Today we are looking at the 2020 Aston Martin Vantage AMR manual, this car in my opinion is beautiful, but is it as good to drive as it looks? The Vantage is powered by a 4.0 litre twin turbo V8 backed by a seven-speed motorsport dogleg manual gearbox. AMR is Aston Martins race division, like AMG is to Mercedes and ‘M’ is to BMW. But in this case AMR’s changes are mainly cosmetic and not power enhancements. You do get carbon ceramic brakes as standard on the AMR, which would be an optional extra on a Vantage. The manual is also available with more technology and has a rev match option if you don’t feel like heel and toeing. The manual version also saves 95kgs over the automatic Vantage. Getting back to the engine, it’s the same engine found in the automatic version from Mercedes AMG GT. The engine produces 503hp & 685nm of torque, will propel you down the road at 0-100 km/h at 3.8 seconds, with a top speed of 322 km/h.

On the road you can adjust the driving modes from a touch of a button from ‘Sport’, ‘Sport Plus’ & ‘Track’. These modes affect the traction control, the throttle response & the chassis dampening. The suspension set up is firm as standard, so you don’t find yourself changing the suspension settings unless you’re at the track. On the other hand, the engine modes it gets more rowdy in ‘Sport Plus’ & ‘Track’ modes.
The Aston Martin Vantage AMR isn’t like all other Astons in the respect on customisation from the factory, where Aston Martin normally allow you to customise the interior & the exterior, the 2020 AMR will only come in five design specifications. The interior though is full of top-quality materials, this is their brand legacy. Complimenting this interior is a selection of brushed metal touches and contrasting stitching. But be aware, if you don’t select these complimenting extras the interior will look a bit dark inside. The standard seats are memory capable sports seats, but you can get heated sixteen-way adjustable sports seats. The Vantage isn’t a big car, so daily driving it is achievable & Aston Martin gives you a 360 degree back up camera to make parking that much easier along with large side mirrors. The 8-inch screen infotainment system is based on a Mercedes Benz design, but Apple Car Play is NOT available.

I am glad some car manufacturers are still offering three pedal cars for those of us that still wish to interact with our cars as we drive down the road, sure the technology of the automatic gearbox has come a long way with double clutch gearboxes that give you lightening quick shifts up and down. But, for those of you that like that interaction of heel and toe down shifting we must thank companies like Aston Martin for sticking with the manual gearbox.