If you’re a driver who isn’t part of Gen Z or the younger generations, chances are your first driving lessons involved a manual transmission. You probably remember the anxiety of balancing the clutch and throttle, the embarrassment of stalling at a busy intersection, or the panic of rolling backward on an uphill road after releasing the clutch too quickly.

For decades, carmakers have worked to eliminate those frustrations. Automatic transmissions became smarter, clutch pedals gradually disappeared, and electric vehicles arrived with no gears to shift and no engines to stall.

Toyota, however, appears to be exploring the opposite direction.

A recently published patent filing reveals a system that could allow future electric vehicles to mimic one of the most dreaded experiences of driving a manual-transmission car, which is stalling the engine. The irony, of course, is that the vehicle in question wouldn’t even have an engine to stall.

The patent builds on Toyota’s ongoing efforts to recreate the feel of a traditional manual transmission in an EV. The system includes a Bluetooth clutch pedal, a Bluetooth gear shifter, Bluetooth gear ratios, and simulated engine speed, all designed to make an electric vehicle behave more like a conventional ICE stick-shift car. I’m saying “Bluetooth” in the sense that none of these actually function like those found in a traditional manual transmission vehicle.

According to the filing, the vehicle could react to incorrect clutch operation or gear selection by cutting motor torque and simulating the sensation of an engine stall. In some situations, it could even behave as if it had completely stalled despite being powered by an electric motor.

This concept isn’t entirely new. Toyota previously showcased a simulated manual-transmission system on a Lexus EV prototype, complete with a clutch pedal and gear lever. The latest patent suggests the company is continuing to refine the idea in pursuit of a more engaging driving experience.

Toyota’s reasoning is straightforward. Drivers who grew up with manual transmissions expect certain behaviors from a vehicle, and the company believes replicating those characteristics could make EVs feel more familiar and enjoyable. For younger drivers who have never driven a stick shift, feeling the same way is another question altogether.

Now, before anyone starts worrying about stalling an EV at a traffic light, it’s worth noting that this remains a patent filing. Automakers routinely patent technologies that never reach production, and Toyota has yet to announce any plans to commercialize the system.

Toyota clearly believes there is still an appetite for the involvement and satisfaction that comes with driving a manual transmission, and many enthusiasts, a.k.a. older-generation drivers, would agree.

But if manufacturers already knew that drivers truly miss clutch pedals and gear shifters, here’s a suggestion: keep offering manual cars instead of recreating the experience through software. After all, the appeal of a manual isn’t pretending to stall an EV. It’s knowing there’s a real gearbox, a real clutch, and an engine that can actually quit if you get it wrong.

Then again, this is only a patent filing, for now.