’s noteworthy for being one of the tiny handful of full-hybrid cars with a regular six-speed manual transmission. Enough to make up for its sluggish performance and unusable back seats? Judging by the teeny sums commanded by them now in the classifieds, no. Which does at least make these a proper second-hand bargain.
10) 2022 Koenigsegg CC850
The most complex transmission on this list? Almost certainly. The CC850 arrived as a 20th birthday present to Koenigsegg, and thus, boss Christian von Koenigsegg threw copious gifts at it. Alongside a twin-turbo 5.0-litre V8 with comfortably over a thousand horsepower was its nine different gearbox ratios, channelled through a gorgeous open-gated manual ‘stick with six indents. Huh?
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Each time you change drive mode, you get a new set of ratios to better suit your purpose—so Track mode is aggressive, Normal more civilised, and so on. It’s all made possible by ditching a regular clutch, to the point you can snick it all into a nine-speed automatic mode when you’re at a lower ebb and just want to trundle home. “There is sort of a direct hydraulic link from the clutch pedal to the clutches,” says CvK. “There are six clutches—but when you move the clutch pedal, it’s exactly one-to-one of pressure on these clutches like you use in a manual.”
11) 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
A car that’s arguably as pioneering as the PDK Porsche in part one, Hyundai’s N division magicians pulled a masterstroke the day they rubber-stamped a simulated eight-speed ‘box for their first all-electric hot hatch. The Ioniq 5 N does, under interrogation, feel contrived in how it delivers its fun. But apportioning its 650bhp with paddleshifters (and an accompanying, ‘i30 N at full hilt’ soundtrack) is a joyous anchor point in a car that might otherwise hold the power to bamboozle. Keep scrolling, and you’ll see everyone else was inspired, too.
“Hyundai is a great company for letting you play around without the management saying ‘come on, this doesn’t make sense,’” says Alexander Eichler, an engineering exec at Hyundai’s European HQ. “Having fun. That’s the clear strategy. It’s a nice playground for us.”
The system has since made its way into the Kia EV6 GT, various Genesis SUVs and the new Ioniq 6 N saloon, which enjoys a new, yet more aggressive tune. Happy days.
12) 2025 Lexus RZ550e
Clamber into the upper echelons of the RZ electric crossover range, and your jaw will first be floored by its steering wheel yoke. It’s not the only car to offer one, of course, but witnessing one inside an utterly sensible Lexus is a definite surprise. Then you pull away and realise it’ll turn like a classic London cab, all without ever shuffling your hands or moving the wheel at all that much of an angle.
It’s the stubby little paddleshifters behind the wheel we’re interested in, though: like the Hyundai, the engineers have faked the impression of an eight-speed auto, piped in some (less convincing) fake noise, and even programmed it so you bap-bap-bap against the limiter if you don’t quickly get the hang of its very short ratios.
“The idea was born from the desire to play catch ball with the car,” says advanced drivetrain engineer Yoichiro Isami. “I purposefully made it jerky and added sound when it would otherwise be quiet. The system requires a certain amount of skill; it will return both your successes and your mistakes.” In that regard, then, it’s just like a good old manual ‘box…
13) 2025 Honda Prelude
Japanese rival Honda has got in on the act, too. Its next car on this list is the Prelude, the star of an unlikely comeback in 2025 and a name we’ve thoroughly welcomed back onto the scene. Not least when BMW and Mercedes are the only other firms that seem to bother making coupes nowadays.
The good news is all the Civic Type R underpinnings, which ensure it rides and handles fabulously; it really is terrific on a tricky stretch of road. Less thrilling is its regular Civic e:HEV powertrain, which prioritises efficiency far, far more than performance. How very CR-Z. The engineers clearly knew as much and have simulated an S+ eight-speed transmission here, this time with an actual petrol engine to provide the music.
Its ratios are short enough to never truly convince you it’s real (Hyundai got that bit spot on) but it’s a fun system to immerse yourself in, nonetheless. And a welcome glimmer of light that enthusiasts still matter to carmakers.
14) 2026 Honda Super-N
Honda has applied the same thinking to its spunky little Super-N city car, too. Counteracting any sadness this kei-looking electric car isn’t technically kei-sized (only just, mind) is the fitment of a faked seven-speed transmission which uses regen to simulate engine braking and, unlike the Prelude above, lets you bash merrily into the limiter. Which you might regularly do given its teeny ‘rev counter’ display.
“It’s a gimmick, yes, but it’s good clean fun and really does set the Super-N apart from its teeny EV rivals,” says TopGear.com stalwart Greg Potts.
15) 2026 Porsche Taycan E-Shift
Yup, 2026 really is the era in which Porsche takes its inspiration from Hyundai. The situation is far more nuanced, of course, and it’s hardly an old three-cylinder diesel Accent they’ve stripped down in the hunt for ideas. The Taycan is the original fun EV, of course, and ignoring its wavering used values, it continues to be a beacon for all other electric cars to look up to. Its latest nip ‘n’ tuck has seen Porsche offer eight virtual gears, synthesised sound and a lovely big rev counter to its plug-in saloon.
Our first go suggests it exhibits even greater polish than the Ioniq’s, too, with more physicality fizzing through the car as you shift up and down while maximum performance is still available if you’re driving it properly (the torque-limiting tricks of these systems might typically slow the car down). It’s a three-grand option, or standard on the Taycan Turbo S. A no-brainer, surely…
NOTE: This story first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
