The Manual 'Box Aston Martin Vantage AMR Is Nearly 100kg Lighter
The more you read about the Aston Martin Vantage AMR, the better it sounds. First off, there’s the main draw: it has a manual gearbox. Yep, for the first time ever, it’ll be possible to experience Mercedes-AMG’s 4.0-litre V8 with a good old-fashioned stick shift.
Then we need to look at the kind of gearbox that’s been fitted. It’s a seven-speed unit built by Graziano, and it has a ‘dog-leg’ first gear, putting the cogs you’re going to use the most during fast driving in a nice H-pattern.
Finally, we have the big surprise of just how much the weight has dropped: at 1499kg (dry), the AMR is a whopping 95kg lighter than the regular Vantage. The standard-fit carbon ceramic brakes help trim the fat, but most of the decrease is down to the ditching of the ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic. The new mechanical limited-slip differential is some 7.5kg lighter than the E-diff it replaces, too.
Torque drops slightly from 505lb ft to 461lb ft, which - along with the slower shifts - increases the 0-62mph time from 3.6 to four seconds dead. The top speed of 195mph, however, is identical to the automatic Vantage.
The new transmission features something called ‘AMShift’, which has an auto-blip function on downshifts. It also allows for full-throttle upshifts. For full manual ‘box heroism, though, it’ll be possible to switch all that off.
Aston Martin will only be making 200 Vantage AMRs, 59 of which will be in ‘Vantage 59’ spec with Stirling Green paint with Lime accents and a Dark Knight leather/Alcantara-trimmed cabin. Like the DBS 59, this version of the Vantage AMR has been created to celebrate the 60 years since Aston’s victory at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans with the DBR1.
You’re looking at £164,995 for the 59, while the remaining 141 AMRs will be £149,995, and available finished in Sabiro Blue, Onyx Black, China Grey or White Stone.
If you miss out on all of them, don’t panic: Aston Martin will be adding the seven-speed manual to the Vantage options list during the first quarter of 2020.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Thats a rly good thing, maybe it can be somewhat faster than a auto when an experienced driver is behind the wheel
Shame it’s limited production
There’s still going to be a regular manual. And you can probably option most of the additional features.
Man I want one so bad!
Sweet, now they’ve just got to sort out that German engine
Why?
paganis uses AMG engines and its still brilliant
What’s wrong with it?
Full throttle upshifts have been a thing in Corvettes for years lol. It’s still cool regardless though
Is that the same as the system in Porsche GT3?
Im happy they’re offering a Manual, but im waiting for a V12 Vantage and hopefully a V12 Vantage AMR with a Manual
i wouldn’t expect that much….
AM have specifically said that they can fit the V12 into the Vantage, but they won’t.
This is brilliant.
I wonder if the 5.2 v12 fits in the vantage…
It does, so Aston say. Aston won’t do it though
Its awesome but I find it strange that they called it AMR? I thought AMR was like their new performance division for track-focused Astons? This one doesn’t fit the definition really, plus DB11 AMR isn’t limited edition?
So will there be a more powerful Vantage at all?
Aston is the most exciting manufacturer now !
If only every manufacturer would make a limited edition like aston martin