Times change, wills change. After Aston Martin brought handboxes back to its range two years ago with the Vantage AMR it is now preparing to abandon them.
The confirmation was given by the Executive Director of the British brand, Tobias Moers, and contradicts the “promise” made by Aston Martin that it would be the last brand to sell sports cars with manual gearbox.
In an interview with Australian website Motoring, Moers said that the manual gearbox will be abandoned in 2022 when the Vantage undergoes a restyling.
The reasons for abandonment
In that same interview, the Executive Director of Aston Martin began by saying: “You have to realize that sports cars have changed a little (…) We did some evaluations on that car and we don't need it”.
For Tobias Moers, the market is increasingly interested in automatic teller machines, which are the ideal ones to “marry” with the increasingly electrified mechanics that builders have adhered to.
Regarding the development process of the manual gearbox used by the Aston Martin Vantage AMR, Moer was critical, assuming: “To be honest, it wasn't a good 'trip'”.
a glimpse of the future
Interestingly, or not, Aston Martin's decision to abandon manual transmissions comes at a time when not only the British brand "closer" ties with Mercedes-AMG as it is preparing to move forward with electrification.
If you remember, some time ago Tobias Moers unveiled the “Project Horizon” strategy which includes “more than 10 new cars” until the end of 2023, the introduction of Lagonda luxury versions on the market and several electrified versions, which include a 100% electric sports car that will arrive in 2025.