SHIFTY BUSINESS
Aston Martin goes manual
Automakers — especially those trading in supercars — have been in quite a rush to pronounce the manual transmission dead and buried. Convinced that multi-speed automatics, CVTs and double-clutchers are the way to maximize both performance and fuel economy, they want to relegate the traditional clutch-and-gear-lever transmission to the same museum shelves as drum brakes and solid rear axles.
From a purely logical standpoint, there’s plenty of reasons for jettisoning the clutch pedal. From consumers always looking for a more convenient option to regulations that make it plain that more gears (and therefore more inconvenience for a manual) are the quick solution to automakers’ fuel-economy blues, the manual is yet another ages-old technology under threat of extinction.
Despite all the logical benefits of moving on, however, the consumer is resisting the removal of the shift lever. Perhaps it’s rampant retro-ism. Maybe it’s our desire to remain “engaged” in a world we’re finding increasingly remote. Maybe we’re just watching way too many reruns of Bullitt. Whatever the case, like vinyl records, the manual transmission is making a (mini) comeback in the supercar world.
Porsche, of course, had to backtrack from its commitment to automate all its 911s, consumer brouhaha forcing the return of its recently introduced seven-speed transmission. Previous-generation M5s faced a similar backlash. And now Aston Martin, which never really liked manuals all that much in the first place, has tipped a toe in the water with an admittedly low-production run of the top-of-the-line Vantage S with a manual gearbox.
And not just any manual. Nope, not only does the 2017 limited edition get a seven-speed manual, the English marque has chosen to go with a rare and storied “dogleg” shift gate — think Ferrari Testarossa, E30 M3, Lancia Stratos.
“What the heck is that?” you ask. Well, unlike in, say, Porsche’s rendition of the seven-speed, which sees the seventh cog placed up and to the right of the extended H-pattern, Aston’s version puts first gear down low and to the left of the H, right below reverse, thus creating a typical six-speed H-gate pattern for the second through seventh gears.
Though initially odd — you’ll find yourself starting out in second on more than one occasion before acclimatizing — the dogleg is the superior layout. Porsche’s more traditional system renders seventh as an overdrive afterthought, whereas Aston places second through seventh in a more useful — at least, if you’re going full gonzo on a racetrack — close-ratio traditional H.
And what a gearbox it is! For we clumsy heel-and-toe-ers, there’s an automatic “blip” accompanying every high-rev downshift, the engine management system precisely matching revs so you don’t have to. More impressively, you can keep your foot planted to the floor when upshifting. That’s right, no need to lift the gas pedal under full throttle acceleration; just push in the clutch and slam that baby home — the ECU takes care of the rest. This is very much a case of having your cake and eating it, too; just the right amount of automation aids your desire to remain faithful to the spirit of motoring. Well done, Aston.
Nor is there much else about the Vantage V12 S that is a letdown. All that high-tech upshifting allows the S to scoot to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, one of the few times a manual transmission can match the quickness of its automated sibling. There’s also 565 horsepower on tap from the big 6.0-litre V12. That may no longer be otherworldly in this age of turbocharged behemoths, but it is still plenty rapid enough to scare yourself silly.
More important, however, is the 12-pistoned soundtrack that accompanies all this silliness. Aston’s V12 is one of the few nonturbo-charged engines remaining in supercardom. McLarens are all turbo’ed. Ditto for Mercedes’ AMG, all of BMW’s Ms and an increasing number of Ferraris. Only Lamborghini and Aston remain resolutely normally aspirated.
The difference is striking. I tested Ferrari’s latest California concurrently with the Vantage V12 S, and while the Ferrari’s twin-turbo’ed mid-range punch was too much for the Aston to match, The Vantage’s operetta is very much Pavarotti-esque compared to Maranello’s Celine Dion. Sharp, biting and just barely legal, the sound’s only downside is wishing it could go on longer, Aston shutting down the party at an overbearing parent-like 6,750 rpm. If Aston could find another 1,000 or so revs in there, this could be the best sounding V12 of the modern era. Besides, once you get past 500 horsepower, power increases are just for bragging rights; the aural accompaniment is more important.
The rest of the Vantage S is — save for an upgrade to the new AMi III infotainment system with improved navigation function and CarPlay integration — pretty much the same as last year. And the year before. And the year before that. Indeed, the biggest knock against the Vantage is that the platform is now more than a decade old.
That doesn’t stop it, however, from handling a treat, stopping on a dime (thanks to big carbonceramic brakes) and — as one last testament that newer isn’t always better — the decidedly retro hydraulic steering is wonderfully communicative.
There’s one last hurrah to this limited edition as well. My tester was liveried in a snow-white paint scheme with just a few hints of bubbly orange thrown in. That might not sound all that enticing, but the Vantage V12 S drew crowds wherever it went. Indeed, whenever the Aston and Ferrari appeared in public together, the California T fairly disappeared from view. Even Gilligan Island’s Mary Ann never felt this ignored.
Get one while you can. The Vantage is due to be replaced fairly soon and that great, honking V12 of a sound machine will give way to a smaller-displacement version with twin turbochargers. No doubt it will be faster. I’m not sure it will be better.
The 2017 Aston Martin Vantage V12 S will set you back $238,875. Get one soon, as they are in short supply.