The 2019 Aston Martin Vantage may come with a manual transmission, which would make it the first car powered by the twin-turbo 4.0 liter AMG V8 to do so.
A Vantage test mule was spotted by Autocar with the car’s optional quad exhausts, believed to be a testbed for the manual variant of the Vantage, and speculated to be a 2019 model year vehicle. This would adhere to statements made by Aston Martin CEO and President Andy Palmer in early 2017 when he stated that Aston Martin’s vehicles will always be available with manual transmissions. More recently, we received confirmation that the Vantage will be sold in the U.S. with a seven-speed manual, possibly that which will be available on the V12 Vantage AMR.
The AMG V8 used by the Vantage was designed for coupling with twin-clutch and torque converter automatic and semi-automatic transmissions, with this preference baked into the engine’s control module, so conversion of the Vantage to a stick-shifted car will not be as simple as splining a clutch-friendly flywheel onto the 4.0’s crankshaft. Significant computer reprogramming will be needed to prevent the engine from leaping into the optimal RPM as is necessary with quick-shifting modern automatic transmissions, though an automatic rev-matching feature would be relatively easy to carry over into manual cars (preferably with a toggle).
No AMG-engined vehicles have been available with manual transmissions since before 2010.
The Drive contacted Aston Martin for comment on whether the 2019 Vantage would be available in manual, and though the company declined to comment on the manual Vantage’s ETA or number of gears, we have learned the manual variant is approximately a year out. We can’t wait.