Photo: Aston Martin
Two years ago, Andy Palmer had something interesting to say at the introduction of the manual-equipped V12 Vantage S. Here goes: “I'd like to take this opportunity to reiterate that the manual gearbox remains an integral part of our product plans and will do for many years to come.” Pretty clear stuff from the CEO, right?
The first Second Century platform-based Aston Martin to get a stick shift, as you found out from the headline, is the V8 Vantage. Estimated time of arrival? “At least 12 months away.” More to the point, beyond April 2019 is when the manual 'box will be added to the V8 Vantage as an option.
Speaking to CarBuzz.com, Matthew Clarke said that the stick shift “is in our plans,” albeit the marketing & communications manager for Aston Martin North America didn’t go into detail. For reference, the V2 Vantage S mentioned above boasts a 7-speed transmission of the dog-leg type.
Being animated by the M177, it’s just as hard to make a case for a Mercedes-sourced transmission considering that no AMG equipped with the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 is available with one. The AE31 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 in the DB11 relies on an 8-speed automatic from ZF Friedrichshafen, not the AMG Speedshift MCT 9-speed multi-clutch automatic found in the E63.
Whatever the future holds for the V8 Vantage, Aston Martin didn’t forget to cater to the needs of the driving-centric customer pool. If the engineers go ahead with an upgraded version of the dog-leg manual from the V12 Vantage S, expect the clutch to be on the heavy side. The dog-leg arrangement also takes some time to get used to because the gears aren’t where you’d normally find them in a conventional-pattern manual.
Selecting first and the shifts from second to third and fourth to fifth are the strong points of the dog-leg manual. This arrangement is desirable in racing scenarios because more frequent shifting occurs from second to third and fourth to fifth and vice versa with added heel-and-toe.
On that note, Aston Martin isn’t done with the Vantage just yet. After the transmission, the Roadster and V12 will follow suit. The 3.0-liter M256 inline-six from the CLS 53 is also considered, though a bit later on in the Vantage’s life cycle.
Speaking to CarBuzz.com, Matthew Clarke said that the stick shift “is in our plans,” albeit the marketing & communications manager for Aston Martin North America didn’t go into detail. For reference, the V2 Vantage S mentioned above boasts a 7-speed transmission of the dog-leg type.
Being animated by the M177, it’s just as hard to make a case for a Mercedes-sourced transmission considering that no AMG equipped with the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 is available with one. The AE31 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 in the DB11 relies on an 8-speed automatic from ZF Friedrichshafen, not the AMG Speedshift MCT 9-speed multi-clutch automatic found in the E63.
Whatever the future holds for the V8 Vantage, Aston Martin didn’t forget to cater to the needs of the driving-centric customer pool. If the engineers go ahead with an upgraded version of the dog-leg manual from the V12 Vantage S, expect the clutch to be on the heavy side. The dog-leg arrangement also takes some time to get used to because the gears aren’t where you’d normally find them in a conventional-pattern manual.
Selecting first and the shifts from second to third and fourth to fifth are the strong points of the dog-leg manual. This arrangement is desirable in racing scenarios because more frequent shifting occurs from second to third and fourth to fifth and vice versa with added heel-and-toe.
On that note, Aston Martin isn’t done with the Vantage just yet. After the transmission, the Roadster and V12 will follow suit. The 3.0-liter M256 inline-six from the CLS 53 is also considered, though a bit later on in the Vantage’s life cycle.
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