Aston Martin Will Always Offer Manual Gearboxes, CEO Says

Whoever the next actor to play James Bond will be, he'd better know how to drive a stick. On Thursday, Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer vowed that the company he helms will always—always—sell cars with manual transmissions, according to a report.

The Truth About Cars says Palmer made the noble vow during a speech at the media day for the Canadian International Auto Show, which, in spite of The Drive having never heard of it, is apparently big enough to warrant a site visit from the CEO of Aston Martin. 

That's not to say the upcoming tech-packed AM-RB 001 hypercar, for example, will offer a stick shift. Palmer reportedly pledged that the company would offer at least a model—emphasis on the indirect article—with a manual gearbox. But that's still more than Ferrari, Lamborghini, or McLaren can say. 

Aston Martin Vantage likely to continue being the supercar with a stick shift

Currently, Aston Martin offers just one car with a manual—the Vantage, which pairs a six-speed gearbox with the 4.7-liter V8 and a seven-speed stick with the 565-horsepower, 6.0-liter naturally aspirated V12 in the V12 Vantage S. Sadly, that car is on its way out the door; luckily, its AMG V8-powered successor is all but guaranteed to continue carrying the manual gearbox torch for the brand. 

That said...Andy, we really wouldn't mind if you threw a stick shift in the DB11, too.