Part of an upgraded Vantage lineup, Aston Martin has introduced a manual transmission on the V12 Vantage S.

Available as an option to the Sportshift III auto, the new seven-speed gearbox features a “dog-leg” first gear and the AMSHIFT, a system that uses clutch, gear position and propshaft sensors, along with the fine-tuned programming of the engine management to mimic heel-and-toe downshifts.

The manual version of the V12 Vantage S is mechanically identical to the automatic and performance remains unchanged, with a 0- 100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 330 km/h (205 mph).

Billed as the ultimate analogue supercar the V12 Vantage S has also gained a new Sport-Plus Pack option, with exterior and interior modifications consisting of a choice of five body colors, optional accent on the grille surround, mirror caps, side sills and rear diffuser and the 10-spoke alloy wheels, with a graphite finish.

Completing the updates lineup is the new AMi III infotainment system that sports integrated satellite navigation system and significant improvements over the outgoing AMi II like better graphics, easier and quicker address input, updatable maps, reduced loading times, advanced traffic info, better voice guidance and graphical itinerary planning and Apple CarPlay connectivity.

Aston Martin has also simplified the Vantage lineup. Specifically, it narrowed it it down from four to two models by dropping the non-S versions. The V12 Vantage S manual will be offered as a special edition in the US market, limited to 100 cars, while in Europe first deliveries are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of the year.

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