Here are the AM vantages gear ratios:




The net net.

our 2nd is only 15% off many sports cars 1st gears, so it can be used for starting out, on level surfaces, and a gradual easy launch.

our 1st is about 40% lower than many sports cars 1st gears.

there is a big drop in RPM from 1st to 2nd shift, so be patient. its a near 40% drop in ratio, vs many cars of near 30 to 35%

our 2nd is like MANY other cars reverse ratio . 7.78:1.

vantage total ratios, (these numbers can be used for MPH in any gear based on different tire sizes)
12.31 1st
7.78 2nd
5.62 3rd
4.49 4th
3.67 5th
2.97 6th

4th 5th and 6th are close ratios at or near .80 of each other.
2nd to 3rd is normal spacing and 1st to 2nd is a little extreme. (just an observation)
( reference: reverse on the vantage is 9.3:1)


So, the reverse 9.3:1 ratio is not closer to 2nd as it is to our super-low 1st gear........ at 12.3:1. 9.3:1 is lower than many cars 1st gears, so it should NEVER be an issue or part of "conventional wisdom", due to this fact.

 

Reversing in a Vantage is always an issue no matter the numbers. Everyone here knows that. Reversing uphill is always a problem.

 

I hate backing up-hill out of my driveway--Reverse gear is difficult for me. If I try to totally release the clutch--so as not to slip it--then even at 800 RPM I'm backing up at more than 5mph. Just try to keep the gas set at 800 RPM (near idle), and still generate enough torque to back-up a hill, Difficult.

 

Yes, I've never had a car as difficult to move in reverse as the Vantage. Either you go too fast or you stall.

 

Its not due to the gearing, its due to the grabby clutch. it doesn't want to slip. high force pressure plate and a grabby, soft clutch disc is the problem. And yes, a grabby clutch problem can mitigated by a much lower gearing, but at 9.3:1, our reverse is as low and even lower than most manual cars out there.

 

It's the tall reverse gear that is the problem. If it is all a result of the clutch, then explain why it is easier to move off in 1st gear as compared to reverse. I rarely, if ever, stall the car in first, but almost every time when first engaging reverse.

 

Reverse gear in the Aston makes NO sense. The ratio should be much closer to 1st instead of closer to 2nd. This is as it is in most other cars.

You can argue all you want about the soft or hard or grabby clutch, but the fact remains--the Manual is very hard to back up-hill without slipping the clutch or stalling the engine and there is no question it would be easier to back if the ratio was closer to first.

 

So last night I tried 2 things.

1. I checked my seat position based on Prefurbia's recommendation. Shockingly, I already had my seat in the AM-suggested location.

2. In one of the posts above (I think) someone suggested that you should only depress the clutch pedal far enough to engage the clutch. Maybe this is obvious and/or common wisdom, but I have not heard it previously or thought about it. I routinely depressed the clutch to the floor, shifted and then let it all the way out. I tried this limited clutch travel approach -- I bet I didn't need to depress it more than a few inches to change gears. WOW -- WHAT A DIFFERENCE. If you don't currently do this, you have to try it ! The improvement was amazing. Starting from a stop in 1st gear was almost effortless. Its amazing what you learn on this site.

 

Exactly. Reverse should be shorter than 1st, or at least the same, not almost like 2nd gear.

 

that's an easy question to answer. its easier to move off in 1st, because the gear ratio is higher, so relative to 1st, reverse is "harder". if you are stalling in reverse, your technique just needs to be polished, as our reverse gear at 9.3:1, is like many cars 1st gears . even a lower gear than many 1st gears in some cars!!

well, the ratio is closer to 1st than it is to 2nd (btw), but keep in mind, our 1st gear is ludicrously low. at 12.3:1 its one of the lowest 1st gears around, typically used for very slow and low hp cars so that they can actually get rolling! our 2nd is just taller than some cars 1st gears, so its a little too tall to start out with, unless you are not in a hurry and the surface is level. Ideally, if i was to design the car, i would just put a taller rear end to make 1st gear more like reverse is today, and then change the reverse gear to leave it where it is currently. (i.e. 1st at near 10:1 and reverse kept at 9.3:1) that way, you would get a better freeway speed in 5th and of course, your "closeness" of the ratios wouldnt be changed. It seems all the gears are about 20% too low and that would fix that overall issue i have with the car.


the Porsche 928, a similar weight, sized,and powered car, for example had a 9.2 :1 reverse and a 10.1:1 first gear in its 5 speed. no one has ever voiced a problem stalling the car in either gear............... its the clutch problem, or issue, due to its grabby-ness.[/

 

Not remotely close to accurate. 1st is 3.15 and 2nd is 1.95. R is 2.39.

 

1st 12.6
2nd 7.7
R 9.4


Well, not even remotely is a little harsh, but I will admit it is a little closer to 2nd than it is 1st . However, I do admit it makes no sense to not have a lower reverse gear, but it shouldn't be an issue, due to the fact that 9.3:1 is a normal first for a lot of cars.

 

And speaking of gear ratios, why on earth is 6th gear set up so that going 80mph on the freeway equates to 3,500 RPM?

 

I think its 3000rpm, and for the last 6 months, i still put in the clutch to unsucessfully, find 7th at 80mph..... (i think its 80mph at 3000rpm)

thats why i was talking about getting rid of the 3.99 rear end and trade it in for a 3.42 or something. if racing, you wont see past 155mph on any track ive ever seen, so why not just use 6th for the overdrive. as it is, i see 1st as a little too low and 6th too high. i think a 10% change would be good. you would still have a pretty low 1st gear at near 11:1. I guess we dont often think that our vantages are 7800rpm engines, so i guess 3000rpm on our cars is like 2500rpm with the freeway mongers with the 6600rpm redlines.

 

It isn't in mine -- my car runs 90 at 3500 rpm. 80 is 3100 rpm. All 6-speed V8Vs have the same gearing. Also, I don't think 1st is unusually short compared to other 6-spd performance cars. The
V8V redlines 1st at 46 mph, which is not unusual. That said, the current manual 'box Porsches seem to have very tall gearing -- too tall, according to many auto journos.