Here's a look at the Aston Martin Vantage AMR

British luxury carmaker Aston Martin has introduced its supercar Vantage under its Aston Martin Racing (AMR) division. Along with a new paint scheme, the car gets a dogleg manual gearbox as well.

While most supercar manufacturers have adopted automatic or semi-automatic gearboxes, Aston Martin went back to its roots when it chose a 7-speed manual gearbox. A dogleg gearbox differs from a conventional gearbox as it has its first gear downwards, with consequent gears having the traditional H-pattern. Dogleg gearboxes have been used for decades in motorsports, before automatic gearboxes and seamless shifting became a reality.

Vantage AMR’s manual transmission also features AMSHIFT. The system, which is driver selectable, uses the clutch, gear position, and prop shaft sensors, together with finely-tuned engine management program to mimic the technique of heel-and-toe downshifts; the act of blipping the throttle while braking and changing gear to allow smoother deceleration and cornering as a result. AMSHIFT also offers the capability of full-throttle upshifts for maximum smoothness and minimal interruption in acceleration.

Aston Martin will limit the production to 200 units, with the last 59 units being painted in an exclusive Stirling Green colour, with lime halo graphics. It will also sport the number 59 on its bonnet to pay homage to Aston Martin’s 1959 victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The car shed 95 kilos when it discarded its gearbox and steel discs for carbon ceramics, which gives it a better power-to-weight ratio. It is powered by the same AMG-sourced 4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine which makes 503PS of maximum power and 625Nm of peak torque. It has a 0-100 kmph time of 3.9 seconds, with a top speed of 313 kmph.

The car is on sale in the US for $179,995, with the final 59 units having an increased price of $209,995. The deliveries are expected to begin in the last quarter of 2019.