The extra little storage pocket you get is also the perfect size for storing your tampons.





(kidding... kinda...)

 

My 2009 v8v roadster came with one crystal and one plastic key. No metal key. (I will start a new post with questions about that later).

I have only driven the ASMI and did not like it. Granted, I only drove it once and am told it takes some getting use to. I have always enjoyed having a manual transmission in my 'fun' cars and opted to stay with the MT tranny. It's great. I don't find the clutch pedal to be heavy at all. I bought the car with 8900 miles on it. I had no way of knowing how the clutch was treated previously but did a 'clutch stall' test with it a couple of times and sensed no issues. It has been great fun to drive.

Whatever transmission you chose, get the Sport Pack wheels from Redpants-- they look fantastic.

 

Thanks again for the input everyone. My local AM dealer has a '12 on the lot with a manual, but I am realistically priced in the '09-'10 model years right now and I believe the '12+ has the newer, lighter clutch set up.

It's really been interesting researching this. My take is ASMI is good for the track and works well at high revs, but it is not well suited for general cruising around town at low speeds. The '09+ ASMI, while mechanically identical, is slightly better than the pre-09s due to software changes. Yet it is still not really a fluid experience.

I find a lot of people (not here) saying "once you get used to it" it's not too bad, but it almost seems the majority of people really don't ASMI but at the same time don't want to bad mouth it.

In the end, I'll go drive one and see what it's really like. There are certainly more ASMs out there than manuals which leads me to believe people with manuals like them and people who had ASMs tend to get rid of them.

I did find a '09 manual for sale that meets my criteria, but the dealer has inconsistent feedback and a title search says there's a lien on it which is a red flag for me.

Rich -- I've been watching your YouTubes and the maintenance seems no worse than any other car I've worked on. As an AM noob, I appreciate you taking the time to create and post those things. It's very helpful.

Anyway -- that's again for the great feedback. I am sure I'll have more questions.

 

I talked to my AM dealer during my search and ASM is ordered far far more than manuals. Evidently most people ordering these new want to cruise and not be bothered with the stick, where I only want a stick and just have a complete aversion to paddle shifters. This may vary by dealer, mine won't even order a stick for inventory where Galpin will have several sticks in stock.

 

As you all know, I bought my 2007 and my 2016 Vantages from Galpin. While it is true that they stock some Vantages and maybe in the past a DBS or two with sticks. I would say it is still a very small % of there over all stock of Aston Martins. I do think that most large Metropolitan cities with lots of traffic tend to not stock cars with sticks. I would think however that west Coast dealers may stock a bit more than some east coast cities like NY, Washington DC. Just my $0.2.
I know in August of last year when I purchased my GT. Galpin had around 8 new Vantages in stock. Only 2 had sticks. Mine and a GTS coupe.
Ron

 

Kerbeck, Philly is not small, [it's not NY or LA either] but, 2 vantages, both roadster paddle cars. The only sticks I've ever seen there were used.

 

I purchased my new 14' V8V with a manual transmission from AM of Washington DC.
Being new, I purchased it with a quick phone call. During our negotiations they asked me two or three times "are you sure you want a manual transmission....you know it has three pedals."
Their comments were certainly telling.
BTW still love my Volcano red coupe
Great dealership as well

 

Los Gatos AM currently has an CPO Onyx Black '09 Vantage coupe with a manual, among other roadsters with paddles.

 

Newport beach dealer has a 2013 manual for $70K very clean full paint protection. But has 30K miles.

 

The new buyers are a different sort than the used buyers. I totally understand that more ASM vehicles would be ordered new. But used buyers are going to be younger, more value minded, and performance oriented. They will usually want more involvement in the driving experience, hence the desire for a manual. So usually there will be a small premium for manual equipped Astons.

 

Although 73 years of age, I like to think of myself as one of those 'younger, performance oriented' buyers. It took me 2 years to find the right low mileage MT 09' roadster last year. As for paddle shifters, the Porsche PDK tranny is quick and smooth as it gets, but I still prefer the stick in my 911. My daily transportation Lexus and Toyota cars are fine with automatics, but when I want to enjoy some real driving, nothing beats a manual, IMHO, especially in the Vantage.

 

Im not a kid either, I'm 56.

 

I much prefer the SportShift once you actually use it as if you had a manual working the throttle and paddles. The clutch in traffic got quite old fast on my 2007. If I just used the car for cruising and not everyday (summer) driving I might think differently. I also disagree with the young preferring a manual - I think they have been raised in a generation that did not expose them to manuals - they are the paddle shift generation, if anything. The 2015 V12 Sportshift is far better than my 2015 GT Sportshift - I simply can't understand why Aston would not upgrade the V8 as they did with the V12. Hopefully on the 2018 they have a better solution for both Manual and SportShift.

 

I had a e60 M5 that has the SMG, which is similar to the ASM. I could not enjoy it like I enjoy rowing through gears with a stick. I got rid of it within 6 months after I bought it. I could reluctantly own a Porsche with PDK because of the superior dual clutch setup, but I will never own a single clutch electronic transmission again.

I stand by my statement that most original owners are older and prefer the automatic transmission. The used market has made its choice that it prefers the manual gearbox. They sell more quickly than ASM models and for more $$. I also think those buyers are younger in general than original owners. Myself excluded.

 

The next-gen Vantage will have the drivetrain from an AMG GT, so the dual-clutch transmission is pretty much a given. Mr Palmer said he's committed to maintaining a manual in the lineup, so this would be the best place to put it. A manual for those of us that enjoy them, and a DCT for everyone that wants that.

I stand with you!

There are definitely more ASM than manual cars out there, and that's a direct reflection of the market for new V8 Vantages. To me, a V8V is an exotic E92 M3 with a price tag twice as dear, and I'm going to use the M3 through this exactly-not-scientific observation. The vast majority of bought-new M3 owners that I know are in their 30s and 40s. Granted, there's a natural bias there because of my age, but the ages of my core group of friends is 20s-through-60s. Meanwhile, the majority of bought-new Aston owners tend to be in their 40s through 60s, with the age spectrum being younger for Vantages and older for DB9s. As the Vantages drop down in price, those prices fall in line with M3 prices, and guys in their 30s and 40s, and even in their 20s, are now seeing that they can get an exotic M3 (the V8V) for the same price as a common M3 (the BMW). So you end up with a much younger crowd moving into Astons. These typically-younger guys more often than not want to do their own shifting than the older gents that first own the cars. That's why the used market has the higher demand for manuals while the newer cars are mostly sold with paddles.

The exceptions to the age-based babbling above are the car guys that like to drive. Guys like Deckman and the original owner of my car are going to enjoy driving stick regardless of what over-generalized age group they fall into. A lot of people on this forum are that way. The challenge, though, is that we're at a point where manufacturers are competing by numbers and surviving on new-car sales. That means dual-clutch transmissions. I really hope that Aston does continue to offer manual transmissions in the Vantages.