CarBuzz says this is the last year for any manual Astons. All future cars will be automatics. RIP

 

Too bad. The used car market clearly places a higher value on manuals but the people buying new ones must prefer auto. The buyers are two different kinds of people I guess.

 

people will continue to cling to manuals for a while... I've been a manual guy for over 40 years. I have found recently no need for a manual... there is no performance advantage ... perhaps nostalgia... like having a buggy whip...

 

I just bought a 2016 Vantage with a manual. I searched for quite sometime to find it. What I found that most Vantage’s have a Sportshift. It was confirmed be the dealer that I bought mine from. They said that the normal take rate is 70% automatic or Sportshift. I agree that the manual is not as fast as modern automatic transmissions. But there is something fun about driving the manual that can’t be compared to paddle shifts. For me the Aston is just for fun not for driving on a daily basis. I now have seven cars and the Vantage is the only manual.

 

I'd never buy a fun car without the Lord's Transmission in it, as it couldn't be fun. Fortunately there are plenty of end-of-the-line Ferraris, Lambos and Audis to look forward to paying double market rates for, and Porsche still seems to value the driving experience.

 

i prefer a manual. but then again, i like roll-up windows, manual seat adjustments, am/fm radio and vent windows. the best thing about new cars is their reliability and comfort.

on another note... i followed an F-type jag on the freeway today for a while. VERY nice rear end design. it was on my list before i bought the vantage because you could get a manual on the 6cyl super-charged engine and they offered a two-seater with leather.... it is W..I..D..E.

 

Very sad. Surprised it hasn't happened sooner to be honest. I much prefer the driving experience of a manual in a fun car. If you want a track car I can understand the need for DC. If you want a daily to the office... auto 5 series for me. But taking manuals out of the fun cars is sad. I would like to own a Ferrari or Lamborghini at some point in my life but a paddle shift doesn't really do it for me. Fun for a couple runs but after that it will mostly sit in auto mode.

 

I guess I like the balance of the sport shift... still a manual, shift. no clutch

 

Couple of years ago I test drove a Ferrari Portofino in Phoenix .
I asked the sales guy why the decline in manual transmissions , I explained to him about me being a purist driver owning my Healeys and the manual Vantage etc .
His explanation for the trend away from manual transmissions had a lot to do with warranty claims from people buying stick shift cars and trashing the transmissions & clutches then claiming them under warranty .
How much truth there is to this who knows , but I would much rather drive a stick shift than flip paddles and push buttons .
My good lady’s Z4 is paddles and it’s kinda fun for about 20mins then I just flip it to auto and wish I was back in the Vantage .

 

I've never driven a AM SS equiped car but I had a BMW M5 e60 M5 with the SMG single automated clutch and hated it. They must be at least a little similar. A proper sports car will always in my mind mean rowing through gears. I am not racing or trying to get the fastest 0-60 time possible. I want to have fun being engaged driving and nobody is going to convince me an automated single or dual clutch is as engaging as a third pedal manual. I don't care if it's slightly slower. That M5 or my old modified 996TT would kick my V8V's butt by a wide margin, but I like the Aston the best. Even though people complain these cars aren't fast enough, I think they are fast and will not get embarrassed by anyone on a real track. I have scared myself a few times and got my adrenaline up a bunch of times. It isn't slow.

 

With the preponderance of clutch failures it is no surprise. Is it possible current crop of enthusiasts/owners have a misconception of clutch operation and impending wear?
PS. The factor to consider is what is emblematic or definitive of a sports car in the combustion engine era. The marriage of technology and mechanicals will be a fascination for many, however, the more analogue the more desirable many have said.

 

I really think they made a mistake using the stupid dogleg 7 speed instead of a normal 6 speed as well

people are already averse to manuals and then you make this really dumb to use one that takes a lot of practice, and then they added a hideous shifter **** on top of it? wtf were they thinking

 

This isn't a huge surprise and IMHO it's a generational thing. The number of manuals being sold has been shrinking rapidly for years. The performance of DCTs and paddles is the new manual for today's buyers. When you have people letting cars drive themselves (looking at you Tesla and Cadillac) - having to shift for yourself is a doomed skill.

My daily driver is a 6-speed manual and my Vantage is also a 6-speed manual - so I am one of those who will hang on. Who knows - one day in my lifetime it may be a novelty.

 

Sounds like a bit of a stretch. Ferrari is a state of the art sports car. Manual has not been state of the art for over 20 years.

I could care less about a manual. Never thought I'd say that, but I have finally warmed up to the paddles. For nostalgia a manual is fun, but I'll save that for the VW bus...

 

Speaking of market demand for beautiful proper manual transmission cars.....

https://www.marshallgoldman.com/used...311/#details-1

I considered this very car back in 2015 while visiting Tyson's Corner dealership.....oh well.

I can almost guarantee no one on this forum would guess the asking price (over 30 offers already in). Truly a stunning example!