The British supercar still has a 500-plus horsepower, twin-turbo V8, 195-mph top speed, and reliably handsome looks.
Aston Martin is launching a limited-edition version of the Vantage they claim will deliver «the ultimate driving experience. »
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.
