The new mid-engine Aston Martin Vanquish looks
likely to be sold with a manual transmission. While speaking with Car Sales,
Aston Martin chief executive Andy Palmer was asked whether the new Vanquish
would get a stick-shift. While he didn’t specifically say ‘yes’, it seems as
though he wants to see the option of a manual.
High-performance cars have been moving away from
manual transmissions in recent years in the pursuit of quicker acceleration and
faster lap times. The previous-generation Aston Martin Vanquish was sold
exclusively with a 6-speed automatic in its early years, though from 2014
onwards an 8-speed auto became the default transmission.
While it may seem a little odd to introduce a stick
shift on a car like the Vanquish, Aston Martin has made no secret of the fact
that the new Vanquish will be much faster and more driver-focused than previous
iterations. Offering the vehicle with a stick-shift would also make it stand
out against rivals such as the McLaren 720S and Ferrari F8 Tributo that are
dual-clutch only.
That’s about as high as manuals will go, though:
when Palmer was quizzed about whether the Valhalla hypercar could also be sold
with a manual, he responded that “no, now that car will only come with a
paddleshift transmission.” The new Vanquish will utilize an aluminum platform and a
twin-turbocharged V6 with a small electric motor, and while the company hasn’t
said how much grunt it will have, something in the vicinity of 800 HP or so
seems quite reasonable.
