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Aston Martin Vantage with a manual transmission due next year

In 2016, Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer told Car and Driver that that Aston Martin would continue to offer manual transmissions and will always have at least one hand-shaker in the lineup. For the keepers of the dying manual light, it's been a long wait since the V12 Vantage S went out of production last year, but dawn will break over Gaydon in summer 2019. Aston Martin chief engineer Matt Becker told Road & Track at the Goodwood Festival of Speed that there'd be a stick shift in the V8 Vantage by "this time next year." That might seem like a long wait when there are already prototypes on the road, but the small company has a large engineering job. The Mercedes-AMG 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 sitting in the Vantage's engine bay has never been paired with a manual gearbox, so Aston Martin has to create the software and the driveline hardware from scratch to make it work. On top of that, the company wants to make sure the package delivers the thrills the row-your-own crowd seeks. Becker said the car won't be a pushover, tuned so that "It reminds you that you have to know how to drive." Depending on uptake, one could hope that the DB11 using the same Mercedes-AMG engine would also undergo a manual transformation. Road & Track didn't get the details on what kind of transmission we could expect. We figure the options are a traditional six-speed, a Corvette-style seven-speed, a Porsche-style seven-speed, or the dogleg seven-speed used last in this year's V12 Vantage V600, of which there were only 14 units. Speculation on product plans puts the manual transmission first in the V8 Vantage pipeline, followed by a Vantage roadster and a V12 Vantage. Other models will certainly fill out the portfolio, Becker saying this first Vantage "is the starting point." Having applied the hardcore AMR moniker to the Valkyrie AMR Pro, DB11 AMR, and Rapide AMR, the Vantage seems a lock for the same extreme makeover. Related Video:

Aston Martin will call the AM-RB 003 the Valhalla

Aston Martin has announced the proper name of its upcoming "AM-RB 003" hypercar: It will be called the Valhalla. The name continues the tradition of Aston Martin model names beginning with the letter V, and it ties neatly into Norse mythology. As Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer said: "In following the Valkyrie, we knew the Aston Martin Valhalla needed to make a strong statement of its own, yet also offer continuity and a clear connection. Norse mythology contains such powerful language and rich storytelling, it felt only right that the AM-RB 003 should follow the Valkyrie's theme." Witness, then, the available specs of the Valkyrie's upcoming relative. There will be a 500-car production run, and the Valhalla will feature a turbocharged V6 with a hybrid system. The car is all carbon fiber, and it will have an advanced, Vulcan-style sealed oil system that enables quick changes and reuse of the engine oil. The variable airfoil on the rear wing benefits from NASA-level FlexFoil technology, with the ability to adjust the car's downforce without changing the airfoil's angle. No power figures or more specific information has yet been announced. Valhalla production is slated to begin in late 2021. Regarding the Valkyrie, Aston Martin has announced it will race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2021. The year coincides with the 100th anniversary of Aston Martin first racing at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

Aston Martin plots more specific models for China, Middle East

Aston Martin is a thoroughly British automaker. Given its independence from any foreign automaker and its production that takes place entirely in the UK – particularly since Rapide assembly was moved back to Gaydon and the Toyota-based iQ was discontinued – you might argue that it's the most British automaker of them all. But like any other, it thrives on exports, and that only stands to increase with its latest announcement. With support from the British government, Aston Martin has revealed that it plans to develop new models specifically for export outside of the UK and continental Europe – especially for developing but wealthy markets in China and the Middle East. It wouldn't be the first time Aston would launch a new model targeted at a specific market, after all. When the company relaunched the Lagonda marque with the new Taraf luxury sedan late last year, it initially planned to make it available only in the Middle East. And by Middle East, we don't mean war-torn Yemen or Syria – we mean the oil-rich emirates of the Persian Gulf, like Bahrain, Qatar, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Popular demand later prompted Aston to switch tracks, however, expanding availability to Europe and other markets. At this point, Aston isn't saying just what it has in mind for these lucrative markets, but the possibilities seem limited only by what local buyers would be interested in ponying up for. We could easily see the company offering a long-wheelbase Taraf limousine for China, a partial convertible sedan (like the Maybach Landaulet) for the Emirates or that long-rumored crossover that would be sure to attract buyers from both markets. ASTON MARTIN SET TO EXPAND MODEL RANGE FOR EXPORT MARKETS UK Government confirms support for new projects 29 March 2015, Gaydon: Aston Martin today confirmed it will widen its product offering for markets outside of Europe. Based on a conditional offer of an exceptional regional growth fund from the UK Government, Aston Martin will commence work this year on new models intended to broaden its customer reach in export markets such as China and the Middle East. The UK Government has committed support of up to the value of GBP6.9 million, conditional on investments in new products from Aston Martin. Commenting on this news, Aston Martin CEO, Dr Andy Palmer said: "Expanding our product range to enable a greater reach into export markets is an essential part of our Second Century business plan.