Manual Transmission Offered on 2017 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S
The recent trend from automakers is to build cars that require less and less interaction from the driver, but Aston Martin is marching to the beat of its own drum by offering a 7-speed manual transmission on the 2017 V12 Vantage S.
Director of Product Development, Ian Minards said: “We’re all enthusiasts here at Aston Martin. Building cars that offer something exceptional is what we do. Technology drives us forward, but we understand the importance of tradition. The true purist will always hanker for the tactility and connection offered by a manual transmission, so it has been a real pleasure to offer just that in our fastest and most focused model. At a time when manual transmissions have almost entirely disappeared in high performance cars this makes the manual V12 Vantage S a very special car indeed”.
“Special” might be an understatement because allowing customers to command a 565 horsepower 6.0-liter engine with three pedals and a stick puts the 2017 V12 Vantage S into a space that’s historically been occupied by just a few cars, like the beastly Dodge Viper.
Limited to only 100 examples in North America, the 7-speed manual transmission features a dog-leg first gear position, placing the remaining — and most frequently used — gears in a double-H pattern. Rev-matching is available through a driver selectable AMSHIFT mode, and also allows for no-lift up-shifting — keep your foot planted on the throttle as you bang through the gears.
And purists everywhere can rest easy knowing that Aston Martin’s manual transmissions aren’t going away any time soon. Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer said: “Broadening the scope of the V12 Vantage S with a manual transmission option is an indication of our desire to offer the keenest drivers a more analogue and immersive machine to enjoy. 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.”
