Outside of the most boutique supercar and hypercar makers, manual transmissions in new performance cars are scarce. The question remains, however, will other OEMs follow the trend of simulated manual transmissions, like Ferrari's 12Cilindri Manuale, or will they stick with traditional automatics? During a media event at Monterey Car Week, Aston Martin CEO Adrian Hallmark discussed the challenges of bringing back manual transmissions in their vehicles.
Hallmark explained that the main issue is not the manual gearbox itself, but rather the electronic and modified system needed to work with it. "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," he said. This is because modern vehicles come equipped with advanced safety features, such as adaptive speed control and anti-crash intervention, which can be difficult to integrate with a manual transmission.
View Price on AmazonOne possible solution is to use a simulated manual transmission, like Ferrari's system, which is cheaper and can still work with the required safety systems. However, Hallmark did not elaborate on whether Aston Martin is considering this option. The last Aston Martin with a manual transmission was the Vantage, and it would be great to see a manual transmission return to this excellent sports car.
Other manufacturers, like Honda, have been able to pair manual transmissions with advanced safety features, such as adaptive cruise control, in vehicles like the Civic Type R. However, BMW has taken a different approach, excluding adaptive cruise control from their manual transmission vehicles. It will be interesting to see how Aston Martin decides to proceed with their transmission options.
Source: roadandtrack.com
