Manual box now an option for Kiwi-bound Aston Martin
It's been confirmed that the new Aston Martin V12 Vantage S will be available for Kiwi consumers to purchase, and those consumers have the option of fitting their Vantage with a manual transmission.
While it's great news that these may show up on our home soil, with a recommended retail price of NZD$320,000, the news of a no-cost manual option takes pride of place in the manufacturers latest release.
“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,” says Aston Martin's Director of Product Development Ian Minards.
“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.”
It is indeed refreshing it is to see a current six-litre, V12-powered supercar available with a true meat pie manual transmission. And while the seven-speed option comes layered with tech — including the brand's AMSHIFT system that simulates heel-and-toe techniques on downshifts — the transmission also sports a hefty nod to the past in the shape of dog-leg first gear.
Meat pie then, but with a side of kale salad.
Of course, for everyone else in the market for such a car, the Sportshift III automatic transmission is also an option — still capable of sending the Vantage S from static to 100kph in 3.9 seconds.
The first deliveries of the manual are expected to kick off near the end of 2016.