Aston Martin boss reveals what’s holding back manual return
With no three-pedal, manual vehicles in its model lineup, Aston Martin’s CEO has explained why it may not be able to move away from automatics.
A mini revival of manual transmissions has been the talk of the car industry in recent months, with more high-end brands re-adding three-pedal options to their lineups – even in relatively small numbers.
From Ferrari’s 12Cilindri Manuale (which uses a fly-by-wire style system) to proper six-speed shifters such as the Porsche 911 Carrera S’s new MT Package, traction is gaining for more luxury brands to at least offer an alternative to automatics.
Speaking to US publication Road and Track at the Monterey Car Week, Aston Martin boss Adrian Hallmark gave an honest answer when asked whether his brand could consider more manual series production models, even if it’s not what many wanted to hear.
“I know that from our point of view, all of our manuals were based on the old vehicle architecture [and] electronics,” Hallmark said.
“The problem we have is not getting a manual gearbox; it's getting an electronic and modified system to be able to work with a manual box.
“Why? Because when you've got ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) –because this car's got all the safety systems of a production car, if we put a manual in, you couldn't have the adaptive speed control and the anti-crash intervention.
“To take that out ... and to modify it is more cost[ly] than developing a new manual gearbox.”
The last series production manual in Aston Martin’s lineup was the pre-facelift Vantage, while the Valour and Valiant limited-run models both featured six-speed manual transmissions.
All of these models had transmissions made by Italian specialist Dana Graziano, which is a relatively low-volume company.
Ferrari’s ‘Manuale by-wire’ system features a six-speed gated shifter which allows the driver to manually choose the first six of the forward-moving gears in the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The gears can be selected by pressing the clutch pedal which has no physical connection to the clutch packs. Instead, pressing the pedal activates an angle position sensor which tells the system how much pressure to apply, with the car’s electronic brain simulating the effect of a true clutch system.
Hallmark admitted there was sense to Ferrari developing this system, even with the added price tag due to it being offered in a limited production run.
“And then, when you look at how many cars you need to sell at what incremental price to offset the cost of the box and the electronics, it's a marginal case, which I guess is why Ferrari have done what they've done,” he said
“So our dilemma: Do we do a fake manual? Or, don't go manual? So that's the problem.”
The most recent Aston Martin reveal, the Valen, has been without a manual, instead continuing with the eight-speed ZF automatic as a number of the brand’s products.
Jordan Mulach
