New Vantage?

[Dewi 2]

yellow_tang said:

I’ve just gone past stage 6...

You so treasured, and also cleverly improved your V12VS Phil, that I did not expect you to part with it. Perhaps you have kept it and just moved the registration mark.

Anyway, enjoy your new steed.
Will you perhaps now be changing your username, to the new colour name ?

[yellow_tang]

Dewi2 said:

Anyway, enjoy your new steed.
Will you perhaps now be changing your username, to the new colour name ?

Good point... oh and you were correct, the answer was Graziano.

[Cold]

Catchpole's video on the AMR Vantage manual.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha8QXKxfCYA

[Mr.Tremlini]

Thanks for the video link, I always enjoy Henry`s work.

[shinjuku]

Henry agrees with me that the knob is woeful.

Nice video.

It’s harder to pass emissions tests with fewer gears, generally. Pleased to see a manual; if I were buying a new Vantage it would have a manual.

[hornbaek]

Why can’t Aston simply put in a manual with a normal H-pattern when Porsche does it. ?

[Bincenzo]

hornbaek said:

Why can’t Aston simply put in a manual with a normal H-pattern when Porsche does it. ?

Because it would cost millions to develop and install a new gearbox mated with the AMG power plant. The Graziano 7 speed ‘box is a known quantity and proven as a manual.

Not my words, Matt Becker.

[David W.]

shinjuku said:

Henry agrees with me that the knob is woeful.

Nice video.

It’s harder to pass emissions tests with fewer gears, generally. Pleased to see a manual; if I were buying a new Vantage it would have a manual.

I believe Henry made the comment, its doesn’t look very good but it works alright. You could say that about several bits of the car I guess.

[V8V Pete]

Bincenzo said:

hornbaek said:

Why can’t Aston simply put in a manual with a normal H-pattern when Porsche does it. ?

Because it would cost millions to develop and install a new gearbox mated with the AMG power plant. The Graziano 7 speed ‘box is a known quantity and proven as a manual.

Not my words, Matt Becker.

OK Bins I'm not here to have a fight but AM have (had) a perfectly good 6 speed manual that they used in the V8V & V12V which "is a known quantity and proven as a manual". I'm presuming the reason they had to go with the 7 speed version of the Graziano box rather than the 6 speed was down to emissions but Porsche seem to have got around that one. Was there a reason AM couldn't too? I know there are people that love their dogleg 7 speed box but possibly not as many as there are that love their 6-speed.

[Bincenzo]

V8V Pete said:

Bincenzo said:

hornbaek said:

Why can’t Aston simply put in a manual with a normal H-pattern when Porsche does it. ?

Because it would cost millions to develop and install a new gearbox mated with the AMG power plant. The Graziano 7 speed ‘box is a known quantity and proven as a manual.

Not my words, Matt Becker.

OK Bins I'm not here to have a fight but AM have (had) a perfectly good 6 speed manual that they used in the V8V & V12V which "is a known quantity and proven as a manual". I'm presuming the reason they had to go with the 7 speed version of the Graziano box rather than the 6 speed was down to emissions but Porsche seem to have got around that one. Was there a reason AM couldn't too? I know there are people that love their dogleg 7 speed box but possibly not as many as there are that love their 6-speed.

Good point Pete, and the answer is I’ve no idea.

[EVR]

Not an expert of doglegs and whatnot, but could it have been just for heritage reasons? Like a British sports car is expected to have a dogleg throwing back at the golden age of motoring?

[RichB]

EVR said:

Not an expert of doglegs and whatnot, but could it have been just for heritage reasons? Like a British sports car is expected to have a dogleg throwing back at the golden age of motoring?

The only car I've driven with a dogleg 1st was my Porsche 924 turbo, and it is really not a problem. I can't think of many British cars in the golden age of motoring with a dog leg 1st, anyone? Pre-war Astons had 4 speeds in a mirrored layout i.e. 1/2 towards the driver 3/4 away from you... like my Lagonda but that has the lever by your right thigh not in the centre.

[EVR]

RichB said:

The only car I've driven with a dogleg 1st was my Porsche 924 turbo, and it is really not a problem. I can't think of many British cars in the golden age of motoring with a dog leg 1st, anyone? Pre-war Astons had 4 speeds in a mirrored layout i.e. 1/2 towards the driver 3/4 away from you... like my Lagonda but that has the lever by your right thigh not in the centre.

Ok, I said I was not an expert!

[ds666]

V8V Pete said:

Bincenzo said:

hornbaek said:

Why can’t Aston simply put in a manual with a normal H-pattern when Porsche does it. ?

Because it would cost millions to develop and install a new gearbox mated with the AMG power plant. The Graziano 7 speed ‘box is a known quantity and proven as a manual.

Not my words, Matt Becker.

OK Bins I'm not here to have a fight but AM have (had) a perfectly good 6 speed manual that they used in the V8V & V12V which "is a known quantity and proven as a manual". I'm presuming the reason they had to go with the 7 speed version of the Graziano box rather than the 6 speed was down to emissions but Porsche seem to have got around that one. Was there a reason AM couldn't too? I know there are people that love their dogleg 7 speed box but possibly not as many as there are that love their 6-speed.

Perhaps the gearbox choice is due to the torque of the merc engine and where in the rev range it is produced . It is frustrating that Aston have limited the torque in the first 2 gears - the m5 v10 bmw was the same and never felt that quick until you were in 3rd gear at silly speeds ..

[IanV12VSRs]

Having had both the six speed and seven speed boxes on the V12 I have to say the 7 speed is the better box. I never thought I would say that after the first drive, and I really disliked it, but once I got my head around how to use it I really think it is the better of the two. Smoother, quicker to change and the gear knob is far more tactile. Also love AMShift.

I agree with Binz that to be able to provide a manual version of SS3 it was probably the most cost effective way to Do it. After all it wasn’t sold in big numbers. Would guess Porsche sell their manual in far bigger volumes allowing the costs to be afforded.

[dbs2000]

I know several owners with dog-legs and haven't heard a single complaint from any of them, quite the opposite.

[callevascm]

After some hesitation and concern I am too am a fan of the 7-speed dogleg box in the V12S. I loved the sportshift but the manual gives you more interaction. Well done to AM for putting it in the new Vantage.

[Dewi 2]

On the occasions (all too rare now on UK roads) when I can give my 4.7 manual ‘the beans', I always have to back off whilst in 3rd gear. What is the speed at max revs in 3rd ?
If conditions allow continued steady high speed, I then short-shift from 3rd to 6th.

Under those particular circumstances, 4th and 5th gears serve no purpose.
It therefore puzzles me, as our cars have so much torque, why seven manual gears would be helpful to a driver ? I can appreciate the reason more gears in an automatic car, leaving aside emission regulations, because closer ratios mean the car occupants cannot feel the gearchanges.

[sadlerj]

Cold said:

Catchpole's video on the AMR Vantage manual.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha8QXKxfCYA

Henry has just made me want a manual one to replace my old girl even more.

[sadlerj]

hornbaek said:

Why can’t Aston simply put in a manual with a normal H-pattern when Porsche does it. ?

As well as the engineering to develop a new box, I also think it is a marketing ploy, they want to appeal to drivers, people who want to work at driving, also people who want to talk about gearboxes and how special their dogleg box is...to that extent it is working!