Aston Martin Vantage SP10 Special Edition

To be honest, I’m not thinking too positively in relation to automatic transmissions. I don’t know if it’s just me or if it’s a general issue for automotive lovers and experienced drivers, but I’d say the old fashioned manual gearbox is miles better. The reason behind this is the level of control, which is ideally accomplished by the manual one.

For example, the Aston Martin Vantage V8 S – a magnificent 430 HP supercar slightly broader than its regular sibling, the V8. The V8 S is sadly offered exclusively equipped with the Sportshift II 7-speed automated manual transmission, which is a bit wrong for a car that needs to reach pretty high expectations.

Fortunately, the same English brand has come up with a cure for this disease – the Aston Martin Vantage V8 SP10 is the English firm’s  latest release, part of the brand’s centenary celebrative models. The car was reportedly inspired by its motorsport carrier in the GT4 Racing Series. Engine-wise, the car has remained unchanged – it sports the same 430 HP V8 as the V8 S.

But, by far the most important characteristic of this particular vehicle is the option to choose between a 6-speed manual transmission and an automatic one. Furthermore, the V8 SP10 will also come in both roadster and coupé body styles and will exclusively be sold in the continental part of Europe – pretty intriguing, yeah, but the United Kingdom will not be a sales target.

Exterior-wise, the Aston Martin Vantage V8 S SP10 coupé will come in Ceramic Grey Metallic, while the roadster version will be further garnished with a Titan Grey top. They also sport 19-inch cast alloy rims with charcoal black calipers, front splitter, clear rear lamps and carbon fiber rear diffuser.

Inside, the car is dominated by black – this tone has been elegantly applied to the huge quantities of Alcantara and leather which were used to cover most surfaces up, alongside contrasting silver stitching and a central console in exquisite Piano Black.

Furthermore, there are some standard features worth mentioning as well – electrically operated seats, cruise control, Bluetooth telephone preparation, satellite navigation and a whopping 750 W “Premium” Audio Sound System