Aston Martin is launching a limited-edition version of the Vantage they claim will deliver “the ultimate driving experience.”
The British supercar still has a 500-plus horsepower, twin-turbo V8, 195-mph top speed, and reliably handsome looks.
But the Vantage AMR has something that’s absent from pretty much every other new performance vehicle being made today, Aston or otherwise: a true seven-speed manual gearbox with a clutch pedal.
That’s right, gearheads. Drivers get the modern performance from an Aston-tuned, Graziano-developed transmission that’s mated to a limited-slip diff and the wonderfully mechanical sensation of throwing the hand-stitched, leather-clad stick through the dogleg-configured gear selector.
For those who can’t properly heel-toe downshift on a track, the AMSHIFT system will automatically take over in the corners.
As CNET notes, the manual tranny does have a drawback: torque is down from 505 pound-feet in the standard Vantage to 461 in the AMR, which bumps its zero-to-60 mph time up from 3.5 to 3.9 seconds.
Only 200 Vantage AMRs will be produced in five exclusive trims. Exactly 59 will commemorate the DBR1’s 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans victory with a racing-striped green exterior and a matching alacantra-and-leather interior. In addition to these so-called “Vantage 59” models, 141 will be available in blue, black, grey or white trims.
If you’ve got $205,000 to spend on the exclusive ride, act quickly: the Aston Martin Vantage AMR is being sold on a first-come, first-serve basis.
It remains to be seen whether this latest offering from James Bond’s favorite automotive brand is among the Astons who make a cameo in the upcoming 25th 007 movie.
