Aston Martin Undecided Whether It Wants To Fake A Manual Or Not

While it hasn't ruled out bringing back a proper manual, cost concerns remain.

By: Adrian Padeanu

Aug 21, at 2:11am ET

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CEO Adrian Hallmark says adapting the electronics could cost more than developing an entirely new transmission.
Aston Martin is weighing a proper three-pedal setup or a simulated manual like Ferrari’s.
Worst-case scenario: sticking with automatics.

The manual gearbox may be enjoying something of a renaissance among high-performance automakers, but Aston Martin isn’t quite ready to jump back on the three-pedal bandwagon. The British marque is considering dusting off the clutch pedal, although CEO Adrian Hallmark admits a rather awkward problem stands in the way.

Speaking with Road and Track during Monterey Car Week, the company's head honcho explained that sourcing an actual manual gearbox isn't the difficult part. The real headache is making modern electronic systems work seamlessly with a transmission that lets drivers row their own.

That might sound surprising, but today's performance cars are packed with technology that wasn't around when manuals were the rule, not the exception. Aston Martin would have to make systems such as adaptive cruise control and automatic crash intervention work with a clutch pedal and a driver-controlled gearbox.

Aston Martin Vantage AMR

It's All About Costs

According to Hallmark, modifying the electronics to accommodate a manual could actually be more expensive than developing a new gearbox from scratch. That's quite the engineering bill for a feature that would appeal to a relatively small slice of Aston Martin's clientele.

There's also the question of what kind of manual Aston Martin should build. A proper three-pedal gearbox would obviously be the purist's choice, but Ferrari has demonstrated another way forward with its 12Cilindri Manuale.

Rather than developing a conventional manual transmission, Ferrari's system simulates the experience of shifting gears while retaining the underlying automatic hardware. It could offer the theater of a manual without requiring the manufacturer to re-engineer the car's electronic architecture completely. Aston Martin is apparently considering something similar. Hallmark openly acknowledged that the company faces a choice between developing a Ferrari-esque setup or not doing one at all.

'So our dilemma: Do we do a fake manual? Or, don't go manual? So that's the problem.'

Aston Martin Valiant

Aston Martin Wants A Manual

We’re still holding out hope for a true manual, though. In early 2025, Aston Martin’s top brass told us that the company “needs a manual,” with the gearbox last used in the ultra-exclusive Valour and Valiant. However, those models were based on an older vehicle architecture and electronics, meaning that setup can’t simply be carried over to a current-generation car.

The problem now is that modern cars have become vastly more complicated. Adding a clutch pedal isn't as easy as it used to be. The transmission has to communicate with an increasingly sophisticated network of electronic systems, many of which assume the car is controlling gear selection itself.

And that's where the business case starts to fall apart. Aston Martin would have to sell enough manual cars, at a sufficient premium, to justify the engineering expense. With volumes already limited by the brand's ultra-luxury positioning, Hallmark sees it as a marginal proposition. Hopefully, they can make the math work. Porsche certainly has.

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Motor1's Take: So, for now, Aston Martin remains firmly on the fence. A real manual would be the enthusiast's dream, a simulated one could be the financially sensible compromise, and doing nothing would be the easiest option.

Given how quickly the genuine stick shift is disappearing from the industry, even Aston Martin admitting that it's considering a way to bring one back is probably worth celebrating. Whether that ends with a clutch pedal or a clever electronic imitation remains to be seen.