Aston Martin hasn’t ruled out bringing back a manual gearbox, but making one work with modern safety technology is proving to be a major challenge.
Speaking during Monterey Car Week, Aston Martin CEO Adrian Hallmark explained that the issue isn’t sourcing a manual transmission itself. The bigger problem is integrating it with the electronics and advanced driver-assistance systems used in modern production cars.
“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—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.”
Aston Martin could follow Ferrari’s approach. The brand’s latest simulated manual system in the 12Cilindri Manuale works with modern safety electronics and would likely be less expensive than developing a genuine three-pedal setup. However, Hallmark admitted the company is still weighing whether to pursue a “fake manual” or simply avoid the technology altogether.
“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,” Hallmark says. “So our dilemma: Do we do a fake manual? Or, don’t go manual? So that’s the problem.”
Source: Road and Track
No fake manuals!
Aston… smdh, who is ruining you?! The manual was NEVER meant, nor desired to be in package with a ton of silly drivers assists. Manuals are DRIVERS CARS. True enthusiasts want simplicity. Not traction control. Use an LSD… pfft. But they decided to design cars that are made cars for incompetent drivers to pretend they are car guys, instead of making cars for car guys.
With no one buying ANYTHING now a days, and a silly ford ranger can be 90k (LOL), what an air ball for aston to limit its audience to guys who pretend to be car guys. When they COULD be the ONLY car simplifying for the true enthusiast. A supra (gag) and db11 (beautiful) aren’t that off in price anymore. Aston could disrupt a massive car enthusiast economie with a shift. Sell tons of enthusiast legend platforms that would skyrocket in value over the decades. They need a car guy working there. Desperately. The sell faux race cars to dudes who can’t check oil and wanting to make money on the maintenance… lol tired failing model. Make a clean gorgeous drivers car that can torch tires, be driven in a suit and has no stereo, only premium speakers and a blue tooth for you phone. Light. Nothing else. Only your phone and speakers are necessary. No paddle shift f1 nonsense, just 6 reliable gears, fun to drive, fast enough to emote and watch an aftermarket and fan lore develop around what would become the ultimate owners car. Peopled be buying them to restore and turbo or supercharge or motor swap for ages to come.
Big car names that began with racing heritage lost their way. Aston wasn’t for suits who couldn’t drive. It was originally just some car guys, people loved that. But even Ferrari is bleh in 2026. All faux computer cars no one could touch with a wrench full of stuffy old guys who wrap them around trees when they step on it LOL so much for all the dRiVeRs aSsIsTs anyways 😆
My Mustang has all those safety features including adaptive cruise and emergency braking and a regular ole 6 speed manual transmission. If it wants to down shift it will ask me to, instead of the other way around. I have 3 seconds to shift without cruise control disengaging. Its not difficult unless you make it difficult.
Adaptive Cruise in a manual is a daft idea that no one is asking for. If there is any subset of drivers that are likely to have NEVER used cruise control on their vehicle, it is manual owners. I have never turned it on my Miata, the 370Z, or Civic Si that I have owned. On the comfier cars that I keep my wife in, of course adaptive cruise is a nice feature.