Go with the manual in this car!

 

Its great to all say the manual is the better move, but how many have had both cars for a while? I found the clutch in the 2007 Vantage I had exceedingly hard (pressure) compared to other high performance cars I've had. I hear that after 2009 model the clutch pressure was less.

I now have a 2009 Sportshift Vantage. Would I go back to a manual? probably not. I really enjoy the sportshift after getting used to it. Downshifts are automatic, and upshifts more involved modulating the throttle. At first I thought it pretty much sucked till I got used to it, not I think my next Aston would be a sportshift. As an off subject note, my wife and I saw the Dallas Buyers Club, and it takes place in 1985. Everything was set in that period, but one scene shows a very large car poster with a new 2012 Lambo on it... a movie oops.

Anyhow, my vote is for the sportshift.

 

A lot of posts have indicated problems with the earlier sport-shifts and their clutch. As was said" "it pretty much sucked until I got used to it." That's one of the reasons I got the manual--Also, in a Sports Car like the Vantage V8 the Manual is a lot more fun. For me, it seems much more suited to the car.