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Manual Transmission May Be Discontinued From Aston Martin Lineup Next Year

Following the Gallardo and Murcielago, the Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese abandoned the stick shift because of the low take-up rate among the Italian brand’s customers. The second reason for phasing out the manual is development costs, which outweigh the potential profits.
Aston Martin Vantage AMR 14 photos
Photo: Aston Martin
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Back in January 2014, during a tech session, chief engineer Maurizio Reggiani told the media that five percent of Gallardo customers opted for the six-speed transmission with a Ferrari-inspired gated shifter. Chief executive officer Stephan Winkelmann intervened pretty much immediately, correcting the engineer by mentioning close to zero percent.

In addition to Lamborghini, the Prancing Horse of Maranello said arrivederci to manuals in favor of dual-clutch setups. To whom it may concern, the F430 is the final mid-engined Ferrari with a stick shift, along with the 599 series and California if you prefer front-engined grand tourers.

Aston Martin represents the last bastion of the high-performance manual car alongside Porsche, but come 2022, the stick shift may be discontinued for good from the British automaker’s lineup. Despite a previous commitment to keep the manual alive for as much as possible, chief executive officer Tobias Moers told Motoring.com.au the exact opposite.

Why did the ex-AMG head honcho take a 180-degree turn from its predecessor, Andy Palmer? The reasons mentioned earlier, for starters, and something that became apparent right after the Dieselgate scandal. Just like Lamborghini and Ferrari, the British automaker will embrace electrification as a means of cutting down emissions. Hybrid powertrains and manuals don’t really mix unless you’re the first-generation Honda Insight, and that will be that for Aston Martin customers that wax lyrical about the manual.

Looking at the bigger picture, Tobias can’t be really blamed for his decision. Aston Martin is struggling to get back into a financially stable position, which is why developing a three-pedal gearbox or adapting the outgoing seven-speed manual for upcoming applications would be a financial strain.

At the present moment, the peeps at Aston Martin don’t even offer a manual option. The final manual-equipped Aston Martin is the sold-out Vantage AMR that you can admire in the photo gallery, which numbers 200 examples worldwide at $204,995 per unit before destination charge and optional extras.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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