Car enthusiasts have been fighting for decades to preserve manual transmissions, especially in sports cars. These discussions fill forums and social networks, but at the same time, the third pedal is quietly disappearing from small, everyday cars without much fanfare. And while the argument for manual shifting has mostly come down to fun and feeling connected to the car, a study from Japan adds a whole new dimension to the debate. It seems that hands-on driving is much more than fun – it’s also a workout for your brain.
The research was led by a professor Ryuta Kawashimaa neuroscientist who heads the Institute for Development, Aging and Cancer at Tohoku University. Kawashima is not an unknown name in scientific circles. He’s also the man behind Nintendo’s popular Brain Age series of video games, which have sold millions of copies based on the promise that the mind, just like any other muscle, responds to exercise. Now he applied his knowledge to cars.
What a Clutch and Gearbox Do to Your Brain
According to a report carried by Carscoops, the study found that the complex physical and mental process of driving a manual transmission car activates the prefrontal cortex. It is a region of the brain responsible for key functions such as memory, attention and decision-making. Simultaneously monitoring the speed of traffic, pressing the clutch pedal, choosing the right gear with your hand and applying the gas requires coordination and a level of engagement that keeps the driver fully focused from moment to moment.
In a rapidly aging country like Japan, putting such tasks in front of your brain every day functions as a kind of light exercise that you would otherwise skip. Constant stimulation of neural pathways helps preserve cognitive function in a way that passive driving in an automatic or semi-autonomous vehicle simply cannot achieve. While there are opposing views, such as one 2021 study that found no significant difference in cognitive demands between manual and partially automated driving, Kawashima’s research strongly suggests that active participation in driving has measurable benefits.
A globally dying species
Despite the potential benefits for brain health, cars with traditional manual transmissions have become a rarity. In Japan, where the study focused, they account for only one to two percent of new vehicle sales, which makes the dominance of automatics unquestionable. But this is not just a Japanese phenomenon. In the US, the market share of manual transmissions has fallen to just 1.7 percent in 2022. A similar trend is visible in the United Kingdom, where it is predicted that they could completely disappear from the market by the end of the decade.
The main driver of this trend is the growing popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles, which in the vast majority of cases use single-speed or automatic transmissions. Manufacturers such as Mercedes and Volvo have already completely removed manual gearboxes from their range. In Japan, the last bastions of the “three shoes” live at the very bottom of the price list. These are mostly so-called where cars – small vans and pick-ups like the Honda N-Van, Daihatsu Hijet and Suzuki Carry, which are built to be as cheap as possible.
On the other hand, popular models like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic come exclusively with automatic CVT transmissions due to their hybrid powertrains, leaving sporty versions as the only exceptions.