Underlining its position as the hardcore drivers’ car of the Aston Martin range, the new Vantage AMR comes equipped with a manual transmission, the ‘dog-leg’ seven-speed gearbox first seen in the previous-generation V12 Vantage S making an appearance in the new twin- turbo V8 Vantage for the first time.
Power and torque remain unchanged at 503bhp and 505lb ft, but removing the auto gearbox and fitting carbon brakes as standard means the AMR is 95kg lighter.
It is also equipped with AMSHIFT; a system that mimics the throttle-blipping of heel-and-toe downshifts and also allows for full-throttle upshifts.
Limited to 200 units worldwide, the Vantage AMR is available in five designer specifications: 141 cars will be in a choice of Sabiro Blue, Onyx Black, China Grey or White Stone, with the remaining 59 finished in Stirling Green and Lime to celebrate the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hours victory. These ‘Vantage 59’ editions will be priced at £164,995, with the regular Vantage AMR retailing for £149,995.
Deliveries of the Vantage AMR are scheduled to begin during the final quarter of 2019, with the manual gearbox then being offered as an option on regular Vantage models from the first quarter of 2020. We can’t wait to try it.
