How is the manual transmission Vantage?
 

I am actively looking for a manual transmission Vantage roadster.

I have never driven one and I am trying to get an expectation of what to expect in regards to shifter feel with the Vantage. There are no cars near me to get any first hand experience.

Previous and current cars include a Miata, Honda S2000, and an Acura NSX. All of these have great manual transmissions.

I am not expecting the Vantage to shift like my all time favorite, the S2000. Anyone have familiarity with similar cars care to comment on how the Vantage manual transmission feels in comparison?

Thanks

It's a pretty good transmission. The stock clutch is very heavy, the dual plate is much, much lighter. Below is a link comparing my Elise and Miata to the Vantage shifters.

I found the clutch especially heavy on my 2007 Vantage which is why I much prefer the Sportshift, however, I understand the 4.7 Vantages have a lighter clutch, maybe???

I have a Miata race car (6 speed) & a 4.3 Vantage with Manual transmission. I had a Porsche 997 & Lotus Esprit V8 in the past.

I actually like the feel of the manual V8 Vantage a lot. It'll be kind of hard to get into gear (1st & 2nd) for the first 5 minutes from cold start. After that it shifts great. The shifting feel is on par with the Porsche 997. Better than the Lotus Esprit V8.

The clutch is heavy but I like it that way. The 4.7 Vantage clutch feels very light, like a Honda S2K / Shelby GT350.

Alan

I have a 2011 V8V, the clutch feels very light to me, very smooth and easy to drive. I have not driven the earlier Vantages, so I can't compare, but mine is light and a pleasure to drive. Never had issues selecting any gears either. When I bought the car, I had never driven one, or even driven a manual in about 5 years. I bought it without ever test driving one.... (maybe not a good idea, but it worked out great...) I love it, very easy to drive.

the 4.7L cars and later have way lighter clutches, almost too light for my preference on my 2010.5

when the car is cold, there is definitely issues with the smoothness in 1st and 2nd it can feel grindy if that makes sense... some lube should fix the issue but I haven't ripped open my tunnel yet

I have a 2009 4.7 vantage with a 6spd manual. I find it to be just about perfect for this car. (My only wish is that the shift lever would be about 2" forward as I'm 5'11"). I have driven Miatas and an S2000 which are great shifting cars but don't offer the power of the Vantage. The clutch in my Vantage is neither too stiff when starting off (although I only drive in 65 + degree weather) or too heavy - especially when compared to my 1970 Jaguar E-Type and '87 911. IMHO, the stick shift manual increases the fun factor of owning a Vantage.

I'm not sure that Aston will ever manage to fit the new Vantage with a manual shift so I will enjoy mine for a few more years.

If you're interested in changing the clutch & gearbox feel, I might mention that my car shifts much snappier with a combination of tune-up and clutch-flywheel set (sourced from the V12 version's assembly, as I understand). The pedal feel is much lighter & crisper, although it still breaks near the top after a fairly long travel (which keeps it from feeling as quick as, say, a Miata--I have an NC myself--or your S2000). Perhaps more importantly, the throttle responds more briskly, without that weird little dead zone in the first half-inch of pedal that keeps the fairly racey Aston V8 from showing to full advantage. Of the two, if you have an early 4.3L engine like mine, I'd say you'll want to get it tuned to about the equivalent of the later 4.7L engines' output (420-430hp)...not so much for the extra power, but the crisper throttle response and better low-end torque take a lot of unnecessary effort out of shifting and driving. My car, for example, starts from a standstill just fine now in 2nd gear with little or no throttle, so notchy low gear shifting on a cold start really doesn't bother at all.

I also made the terrible blunder of first buying a super-aggressive racing clutch first (by mistake). It's still for sale on here somewhere if you want something more track-suited..

Cheers,

-N

My other toy is a bone stock, low mileage AP2 S2000. The shifter in the Vantage has adequate feel but it's a little bit notchy. The clutch is the biggest thing to get used to - it's very heavy in comparison.

I appreciate everybody's input. It sounds like most of you really like the manual transmission in the Vantage.
This gives me confidence moving forward.
Thank you

The clutch and shifter are as they should be in the Vantage, IMO. As some others here, I also owned an S2000. No powerful car is going to shift as nice as that. Evora 400 & Shelby GT350 are darn close.

Vantage is not the best shifting V8. If a Shelby GT350 was a 10, the Vantage would be an 8.5. It's not the shifting I would worry about on the V8V, but the sudden stalling that is quite common among owners.

Don't let that deter you in driving a manual Vantage. I would buy another one. The lightweight flywheel and double clutch plates sound cool if you buy one that needs a clutch.

I agree on the lever placement. The shift quality in my V12 is very good (nothing to compare to a great Honda box, mind), but the shifter is too far rearward for me. Shifts to 2/4/6 are somewhat problematic, though if you sit further back than I do it might not be an issue.

My 2008 6MT is fine, not as good as my 996. The biggest disappointment for me is the accelerator lag, which makes heel-toe shifting more of a challenge. I hear it’s better with the lighter flywheels.

The 200 cell CATs and tune made the biggest difference in removing the lag, the lightened flywheel had a much smaller impact.

Cheers,
Daryl

The M96, despite all it's warts, is a great engine. But just a tune on the 4.3 and it puts the M96 to shame. It eagerly revs to 7200RPM and gets better and better as you get there.