It builds the DBS and only makes a manual gearbox available at the launch, yet all the key players in this market offer at least an automated manual. Imagine a Ferrari being launched without the fabled F1 ‘box. Plus, Aston DB9 sales have been 90 per cent automatic.
But Aston thought the DBS was a sporty car and deserved a manual only. To be fair, it seems like a refreshingly honest reason, and is backed up by more than just marketing hyperbole. The USA, surely the most pro-auto nation, buys most of its Astons as manuals.
But Aston can ignore economics for only so long. The Middle East only wants automatic DBSs, there’s a pretty reasonable amount of money floating around out there, therefore an automatic DBS was essential.
This isn’t an automated manual – it’s a full torque-convertor – and it’s been pinched out of the DB9. But because the DBS is currently the halo Aston and meant to be the most hardcore, it’s not a straight swap. Shift changes are 20 per cent quicker in normal shift mode, 25 per cent in Sport, and the final drive ratio has been altered to give more punch.
The reason Aston has stuck with a torque-convertor is it feels the alternative is too clunky in the automatic mode. But the problem with most torque convertors is that frequently there’s no point in the paddles. They don’t add any enjoyment to the experience of physically driving the car.
Not in the DBS though. The new ‘box is smooth in full auto, even with the Sport mode selected, and crucially it doesn’t hunt for a gear when you come into a roundabout on a trailing throttle.
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