The CEO Of Aston Martin Talks Race Cars, Special Projects And The Future Of The Manual Gearbox

Neil Winn: Hi Andy, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. I guess we should start by asking about the future of the manual gearbox. You recently said that you want to be the last manufacturer in the world to offer a manual sports car, but how will you go about this; what will your approach be? Does Aston plan on offering manual gearboxes throughout the range, or will they be restricted to special editions (à la Porsche 911 R)?

Dr Andy Palmer: We won’t be offering a ‘stick-shift’ on all cars throughout the range, as manual gearboxes suit some cars better than others. But if you’re talking about a model that is very focused on the driver, such as the Vantage, I would anticipate that we will always offer a manual version. Granted, when we engineer a new vehicle, parts develop at different speeds, so we might launch with an auto, but we will try to follow that up with a manual.

NW: On the subject of automated gearboxes, is there a specific technology that you prefer? For example: dual-clutch transmission or automatic?

AP: I’m not a fan of DCTs. I spent a significant part of my career developing them, and for me, they’re only developed because manufacturers think: ‘we spent a load of money developing manual transmissions in the past, we’ve got these old-fashioned factories there that we need to utilise, therefore we don’t want to start developing a new auto from scratch’.

The best option is to offer a customer a great auto with paddle shift, so they can have fast shifts when they want, but also have the option of a refined cruising mode; the ZF-eight speed is a good example. And then on the other side, I think it’s also important to offer a manual gearbox, for drivers who want an engaging drive. So that’s where I am; don’t bother developing DCT, give me a fast auto and a great manual.

We’re also proud that there is no restriction on the number of manual V12 Vantages being produced. It’s not a limited-run ‘special’ and I think that shows our dedication to the manual transmission.

NW: We’re pleased to hear that, and it’s also a good segue into a question about the special-edition Vantage unveiled today. Obviously last year’s GT12 was the ‘ultimate’ Vantage, so what was the rationale behind the GT8?

AP: If you want to compare them to the racing machines, the GT12 is a GT3 car, and the GT8 is a GT4 car. But ultimately, the GT12 was an overall celebration of what Aston is, and the GT8 is a celebration of the racing programme; specifically the 2016 V8 Vantage GTE.

The GT8 is also a little bit more affordable than the GT12 [a whole £85,000 cheaper to be exact]. I think it’s important that we offer stratospheric special editions like the Vulcan and the GT12, but we should also produce limited-run cars that are affordable.

NW: Cutting through all the hype, do you really feel that there is a close connection between the 2016 V8 Vantage GTE racing car and the GT8?

AP: Absolutely! David King, Head of Special Products, is also our chief racing engineer, so there is a natural crossover. When I go racing, it’s David’s team that supports me in GT4. And Darren Turner [one of AMR’s factory drivers] has also been integral to the development process of the car.

NW: Looking towards the future, would you say that you’ve almost been forced down the route of turbocharging with the DB11?

AP: Yeah, I mean, if you want to keep increasing power and you want to meet stringent emissions regulations, you’re forced down the route of blown engines.

NW: And do you see Aston Martin using the new boosted V12 in different models; perhaps the replacement Vantage?

AP: Oh yeah. After putting so much effort into developing the new V12, we want to use it, so it will be making an appearance in other models.

NW: So now that you’ve made the brave move of embracing forced induction, do you see Aston utilising electric and hybrid technologies in the future?

AP: Well, we’re really into the idea of full-electric; we’ve already stated that the new Rapide will be fully electric.

And on hybrids, I believe that there are two views on how you approach them. The first is that hybrid systems can be used to help fuel economy, and the second is that they can be used to improve performance; I’m really keen on using hybrid power to improve performance.

NW: You’ve stated that the future of the company is dependant on an expanded model range. Do you think that Aston Martin can build cars like the crossover DBX, and still remain true to the heritage of the brand?

AP: I think so. The ethos of the brand is ‘Power, Beauty, Soul’ and in my opinion, you can’t make an SUV that’s beautiful - they’re just boxes. Our designs are born from the proportions of the natural world, and you can’t find a box in nature, so that’s why we do a crossover. And a crossover design also meets a lot of the customers needs, the main one being the high-seating position.

NW: Do you see a high-seating position as a bigger draw than luggage capacity? Would you consider a shooting-brake?

AP: A high-seating is far more important than luggage capacity. There are obviously people out there who need the utility, but they should go and buy a big SUV. For the majority of customers, it’s all about that high seating position, it’s all about the command that it gives you. So we’ve tried to create a beautiful GT car that can go long distances that also incorporates a high seating position.

NW: Finally, do you think that the Vulcan programme has been a success? And would you consider building more limited-run hypercars?

AP: Along with the GT12, the Vulcan is the first car - at least during my tenure at Aston - that has put the company back on the map, saying, ‘you know what, we’ve got our mojo back’.

And we’re definitely interested in building more hypercars. We already have the Adrian Newey inspired machine on the horizon, and that’s just the next step in our extreme sports car programme. Watch this space…