Aston Martin has recently created excitement among automotive enthusiasts with a teaser of a manual transmission possibly for its V12 Vantage model. Through a thought-provoking social media post, the company declared, “We aren’t just changing gears. We’re changing minds.” The post included two images, one of which showcased the V12 Vantage’s vents that have been spotted in some spy shots, hinting at a correlation with the forthcoming vehicle.
This revelation presents some intriguing questions. Firstly, it is perplexing because the V12 Vantage introduced last year was expected to be the second-to-last model featuring a V12 engine, with the DBS 770 Ultimate unveiled this year assumed to be the final one. That is why the new DB12 is exclusively offered with a V8 engine. Additionally, the previous V12 Vantage was solely available with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, making the teaser even more intriguing.
Adding to the intrigue is the unusual exhaust setup of the prototypes, featuring three exits instead of the customary two. The presence of these prototypes raises anticipation for what might be revealed in the near future.
There is the potential theory that Aston Martin is developing a special edition of the V12 Vantage as a final send-off, with increased power. However, this theory seems questionable since the updated styling of the new Vantage has been spotted during testing on multiple occasions, and those prototypes do not reflect those changes.
A more plausible theory suggests that Aston Martin is using these prototypes as development mules for the manual gearbox. Nonetheless, the fact that these prototypes feature the V12 engine still raises eyebrows and piques curiosity among enthusiasts eagerly awaiting further details and an eventual official reveal.
