Does the Manual Gearbox Make This Aston Extra Special?
The Aston Martin Vantage AMR is a wonderful car to look at. It’s futuristic and handsome while still harkening back to all of Aston’s rich heritage. There’s something else to like about this car, though. It comes with a manual transmission as well as the 503 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque. The vehicle is a true force to be reckoned with.
Henry Catchpole of Carfection recently had a chance to take a go in the car and he did so in some truly beautiful wooded areas with roads winding through them. While he discusses the power, the 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds, and the top speed of 200 mph, he also discusses how the manual transmission works in this car.
He discusses the weight of the old transmission and how the new manual one was added and torque actually decreased because Aston didn’t want to have to add in a bunch of beefier parts a weigh the car down. He also said that the manual gearbox necessitated some other adjustments like a different stiffness in the suspension, the addition of a mechanical limited-slip differential instead of the electronic one, and because of that some stiffer anti-roll bars. It’s not just popping in a manual gearbox. The car had to be recalibrated so that the manual worked. Then there’s the fact that the Mercedes-sourced engine had never had a manual attached to it.
Overall, Catchpole seems to really enjoy the car. The seven-speed manual sounds like a unique piece of equipment, and he said that it takes a little getting used to. One thing he said was that the gear knob is ugly. He’s not wrong. You can watch his full review below.
