No More Manuals - is it true?
Discussion
NFC 85 Vette said:
Forums have always been a mixing pot, and I expect until recent years, everyone got along quite well and were all on the same page most of the time. As we've all seen with the introduction of the 2nd Century cars, they haven't gone down well on PH, and while in the early days, perhaps 90% of posts were all of the same view that they're hideous, times have changed in so much as there's owners out there who want to contribute, whether it's due to being keen to share a new experience, or because they feel compelled to counter a point that's been made (because sometimes, you read something derogatory about a car you own, and you feel the need to chime in - I'm a repeat offender of such antics). As the years pass, more owners (for better or worse) will appear with a new Aston, and the mongrels such as myself will become more commonplace (and yet, no less annoying) 
Sadly, it's gotten quite heated at times, and several of us take occasional breaks because taking a step back is a good way of lending perspective, and at the end of the day, this is just the internet, and they're just cars. Nobody needs an Aston Martin, they're not a necessity for existence, they're a luxury item.
Personally, the last thing I'd want is a forum where everyone agrees upon everything; it'd be incredibly boring and monotonous. At the same time, the other extreme of nobody agreeing about anything, causes all sorts of friction. For the most part, we occupy the middle ground where there's enough variety in the machinery and the viewpoints, that it makes discussion interesting, entertaining and informative.
Back on topic - the manual being retired from service. The numbers just don't stack up well enough; if you consider how sought after a last gen manual Aston is and how they hold their money better than the automated-manual, the current Vantage was £6k cheaper new with the manual, and yet the vast majority of buyers were paying the extra for the auto. Rarity comes in two forms - few being built, and few being bought. The 4.0 Vantage manual, excluding the AMR, is an incredibly rare thing. Perhaps it's because everyone who wanted one with a manual box, snapped up an AMR the moment they could.
As the OPSadly, it's gotten quite heated at times, and several of us take occasional breaks because taking a step back is a good way of lending perspective, and at the end of the day, this is just the internet, and they're just cars. Nobody needs an Aston Martin, they're not a necessity for existence, they're a luxury item.
Personally, the last thing I'd want is a forum where everyone agrees upon everything; it'd be incredibly boring and monotonous. At the same time, the other extreme of nobody agreeing about anything, causes all sorts of friction. For the most part, we occupy the middle ground where there's enough variety in the machinery and the viewpoints, that it makes discussion interesting, entertaining and informative.
Back on topic - the manual being retired from service. The numbers just don't stack up well enough; if you consider how sought after a last gen manual Aston is and how they hold their money better than the automated-manual, the current Vantage was £6k cheaper new with the manual, and yet the vast majority of buyers were paying the extra for the auto. Rarity comes in two forms - few being built, and few being bought. The 4.0 Vantage manual, excluding the AMR, is an incredibly rare thing. Perhaps it's because everyone who wanted one with a manual box, snapped up an AMR the moment they could.
As always your comments are well considered and expressed
Happily I agree with your first three paragraphs,
Sadly I agree with your last
Tragically (relatively) I can't afford a new one so chances of getting a second hand one in Australia are pretty limited
Graze
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