Aston Martin Backtracks On Promise To Keep Manual Shifts In The Game For Longer

Aston Martin will let go of the manual transmission sooner than we’d expected, and will not offer the gearbox with the 2022 Vantage and its future models. 

Back in 2019, after introducing the Vantage AMR with a standard manual gearbox, the British carmaker had promised to be the last sports car maker to exit the manual transmission game. Now, much to the dismay of stick-shift fans, Aston Martin’s plans seem to have changed completely. The manual gearbox will be phased out eventually ahead of the arrival of the 2022 Vantage. The current Vantage model is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that puts out up to 535PS and 685Nm. 

This move can be attributed to newly appointed CEO Tobias Moers, whose resume also includes heading Mercedes-AMG. He has stated the company’s recent financial troubles and lack of demand for a manual version as the main factors in this decision. He said, “We did a few assessments about [the manual car]—you don’t need it anymore. And you have to maintain it with the new regulations, year by year with the emissions because it’s a bespoke powertrain. It makes no sense."

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According to Moers, most customers prefer the automatic option, so there’s that as well. However, the option will be available with the 2021 Vantage, but that may be the last chance to get your hands on the manual Vantage.